Hares and Lions: A Hippocratic reading and commentary on Herodotus III. 108

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to analyze a well‐known passage found in Herodotus (III. 108) regarding the fecundity of hares and lions. We think that the text provides an interesting reflection on the natural balance between the animal species and the natural environment they live in. We discuss the information supplied by Herodotus and we reestablish the intellectual context underpinning these ideas by analyzing the Corpus Hippocraticum.