Hollows in the Heart: A Lexical Approach to Cardiac Structure in Aristotle

Abstract

This article considers Aristotle’s use of the word κοῖλον in his descriptions of the heart in History of Animals . It seeks to clarify two particular instances in which a careful attention to word choice can ameliorate our understanding of Aristotle’s biology. In one, the confusion surrounding the connection of the great vein to the heart is dispelled; in the other, a new interpretation for the connection of the heart to the lungs is put forth.