The social status of physicians in the Graeco-Roman world

After some introductory remarks about village-doctors--probably respectable in their villages but far removed from the elite of urban councillors--this contribution focuses on the position of the iatros dêmosios (public physician) in cities. It argues that throughout antiquity Greek public doctors in majority did not belong to the elite and that in the Greek cities of the Roman empire the number of elite physicians may have risen somewhat. Other, i.e. non-public physicians were basically craftsmen, probably enjoying some esteem among their customers but not being part of the socio-political elite.