Aspasia c.400AD
Greek midwife and gynaecologist
medical writer and gynaecologist whose only reference of information is from Aetius of Amida's medical encylopaedia
Aetius Amidene and the Mystery of Aspasia
Aspasia is believed to have been an ancient Greek midwife and gynaecologist. However, there is significant uncertainty about whether the Aspasia referred to in Aëtius Tetrabiblion was a real individual, or simply a name attributed to a group of women who contributed to Aëtius' medical encyclopaedia.
Despite being mentioned 11 times by Aetius (book 16), there is little evidence that Aspasia ever existed. There is no reference to her in any other medical text from that time, of which there are many. Some sources[1] argue that Aspasia may be a blend of medically inclined women who contributed to several sections of Book 16, such as “On Uterine Haemorrhoids”, “How to Care for a Pregnant Woman who is Ill”, and my personal favourite “On the Uterus Leaning Backwards, Moving Sideways, and Retreating”.
Since Aspasia is only mentioned in the last book of Aëtius and given the name Aspasia (which was a common name at the time), in addition to material in Aëtius being relatively similar to that found in Soranus’ Gynaecology[2], it has been argued that it should not be presumed that Aspasia was an actual female physician.
What is fascinating about the frequently mentioned Aspasia is the way in which mythical beliefs, such as carrying a child's tooth to prevent pregnancy, are mixed with what are now recognised as legitimate scientific contraceptives, such as pennywort. This lends support to the notion that Aëtius must have obtained his information from individuals, likely women, who were knowledgeable in various aspects of gynaecology.
Whether Aspasia was a living, breathing woman, a term for a collection of women, or a fragment of the imagination, the works of Aëtius and Soranus show that the ancient Greeks were relatively knowledgable on matters of gynaecology. The reference to women in these works also suggests that dealing with matters of women’s health (during pregnancy, childbirth and otherwise), was firmly within the realm of women practitioners, midwives and proton-gynaecologists.
Due to the fragmentary nature of the works of Aëtius and Soranus, it is likely that this mystery will never be solved.
Sources
1- Scarborough, J (2013). Theodora, Aetius of Amida, and Procopius: Some Possible Connections. Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies, 53, 742-762. https://grbs.library.duke.edu/index.php/grbs/article/view/14791/6243
2- Flemming, R. (2007). Women, Writing and Medicine in the Classical World. The Classical Quarterly, 57(1), 257–279. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4493489
1535 copy of Aëtius Tetrabiblion (a work in four parts)