Famous Greek Physicians

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 1 
Hippocrates
(Physician)
Hippocrates
8
Birthdate: 0460 BC
Birthplace: Kos, Greece
Died: 0370 BC
Hippocrates, or Hippocrates II, also known as the "Father of Medicine,” founded the Hippocratic School of Medicine, which heralded the professional practice of medicine. He also laid down the Hippocratic Oath, an oath still taken by doctors all over the world. His teachings were primarily collated in the Hippocratic Corpus.
 2 
Galen
(Physician)
Galen
5
Birthdate: 0130 AD
Birthplace: Pergamon, Turkey
Died: 0200 AD

Galen was a Greek physician, philosopher, and surgeon in the Roman Empire. Regarded as one of the most proficient medical researchers in ancient history, Galen influenced the growth of several scientific disciplines, such as neurology, pharmacology, pathology, physiology, and anatomy. Thanks to the translation of his works into Arabic, Galen's approach to medicine remains influential in the Islamic world.

 3 
Georgios Papanikolaou
(Physician, Oncologist)
Georgios Papanikolaou
3
Birthdate: May 13, 1883
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Kymi
Died: February 19, 1962

Georgios Papanikolaou was a Greek physician who was a pioneer in early cancer detection. He reported that uterine cancer cells could be detected in vaginal smears as early as 1928, but his work did not receive much attention until the 1940s. He invented the Papanicolaou test, commonly known as the Pap smear or Pap test for cervical screening.  

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 4 
Anna Comnena
(Greek Princess & Scholar)
Anna Comnena
3
Birthdate: December 1, 1083
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Porphyra Chamber, Great Palace of Constantinople, Constantinople, Byzantine Empire
Died: 1153 AD
Daughter of Byzantine emperor Alexius I Comnenus, Anna Komnene is best remembered for writing Alexiad, a genuine treatise of the life and times of her father. She had written the book while imprisoned at the Kecharitomene Monastery, after a failed attempt to depose her brother, John II Komnenos.
 5 
Agnodice
(Greek Physician)
Agnodice
4
Birthplace: Athens, Greece

Often regarded as ancient Greece’s first female physician, Agnodice is believed to have disguised herself as a man to study midwifery. Some sources, however, claim she was a mythical figure. Dragged to court by her jealous male counterparts, she later revealed her gender. She paved the way for future female doctors.

 6 
Erasistratus
(Physician)
Erasistratus
2
Birthdate: 0304 AD
Birthplace: Kea, Greece
Died: 0250 AD

Greek physician Erasistratus is often regarded as the founder of physiology. Apart from co-establishing a school of anatomy in Alexandria, he conducted pathbreaking research on circulatory and nervous systems. He described the epiglottis and named the tricuspid valves of the heart. He also promoted the concept of pneumatism.

 7 
Asclepiades Of Bithynia
(Physician)
Asclepiades Of Bithynia
1
Birthdate: 0120 AD
Birthplace: Bursa, Turkey
Died: 0040 AD

Initially a rhetorician, Greek-born Asclepiades of Bithynia later became a popular physician in Rome, where he popularized Greek medicine. He countered the humoral theory of Hippocrates and promoted his own theory, which stated that diseases moved through the body like atoms. He treated mentally ill patients with innovative treatments, such as music.

 8 
Grigoris Lambrakis
(Politician)
Grigoris Lambrakis
2
Birthdate: April 3, 1912
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Kerasitsa, Greece
Died: May 27, 1963

Grigoris Lambrakis was a Greek physician, politician, and track and field athlete. He played an important role during the Second World War as a prominent member of the Greek resistance to the occupation of Greece by the Axis Powers. After the war, Grigoris Lambrakis went on to become a popular anti-war activist.

 9 
Soranus Of Ephesus
(Physician)
Soranus Of Ephesus
2
Birthdate: 0098 AD
Birthplace: Ephesus Archaeological Museum, Selçuk, Turkey
Died: November 30, 0199

Soranus of Ephesus was a Greek physician who popularized the Methodic school of medicine in 2nd century AD. One of the most popular gynecologists of his time, Soranus wrote several books, including On Midwifery and the Diseases of Women which includes descriptions of contraceptive measures. He also explained the positions of the fetus in the womb in his treatise, Gynaecology.

 10 
Aretaeus Of Cappadocia
(Greek Physician)
Aretaeus Of Cappadocia
2
Birthplace: Cappadocia, Turkey

Aretaeus of Cappadocia was an ancient Greek physician. He was probably a citizen of Cappadocia and is believed to have lived in the second half of the second century AD. His eight treatises on diseases are counted amongst the most important Greco-Roman medical works of all time. He gave accurate descriptions of numerous diseases, including asthma, pneumonia, tetanus, and epilepsy.

 11 
Panagiotis Gionis
(Table tennis player, Dentist)
Panagiotis Gionis
1
Birthdate: January 7, 1980
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Athens, Greece

Though a qualified dentist, Panagiotis Gionis is more famous as a table tennis player. The Greek sportsperson has represented his country in 4 Olympics and has also won a Mediterranean Games gold, apart from both a bronze and a silver at the European Championship. He now plays for the German club Borussia Düsseldorf.

 12 
Paul of Aegina
(Physician)
Paul of Aegina
1
Birthdate: 0625 AD
Birthplace: Aegina, Greece
Died: 0690 AD

Paul of Aegina was a 7th-century Byzantine Greek physician. He is remembered for writing the medical encyclopedia Medical Compendium in Seven Books. Born in the island of Aegina, he became a physician and visited many cities, practicing his profession. His body of work is unrivaled in its accuracy, due to which he is considered the “Father of Early Medical Writing.” 

 13 
Dimitris Kremastinos
(Politician)
Dimitris Kremastinos
1
Birthdate: May 1, 1942
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Halki, Greece
Died: May 8, 2020

Dimitris Kremastinos was a Greek physician and politician. From 1993 to 1996, he served as the Minister of Health and Welfare and Social Security. He also served at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens where he was a respected Professor of Cardiology. Dimitris Kremastinos was also the personal physician of former Prime Minister of Greece Andreas Papandreou.

 14 
Caelius Aurelianus
(Greco-Roman Physician and Writer)
Caelius Aurelianus
1
Birthplace: El Kef, Tunisia

Caelius Aurelianus was a physician who flourished in 5th century AD. He is remembered for translating Soranus of Ephesus' work On Acute and Chronic Diseases from Greek to Latin. The translation is considered important because the original work has been lost. An important physician in his own right, Aurelianus is considered one of the greatest Greco-Roman physicians of his time.

 15 
Thessalus
(Greek Physician)
Thessalus
0
Birthplace: Greece

Thessalus was an ancient Greek physician. He was the son of the brilliant physician Hippocrates, considered to be one of the most outstanding figures in medical history. Thessalus was one of the founders of the Dogmatic school of medicine. His sons Hippocrates III and Draco II also became prominent physicians in their own right.  

 16 
Panayotis Potagos
(Greek Physician and Explorer Who Explored the Uele River System in Northern Congo)
Panayotis Potagos
0
Birthdate: 1839 AD
Birthplace: Vytina, Greece
Died: 1903 AD

Panayotis Potagos was a 19th-century Greek physician. He was also a renowned traveler. Beginning his travels in 1867, he visited many countries, including Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and India. He then traveled to Egypt and then ventured into Africa, making his way to the Mbomou and Uele rivers. He published an account of his numerous trips. 

 17 
Menodotus of Nicomedia
(Greek Physician)
Menodotus of Nicomedia
0
Birthplace: Unknown
 18 
Crateuas
(Greek Doctor and Pharmacologist)
Crateuas
0
Birthplace: Unknown

Greek pharmacologist and artist Crateuas is known to have drawn the first botanical illustrations. His written works offered classification of plants and described their medicinal properties, too. His books inspired later studies in pharmacology. He was also the official physician of the ruler of Pontus, Mithridates VI.

 19 
Heraclides
(Greek Physician)
Heraclides
0
Birthplace: Greece

Heraclides was an ancient Greek physician and the son of Hippocrates I. He was also the father of the legendary physician Hippocrates II, usually known as Hippocrates, one of the pillars of medicine. He was thus part of a family of physicians and was rumored to be related to Asklepius, the god of medicine.