05/18/2025
Most practitioners including myself who quote the ancient Hippocratic Oath of “primum non nocere” (first do no harm) is actually a later Roman simplified version in Latin. Hippocrates is considered the father of Western medicine. He lived on the Greek island of Kos in the 5th century BC. Here are excerpts of his original oath in Ionic Greek, with translation. Ἵππου κήρυκα καλέω Ἀπόλλωνα ἰητρὸν καὶ Ἀσκληπιὸν καὶ Ὑγείαν καὶ Πανάκειαν καὶ θεοὺς πάντας τε καὶ πάσας, ἵστορας ποιεύμενος, ἐπιτελέα ποιήσειν κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ κρίσιν ἐμὴν ὅρκον τε καὶ ξυγγραφὴν τήνδε·. I swear by Apollo the Healer, and Asclepius, and Hygieia, and Panacea, and all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will fulfill according to my ability and judgment this oath and this covenant: Διαιτήμασί τε χρήσομαι ἐπ᾽ ὠφελείῃ καμνόντων κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ κρίσιν ἐμὴν, ἐπὶ δηλήσει δὲ καὶ ἀδικίῃ εἴρξειν.
I will use those regimens which will benefit my patients according to my greatest ability and judgment, and I will do no harm or injustice to them.
οὐ δώσω δὲ οὐδὲ φάρμακον οὐδενὶ αἰτηθεὶς θανάσιμον, οὐδὲ ὑφηγήσομαι ξυμβουλίην τοιήνδε· ὁμοίως δὲ οὐδὲ γυναικὶ πεσσὸν φθόριον δώσω.
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 abortion.
ἁγνῶς δὲ καὶ ὁσίως διατηρήσω βίον τὸν ἐμὸν καὶ τέχνην τὴν ἐμήν. In purity and with holiness I will guard my life and my art. Two art pieces of mine depicting Armenian gods with attributes to healing, are Anahid (goddess of love, healing and childbirth) and Tir (god of scribes and dreams, also messenger god similar to Apollo) In our frantic daily lives treating patients, Hippocrates should be giving us a gentle reminder of our sacred duties towards our patients. Image: marble relief shows Hippocrates (or potentially Asclepius, the god of medicine) treating a sick woman. credit: DEA / G. DAGLI ORTI / Contributor via Getty Images
