Kos

Hippocrates and Xenophon

Kos acquired great fame due to the medical school that was founded there by Hippocrates, the most important physician of Antiquity and considered the father of medicine. Hippocrates was born on the island around 460 BC.

Amongst his most pioneering work were the clinical reports that served to improve diagnostics. He quite obviously knew his medicine well, since he reached an age almost biblical for his day and died in 370 BC, probably in Thessaly. The Hippocratic Oath to always act for the good of the patient is still sworn today by physicians all over the world.

Another famous doctor from Kos was Gaius Stertinius Xenophon, private physician to Emperor Claudius. Xenophon was so prosperous, that he initially declined the Emperor's offer of a yearly 300'000 Sesterces, since he was earning a lot more with his private practice.

It took a considerably higher offer and handful of generous privileges for the people of Kos for him to finally concede and attend to his imperial patient.