Category: History > Medicine
One of the most significant yet often overlooked contributions of ancient Greek civilization to modern medicine is the establishment of the Hippocratic Corpus, a collection of texts attributed to Hippocrates and his followers. These writings, dating back to around the 5th century BCE, emphasized observational clinical practices and ethical standards in medicine, which are still relevant today. The Hippocratic Oath, a pledge taken by physicians to uphold specific ethical standards, originates from this corpus and continues to be a foundational ethical guideline for medical practitioners. Additionally, the Greeks pioneered the concept of disease being caused by natural phenomena rather than supernatural forces, leading to a more systematic approach to diagnosis and treatment that paved the way for future medical advancements. This shift in understanding not only transformed medical practices in ancient times but also laid the groundwork for the scientific methodologies that underpin modern healthcare.