An ancient Greco-Roman surgical instrument described by the Roman encyclopedist Celsus (1st century CE) and attributed to the Greek physician Diocles of Carystus (4th century BCE). Its intended purpose was to safely extract barbed arrowheads through the original entry wound without causing additional tearing of soft tissues. It was designed to be inserted alongside the arrow, rotated so the arrowhead fits into the hole, and then withdrawn with the arrow enclosed.
A 22 cm metal tool found in the Domus del Chirurgo (Rimini, Italy) is considered by archaeologists to be one of the only physical examples.
A 22 cm metal tool found in the Domus del Chirurgo (Rimini, Italy) is considered by archaeologists to be one of the only physical examples.
Some historians believe that the physician of king Philip II of Macedon used a spoon of Diocles to successfully remove an arrow from the king's eye without disfiguring him.
by A. Patmos November 24, 2025
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