Treatment and regimen

Use in the book

Socrates says that good doctors turn to regimens for the whole body when treating the head and eyes. This distinguishes a comprehensive management of bodily conditions from an isolated application to the painful part. “Regimen” is more exact than “diet” if the latter is understood only as a list of foods: the Greek does not specify nutritional instructions here.

The paired verbs therapeuein and iasthai emphasize both attending to the condition and bringing about health. The Thracian then extends the language of treatment to the soul: beautiful words treat it by generating temperance. The expression is medical in its framing and educational in its means. Socrates' requirement that Charmides first submit his soul makes participation, not simply ingestion of a remedy, part of the therapy.

At 156e the printed text criticizes Greek doctors for neglecting what they should care for. This local opposition of care and neglect is textually qualified: the main manuscript reading emphasizes not knowing the whole, whereas Burnet follows a variant meaning neglect. Either reading exposes a deficiency in attending to the relevant human context; neither permits an indiscriminate charge against every Greek physician.

The ordinary ethical instruction to care for oneself at 173a is related but separate. It motivates taking an apparent difficulty seriously in inquiry, not a new medical regimen. The medical vocabulary prepares that concern without making all self-care a bodily cure.

Places to read

1. 156b–cGood doctors use regimens for the whole body in treating parts
2. 156e–157c2The soul’s treatment and the doctor’s conditions extend the therapeutic vocabulary
3. 156e (apparatus)2Care is contrasted with a textually disputed neglect/not-knowing

Translation in this edition

“Treat” and “heal” preserve a useful distinction between attending to a case and securing its successful outcome. The edition's “regimen” avoids reducing diaita to food alone.

δίαιτα

Attested: διαίταις (diaitais). Regimens or prescribed ways of living; doctors direct these toward the whole body in trying to heal an affected part. References: 156c. Lexical identification: lemma: δίαιτα. See Treatment and regimen.

θεραπεύω

Attested: θεραπεύειν / θεραπεῦσαι / θεραπεύεσθαι (therapeuein / therapeusai / therapeuesthai). To attend to or treat; doctors treat the head with the eyes and the whole body with its parts, while the Thracian account gives priority to treating the soul through charms. References: 156b, 156c, 157a. Lexical identification: lemma: θεραπεύω. See Treatment and regimen.

πορίζω

Attested: πορίζειν (porizein). To provide or procure; once temperance has arisen in the soul, the Thracian account says it becomes easy to provide health for the head and the rest of the body. References: 157b. Lexical identification: lemma: πορίζω. See Treatment and regimen.

ἐνετέλλετο (enetelleto)

Enjoined or charged; the healer insists that no patient’s wealth, birth or beauty should override the order of treatment. References: 157b. Lemma: ἐντέλλομαι. See Treatment and regimen.

ἐπιχειρεῖν (epicheirein)

Attempt or undertake; used of treatment and, later, the attempt to examine or act. References: 156b. Lemma: ἐπιχειρέω. See Treatment and regimen.

παράσχῃ (paraschēi)

Provide or allow; the patient must submit the soul to treatment before receiving the bodily remedy. References: 157b. Lemma: παρέχω. See Treatment and regimen.

τρεπόμενοι (trepomenoi)

Turning toward or directing attention to; doctors treat the whole body through regimens rather than the isolated part. References: 156c. Lemma: τρέπω. See Treatment and regimen.

τρέπωμαι (trepōmai)

Turn or proceed to; Socrates avoids beginning medical treatment without first examining temperance. References: 158e. Lemma: τρέπω. See Treatment and regimen.