[Physician praise in the province. Comments on 2 ancient epitaphs from Trikka (Thessalia)]

With respect to the meaning of a physician for life and health of men, the Iliad says about the physician pi omicron lambda lambda omega nu alpha nu tau alpha xi iota omicron sigma alpha lambda lambda omega nu and reports upon two famous physicians: Machaon and Podaleirios from Thessaly, sons of Asclepios. Like these the qualified physician proves to be a man of knowledge and a man of arts-not only in antiquity--, for he has one passion: science as incorporated in the tau epsilon chi nu eta of medicine. Very often inscriptions--above all grave epigrams--with their great tradition from various times and localities provide many good examples of daily life including valuable references to the practice, ethics and social situation of physicians. As examples of the social status and of the praise of physicians, two grave poems from ancient Trikka in Thessaly are discussed here: one from the first century B. C., the other from the third century A. D. These two poems are documents of the medical history of Thessaly; a region important because of the tradition of the cult of Asclepios and the life and work of late Hippocrates.