AGNODICE or AGNODIKE (ANCIENT GREEK) - First female midwife or physician in ancient Athens.

By Hasan Syed thru FB Ole Times

In ancient Greece, women were forbidden to study medicine. B.C. Born in 300, Agnodice cut her hair and entered Alexandria medical school dressed as a man.

While walking the streets of Athens after completing his medical education, he heard the cries of a woman in labor. However, the woman, writhing with pain, did not want Agnodice to touch her because she thought he was a man.

Agnodice proved that she was a woman by removing her clothes without anyone seeing and gave birth.

This event spread among the women and all the women who were sick began to go to Agnodice. Envious, male doctors accused Agnodice, whom they thought was male, of seducing female patients.

Agnodice, who was brought before the court on this charge, was sentenced to death.

So to save her life, she said she was a woman, not a man. This time, she was sentenced to death for studying medicine and practicing medicine as a woman.

All women revolted, especially the wives of the judges who had given the death penalty.

Some said that if Agnodice was killed, they would go to their deaths with her. Unable to withstand the pressures of their wives and other women, the judges lifted Agnodice's sentence, and from now on, women were also allowed to practice medicine, provided they only looked after women.

Thus, Agnodice made her mark in history as the first female doctor and gynecologist.

167167

16 Comments

32 Shares