Hippocrates
~460–370 BCE · Greek (Kos) · Classical Greece
Known for: Father of Medicine who established medicine as a science based on observation, not superstition
Hippocrates separated medicine from religion and magic, teaching that diseases have natural causes. He established ethical standards for physicians through the Hippocratic Oath, which doctors still take in modified form. He emphasized careful observation, clinical records, and the healing power of nature.
The corpus of writings attributed to him (probably written by multiple authors) covered everything from epilepsy to surgery. His approach—observe the patient, keep records, first do no harm—remains the foundation of medical practice.
Browse all 1,000 figures by category
Enable JavaScript to view the full "if they lived today" Q&A and personality profile.