Hippocrates

Lore & Background

Historians agree that Hippocrates was born around 460 BC on the Greek island of Kos. Soranus of Ephesus, a 2nd-century physician, was his first biographer and the source of most personal information, though later biographies exist from the 10th and 12th centuries AD. Hippocrates is mentioned in Plato's dialogues Protagoras and Phaedrus, and in Aristotle's Politics. Soranus wrote that his father was Heraclides, a physician, and his mother was Praxitela. His sons Thessalus and Draco, and his son-in-law Polybus, were his students. Hippocrates learned medicine from his father and grandfather, studied with Democritus and Gorgias, and was probably trained at the asklepieion of Kos. He taught and practiced medicine throughout his life, traveling to Thessaly, Thrace, and the Sea of Marmara. He died, probably in Larissa, at age 83, 85, or 90, though some say he lived over 100.

Reader's Guide

Hippocrates is credited as the first to believe diseases were caused naturally, not by superstition or gods, separating medicine from religion. His school, the Koan school, focused on general diagnosis and passive treatment, emphasizing patient care and prognosis over specific diagnosis. The Hippocratic Corpus, a collection of works associated with him, summed up medical knowledge of previous schools and prescribed acceptable practices. However, very little is concretely known about what Hippocrates himself thought, wrote, or did, as his achievements were often conflated with those of later practitioners. His legacy includes the Hippocratic Oath, still in use today, and the concept of crisis in disease progression. His therapeutic approach was based on 'the healing power of nature,' using rest, immobilization, and gentle treatments. Despite later criticism, his emphasis on observation and documentation set foundations for clinical medicine.

Did You Know?

• Hippocrates is mentioned in Plato's dialogues Protagoras and Phaedrus, and in Aristotle's Politics.
• The Hippocratic school separated medicine from theurgy and philosophy, establishing it as a profession.
• Hippocrates believed that disease was caused by environmental factors, diet, and living habits, not by gods.
• The Hippocratic Oath, credited to Hippocrates, remains in use today.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Hippocrates (Ἱπποκράτης) of Kos (c. 460 BC - 377 BC) was an ancient Greek physician who is referred to as the "father of medicine"." — Hippocrates "As to diseases, make a habit of two things — to help, or at least, to do no harm." — Hippocrates "Wherever a doctor cannot do good, he must be kept from doing harm." — Hippocrates "Viking Book of Aphorisms : A Personal Selection (1988) by W. H. Auden and Louis Kronenberger, p. 213." — Hippocrates