Hippocrates (460 BC – 370 BC) was a physician and philosopher who lived in ancient Greece. He is credited with helping to develop modern medicine and renowned as the father of medicine. There is some disagreement about the details of Hippocrates’ life, and it’s hard to know how good his medical treatments really were in the face of all the reverence people have for him.
Hippocrates likely received a good education in the basics. He learned from his father and another physician of his time, Herodicus. The historians believe that Hippocrates traveled around Greece and possibly Libya and Egypt, practicing medicine.
Some of the writings by Hippocrates are still around today. About 60 medical writings have survived that bear his name, known as the Hippocratic Corpus. The Hippocratic Corpus is a collection of medical writings that date back many years. Many of the methods used today in medicine were first developed by the ancient Greeks, that along with Hippocrates’ own methods were shared through the Hippocratic Corpus. Many physicians may have contributed to the writing of the documents about Hippocrates, which were compiled 100 years after his death.
“The Embassy” was a work written for Hippocrates and his family that is connected to important events in the history of Cos and Greece. It is included in the original collection of Hippocratic Corpus in the Library of Alexandria. It was inspired by letters between Hippocrates and the Persian king, Democritus – a philosopher himself. The stories in The Embassy about Hippocrates helped to give him a good reputation and helped to shape later biographies. Some other medical works were added to the Hippocratic Corpus between its original collection and its first scholarly edition around the beginning of the 2nd century CE.
Another notable work of Hippocrates (or thought to be so) is the Hippocratic Oath. It’s the promise that doctors make to behave ethically and responsibly when caring for patients. Hippocrates was a famous doctor who is credited with writing the oath. However, more recent research suggests that it was written by other doctors after Hippocrates’ death, based on the medical practices of his time. The original oath was similar to what medical graduates take at the start of their careers, but it has been changed over time.
There is not much information about Hippocrates’ death or the exact age, but it is generally believed that he died in the ancient Greek town of Larissa around 377 BC. Some historians think that he may have lived into his 80s or 90s. There’s much we wouldn’t know from ancient Greece, but what we do know is that Hippocrates’ medical knowledge, methods, and research contributed a substantial deal to modern medicine.
