Final answer:
During the Early Christian Period, illness was frequently seen as a divine punishment or the work of evil spirits, with various non-scientific explanations prevailing before the advent of germ theory.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the Early Christian Period, illness was often attributed to a variety of non-scientific causes. While Hippocrates, known as the "father of Western medicine", believed in natural causes for diseases, the prevailing thought in Christian Europe was that sickness might be a sign of divine displeasure or punishment for sin. This perspective was reinforced by religious leaders and was reflected in the societal responses to epidemics, where scapegoating and persecution of marginalized groups were common. Moreover, many people believed that evil spirits or supernatural forces were responsible for illness, and pagan practices for warding off such spirits persisted even among Christians. It was not until much later that the concept of germ theory and understanding of contagion would begin to replace these early beliefs.