In the Anglophone world there are few people who have not heard of Hippocrates, the man we call ‘the father of medicine’. Many doctors still swear variations of the Hippocratic Oath, a pledge of good medical practice and physician ethics.

Hippocrates was probably born around 460 BCE, but otherwise very little is known about his life. The only contemporary mention of him comes from Plato’s dialogues, stating that he is an Asclepiad from the island of Cos. We can assume then that he was famous even among his contemporaries, and that he learnt medicine at the Asclepieion of Cos.

Despite these associations with the god Asclepius, Hippocrates is credited with separating medicine from religion and making it a science of environmental factors and living habits. He started a secular school of medicine marked by a high degree of professionalism and reason. He also began the Hippocratic Corpus, a collection of texts on the professional attitudes of a physician, various diseases and treatments, and numerous case studies. Exactly what of the Hippocratic Corpus might actually stem from Hippocrates, however, is uncertain as later physicians have over a long time made additions in the same archaic language and style of the original texts.

The Hipppocratic Oath

I swear by Apollo, the healer, Asclepius, Hygieia, and Panacea, and I take to witness all the gods, all the goddesses, to keep according to my ability and my judgment, the following Oath and agreement:

To consider dear to me, as my parents, him who taught me this art; to live in common with him and, if necessary, to share my goods with him; To look upon his children as my own brothers, to teach them this art.

I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.

I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion.

But I will preserve the purity of my life and my arts.

I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.

In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional ill-doing and all seduction and especially from the pleasures of love with women or with men, be they free or slaves.

All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal.

If I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and practice my art, respected by all men and in all times; but if I swerve from it or violate it, may the reverse be my lot.

That’s it for ι. Until it’s time for κ, feel free to nominate ancient great Greeks of any letter of the alphabet following ι in the comments section.

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About the author: E P Wohlfart is a twenty-something freelance writer with a Classical Archaeology degree, a laptop and a maxed-out library card. Aside from administrating PastPresenters.com, which she started in 2008, she works with several historical publications and is a regular contributor at Suite101.