Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Dec 2025).

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Introduction. Many definitions of consciousness -- Definitions of delirium/wakeful impaired consciousness versus madness, and the concept of 'disease' -- Delirium versus madness and the notion of disease in the Hippocratic Corpus -- Delirium, madness, and disease among post-Hellenistic authors -- Galen's delirium : hot and dry duscrasia of the hêgemonikon -- Final remarks about delirium and the notion of disease : a diachronic look -- A general glance at sleep -- Sleep in the Hippocratic Corpus -- Sleep in post-Hellenistic sources -- Sleep in Galen -- Sleep and the mind : an overview of ideas that did not change -- General overview of total loss of consciousness -- The Hippocratic Corpus and total loss of consciousness -- Total loss of consciousness in post-Hellenistic authors -- Galen's two ways of losing consciousness -- Concluding reflections on the implication of the soul in total loss of consciousness.

Impaired consciousness is a topic lying at the intersection of science and philosophy. It encourages reflection on questions concerning human nature, the body, the soul, the mind and their relation, as well as the blurry limits between health, disease, life and death. This is the first study of impaired consciousness in the works of some highly influential Greek and Roman medical writers who lived in periods ranging from Classical Greece to the Roman Empire in the second century CE. Andrés Pelavski employs the notion and contrasts ancient and contemporary theoretical frameworks in order to challenge some established ideas about mental illness in antiquity. All the ancient texts are translated and the theoretical concepts clearly explained. This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core.

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