Democedes, who was a contemporary of Pythagoras, but not one of his disciples, was a native of Crotona. Dion Cassius, the author of a Roman history, ranks him and Hippocrates as the two most eminent physicians of antiquity. Daremberg, who derived his facts from the works of Herodotus, gives the following account of the adventures of Democedes:—
Being unable to bear any longer the frequent anger and harsh treatment of his father, Calliphon, Democedes left Crotona, and settled in practice at Aegina, on the Saronic Gulf, not far from Athens. Almost from the very start he attained marked success, and already in the second year of his residence in Aegina he was made the recipient of a pension of one talent (equal to about £240, or $1200,) out of the public treasury. During the following year he was induced, by the offer of a larger pension (100 minae, or about $3000,) to settle in Athens; and, a year later, he accepted a still larger remuneration from Polycrates, the tyrant of Samos. Having accompanied the latter on a trip to Sardis, the capital of Lydia, in Asia Minor, he fell a prisoner into the hands of the governor of that city, and was made by him a slave. Not long afterward Darius gained possession of this governor’s or satrap’s property, including all his slaves; and thus, despite all his efforts to conceal his profession through fear that a knowledge of it on the part of the king might prolong his bondage indefinitely, Democedes was unable to do so. The discovery came about in the following manner. During a hunting trip Darius broke his ankle. He called to his assistance the court physicians, who were esteemed the most skilful that could be found in all Egypt, but they failed to give him relief. By the violence of their manipulations they rather made matters worse. For seven days and nights his sufferings were so great that he was unable to obtain any sleep. Finally, on the eighth day, one of the court attendants having told Darius that there was a Greek physician among the slaves, Democedes was sent for, and he appeared before the king clad in rags and with chains on his ankles. When asked whether he knew anything about medicine he denied such knowledge, being fearful that the discovery of the truth about himself would stand in the way of his ever getting back to Greece. Darius, perceiving that he was dissimulating, ordered the attendants to fetch the whips and pinchers. Whereupon Democedes made up his mind that he had better confess the truth. He accordingly told the king that, while not possessing a thorough knowledge of the healing art, long association with a physician had familiarized him more or less with the subject. The king then asked him to take charge of the case. Democedes, following the treatment adopted by the Greek physicians in similar conditions, applied soothing remedies and soon succeeded in procuring sleep for the suffering king. Eventually he obtained a complete cure, and Darius, who had made up his mind that he would never again be able to use his limb, was naturally delighted with the result. He loaded Democedes with gifts, and, being charmed with his conversation, made him sit at the royal table and did everything possible to render court life attractive; but liberty was denied him, which was the one thing that Democedes most ardently desired. The only use which the latter made of the great influence which he had obtained over Darius was to save the Egyptian physicians from the death by crucifixion which the king had decided to inflict upon them for their lack of skill.
The means of escape finally presented themselves to Democedes in a most unexpected manner. Atossa, who was the wife of Darius and also the daughter of Cyrus, was afflicted with a swelling of the breast which developed into an abscess and began to burrow into the neighboring tissues. After, for a time, concealing the trouble through a sense of false modesty, she made up her mind to consult Democedes. He had the good fortune to cure her of this malady in a relatively short time. As preparations were then being made to send a number of spies to Greece with instructions to examine the coast carefully for the purpose of determining at what points the defenses were sufficiently weak to render an attack by the Persians reasonably sure of success, Democedes asked permission of Darius to accompany these men as their guide. His request was granted; and, as soon as the expedition reached Tarentum in Calabria, he delivered the Persian spies into the hands of Aristophilides, the king of that country, and then fled in all haste to Crotona, his native city. Shortly afterward these Persians, having been set at liberty by Aristophilides, made the attempt to capture Democedes and carry him off by main force, but the citizens of Crotona thwarted the attempt and compelled the men to return to Asia. Democedes then married the daughter of Milo, the athlete, and history furnishes no information regarding the subsequent career of this extraordinary man.
Daremberg calls attention to certain excellent proverbs which may be found in the writings of the Greek poets and which are of some interest to physicians. The following may serve as examples of those most widely known:—[23]
Joy is the best physician for fatigue.
(Pindar, 522–442 B. C.)
The good physician is he who knows how to employ the right remedies at the proper time; the poor one, he who, in the presence of a serious illness, loses his courage, becomes flustered, and is unable to devise any helpful method of treatment.
(Aeschylus, 525–456 B. C.)
Physician, heal thyself.
(Euripides, 400–406 B. C.)