Hippocrates of Kos ( c. 460 ??c. 370 BCE), was a Greek physician of the Age of Pericles (Classical Greece), and is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine. He is referred to as the 'Father of Western Medicine' in recognition of his lasting contributions to the field as the founder of the Hippocratic School of Medicine.

This intellectual school revolutionized medicine in ancient Greece, establishing it as a discipline distinct from other fields with which it had traditionally been associated (theurgy and philosophy), thus establishing medicine as a profession.