Holidays weren’t always a time to rest and recover

Take a holiday. It’ll do you good

In ancient Greece and Rome, many people recognised that taking a holiday was an opportunity to restore the health of the body and mind.

For example, there are times when we are working and times when we are on holidays. Plutarch of Chaeronea observed that our lives are divided between relaxation and exertion. He said rest was important: “Rest gives relish to labour.”

But watch where you go and how you get there

People also sought out or avoided specific places, depending on whether the places were considered healthy or not.

The physician Galen tells us the water at Mytilene, on the Greek island of Lesbos, had qualities to treat various illnesses, including hydrops, a type of fluid build-up that leads to swelling:

This water is suitable both for those with hydrops and for the other swellings, being strongly drying. Similarly, it is also suitable for those who are obese, and particularly when someone also compels them to swim more in it quickly, and after bathing more, not to drink or eat immediately […].

Doctors also advised people to seek out or avoid specific modes of travel.

For instance, when treating headaches, the physician Caelius Aurelianus wrote about the benefits of sea voyages:

Sea voyages imperceptibly and gradually open the bodily pores, give rise to a burning effect by reason of the saltiness of the sea, and, by working a change, repair the bodily condition. We must try to arrange voyages to places where the climate is mild and the north wind prevails, conditions the opposite of those which can aggravate the disease.

But he advised against travelling on fresh water:

Voyages on rivers, bays, and lakes are considered unsuitable, since they cause the head to become moist and cold by reason of the exhalation from the earth.

It’s easy to overdo it on holiday

Not everyone in antiquity thought holidays were healthy. Some thought holidays could be harmful, because we sometimes drank or ate too much.

Galen complained about how people on holidays tended to make their health worse rather than better. In his work Hygiene, Galen observed that people who are unwell because of their difficult work routine, such as slaves, needed the opportunity to restore their health by having a holiday.

But Galen noted these people did not always use holidays to restore their health because they used holidays to eat and drink too much:

They are able to make such provision for themselves during those days on which there is some public festival, when they free themselves from the services of a slave. But due to lack of control they not only do nothing to correct those things collecting deleteriously in the body, but they also fill themselves full of these things by eating badly.

Holidays waste time and are only for the lazy

In the ancient world, people sometimes complained holidays were a waste of precious time.

The philosopher Seneca said the religious practice of taking every Sunday away from work meant people wasted “a seventh of their life”.

Similarly, the writer Claudius Aelian said holidays were simply devised as an excuse to be lazy:

Look at you men – devising endless pretexts and excuses for idling!

How do you want to spend your time?

While many of us will use our holidays to rest and recover, others will need to, or choose to, work this festive season.

The ancients would have said that holidays present new possibilities, not just for our health but for other things too. For example, Pliny the Younger sometimes used holidays to study Greek. It’s hard to disagree with that.

Conclusion

Holidays have been a part of human culture for thousands of years, and the ancients had a unique perspective on their importance. While some saw holidays as an opportunity to restore health and well-being, others saw them as a waste of time or a chance to indulge in excess. Whatever your perspective, it’s clear that holidays have the power to shape our lives in profound ways.

FAQs

Q: What did the ancient Greeks and Romans think about holidays?

A: Many ancient Greeks and Romans saw holidays as an opportunity to restore the health of the body and mind, and to take a break from their daily routines.

Q: What were some popular holiday destinations in ancient times?

A: The ancient Greeks and Romans often travelled to different regions to take advantage of their unique climates and health benefits. For example, the water at Mytilene, on the Greek island of Lesbos, was believed to have qualities to treat various illnesses.

Q: Did the ancients have any advice for how to make the most of our holidays?

A: Yes, the ancients believed in taking care of oneself while on holiday, and in avoiding excessive eating and drinking. They also believed in using holidays as an opportunity to learn new things, such as studying Greek.