Hippocratic Oath Anonymous Medical Oath in Greek

The Hippocratic Oath is a seminal treatise on medical ethics, traditionally ascribed to the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates but authored anonymously within his intellectual school. Composed in Ionic Greek during the 5th or 4th century BCE, this concise, structured declaration is preserved as part of the larger Hippocratic Corpus. The complete text is formally divided into three sections: an initial swearing clause invoking deities such as Apollo and Asclepius; a central enumeration of the physician's duties toward teachers and patients; and a concluding statement on the consequences of upholding or violating the oath.

It articulates fundamental ethical principles, including commitments to benefit the sick, abstain from harm, maintain patient confidentiality, and avoid sexual misconduct. The oath also contains specific prohibitions, notably against administering deadly drugs and performing surgery, which scholars interpret as demarcating the practice of a particular professional group from other contemporary healers. Modern analysis suggests it was not a universal code but likely functioned as a charter for a specific medical guild or school, possibly on the island of Kos, serving to forge bonds between masters and apprentices and to establish a distinct professional identity.

Transmitted through medieval manuscripts of the Hippocratic Corpus from the 10th century CE onward, the oath's influence is profound. Although not widely adopted in antiquity, its core principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, and confidentiality were revived during the Renaissance. These concepts now form the ethical foundation of modern medical practice, directly inspiring contemporary codes such as the Declaration of Geneva.