First broadcast: Wednesday 16 Feb 2005 on BBC TWO

What The Ancients Did For Us in more depth:

Medicine in ancient Greece and Rome Copyrighted imageCredit: OU

Hippocrates' four humours, Roman hygiene, the first hospitals and home remedies. The second in our articles on ancient medicine describes practices in Greek and Roman...  Read more : Medicine in ancient Greece and Rome

Today's ancient pharmacists Copyrighted imageCredit: Production team

The pharmaceutical-rich shelves of modern Western chemists and hospitals filled with sophisticated technologies seem far removed from the home remedies and medicines of the past,...  Read more : Today's ancient pharmacists

OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - About the Series Copyrighted imageCredit: OU

Discover more about the BBC/OU's TV series on 'What the Ancients Did for Us'  Read more : OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - About the Series

OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - The Aztecs, Maya & Incas Copyrighted imageCredit: Production team

Find out more about The Aztecs, Incas and Mayans programme, part of the BBC/OU's 'What the Ancients Did for Us' TV series  Read more : OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - The Aztecs, Maya & Incas

OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - The Britons Copyrighted imageCredit: Production team

Find out more about The Ancient Britons programme, part of the BBC/OU's 'What the Ancients Did for Us' TV series  Read more : OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - The Britons

OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - The Chinese Copyrighted imageCredit: Production team

Find out more about the China programme, part of the BBC/OU's 'What the Ancients Did for Us' TV series  Read more : OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - The Chinese

OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - The Egyptians Copyrighted imageCredit: OU

Find out more about The Ancient Egyptians programme, part of the BBC/OU's 'What the Ancients Did for Us' TV series  Read more : OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - The Egyptians

OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - The Greeks Copyrighted imageCredit: Used with permission

Find out more about The Ancient Greeks programme, part of the BBC/OU's 'What the Ancients Did for Us' TV series  Read more : OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - The Greeks

OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - The Indians Copyrighted imageCredit: Production team

Find out more about The India programme, part of the BBC/OU's 'What the Ancients Did for Us' TV series  Read more : OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - The Indians

OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - The Islamic World Copyrighted imageCredit: Production team

Find out more about The Moslem World programme, part of the BBC/OU's 'What the Ancients Did for Us' TV series  Read more : OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - The Islamic World

OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - The Mesopotamians Copyrighted imageCredit: Used with permission

Find out more about The Mesopotamians programme, part of the BBC/OU's 'What the Ancients Did for Us' TV series  Read more : OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - The Mesopotamians

OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - The Romans Copyrighted imageCredit: OU

Find out more about The Romans programme, part of the BBC/OU's 'What the Ancients Did for Us' TV series  Read more : OU on the BBC: What The Ancients Did For Us - The Romans