Christ Raises Lazarus, The Tres Riches Heures 
of John, Duke of Berry



THE SANCTITY
of LIFE
in the 
HIPPOCRATIC
OATH
and in
E
ARLY
CHRISTIANITY

 

CHRISTIAN CONCERN

for the UNBORN and DEFENSELESS

The Letter of Barnabas (c. 100)

Engl: Ante-Nicene Fathers: Volume I (pp. 137-149).
Greek: BARNABA EPISTOLH Épître de Barnabe (Cerf, Paris 1971).

19) 1) The way of light, then, is {this}: [...]

19.1α Ἡ οὖν ὁδὸς τοῦ φωτός ἐστιν αὕτη–

LOVE the One Who created you:

[fear him who formed you]...

19.2αγαπήσεις τόν σε ποιήσαντα,

φοβηθήσῃ τόν σε πλάσαντα,

1) You shall not be of [divided] mind as to whether a thing shall be or not.

2) You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain.

3) You shall love your neighbor more than your own soul.

19.5α Οὐ μὴ διψυχήσῃς πότερον ἔσται ἢ οὔ

19.5β Οὐ μὴ λάβῃς ἐπὶ ματαίῳ τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου.

19.5ξἈγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὑπὲρ τὴν ψυχήν

4) You SHALL NOT MURDER A CHILD THROUGH ABORTION; NOR AGAIN SHALL YOU DESTROY IT AFTER IT IS BORN.

19.5δ Οὐ φονεύσεις τέκνον ἐν φθορᾷ, οὐδὲ πάλιν γεννηθὲν ἀνελεῖς.

5) You shall not withdraw your hand from your son, or from your daughter, but from their infancy you shall teach them the fear of the Lord.

19.5ε Οὐ μὴ ἄρῃς τὴν χεῖρά σου ἀπὸ τοῦ υἱοῦ σου ἢ ἀπὸ τῆς θυγατρός σου, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ νεότητος διδάξεις φόβον κυρίου.

 

The DIDACHE (Teaching of the Twelve [Apostles]), ch. 2

AND the second commandment of the Teaching; 2. You shall not commit murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit paederasty, you shall not commit fornication, you shall not steal, you shall not practise magic, you shall not practise witchcraft,  2.1 Δευτέρα δὲ ἐντολὴ τῆς διδαχῆς·  2.2 οὐ φονεύσεις, οὐ μοιχεύσεις, οὐ παιδοφθορήσεις, οὐ πορνεύσεις, οὐ κλέψεις, οὐ μαγεύσεις, οὐ φαρμακεύσεις,̈

YOU SHALL NOT MURDER A CHILD BY ABORTION NOR KILL THAT WHICH IS BEGOTTEN.

οὐ φονεύσεις τέκνον ἐν φθορᾷ οὐδὲ γεννηθὲν ἀποκτενεῖς,

 

 

 

 

 

THE HIPPOCRATIC OATH

Jusjurandum, ed. by É. Littré Oeuvres Completes d’Hippocrate, vols. 4 (Paris: Baillie 1844; Amsterdam: Hakkert, 1962) pp. 628-632. TLG canon 627.13.1-27.  Engl. Hippocrates, Works trans., Francis Adams (New York; Loeb) vol. I, 299-301.

 


Hippocrates

 

OATH 

ΟΡΚΟΣ.

I SWEAR by Apollo the physician, and Aesculapius, and Health, and All-heal, and all the gods and goddesses, that, according to my ability and judgment, I will keep this Oath and this stipulation - 

 Ὄμνυμι Ἀπόλλωνα ἰητρὸν, καὶ Ἀσκληπιὸν, καὶ Ὑγείαν, καὶ  Πανάκειαν, καὶ θεοὺς πάντας τε καὶ πάσας, ἵστορας ποιεύμενος, ἐπιτελέα ποιήσειν κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ κρίσιν ἐμὴν ὅρκον τόνδε καὶ ξυγγραφὴν τήνδε·̈

INDENTURE 

 

TO REGARD the one who taught me this Art equally dear to me as my parents, to share my substance with him, and relieve his necessities if required; to look upon his offspring in the same footing as my own brothers, and to teach them this art, if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or stipulation; 

ἡγήσασθαι μὲν τὸν διδάξαντά με τὴν τέχνην ταύτην ἴσα γενέτῃσιν ἐμοῖσι, καὶ βίου κοινώσασθαι, καὶ χρεῶν χρηΐζοντι μετάδοσιν ποιήσασθαι, καὶ γένος τὸ ἐξ ωὐτέου ἀδελφοῖς ἴσον ἐπικρινέειν ἄῤῥεσι, καὶ διδάξειν τὴν τέχνην ταύτην, ἢν χρηΐζωσι μανθάνειν, ἄνευ μισθοῦ καὶ ξυγγραφῆς,̈

and that by precept, lecture, and every other mode of instruction, I will impart a knowledge of the Art to my own sons, and those of my teachers, and to disciples bound by a stipulation and oath according to the law of medicine, but to none others. 

παραγγελίης τε καὶ ἀκροήσιος καὶ τῆς λοιπῆς ἁπάσης μαθήσιος μετάδοσιν ποιήσασθαι υἱοῖσί τε ἐμοῖσι, καὶ τοῖσι τοῦ ἐμὲ διδάξαντος, καὶ μαθηταῖσι συγγεγραμμένοισί τε καὶ ὡρκισμένοις νόμῳ ἰητρικῷ, ἄλλῳ δὲ οὐδενί.

FAVOR LIFE 

 

I WILL follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion

 Διαιτήμασί τε χρήσομαι ἐπ' ὠφελείῃ καμνόντων κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ κρίσιν ἐμὴν, ἐπὶ δηλήσει δὲ καὶ ἀδικίῃ εἴρξειν.  Οὐ δώσω δὲ οὐδὲ φάρμακον οὐδενὶ αἰτηθεὶς θανάσιμον, οὐδὲ ὑφηγήσομαι ξυμβουλίην τοιήνδε· ὁμοίως δὲ οὐδὲ γυναικὶ πεσσὸν φθόριον δώσω.

With purity and with holiness I will pass my life and practice my Art. 

Ἁγνῶς δὲ καὶ ὁσίως διατηρήσω βίον τὸν ἐμὸν καὶ τέχνην τὴν ἐμήν.  

NO DRASTIC SURGERY 

(if untrained?)

I WILL not cut persons laboring under the stone, but will leave this to be done by men who are practitioners of this work. 

Οὐ τεμέω δὲ οὐδὲ μὴν λιθιῶντας, ἐκχωρήσω δὲ ἐργάτῃσιν ἀνδράσι πρήξιος τῆσδε.

NO ABUSE of OFFICE 

 

INTO whatever houses I enter, I will go into them for the benefit of the sick, and will abstain from every voluntary act of mischief and corruption; and, further from the seduction of females or males, of freemen and slaves. 

Ἐς οἰκίας δὲ ὁκόσας ἂν ἐσίω, ἐσελεύσομαι ἐπ' ὠφελείῃ καμνόντων, ἐκτὸς ἐὼν πάσης ἀδικίης ἑκουσίης καὶ φθορίης, τῆς τε ἄλλης καὶ ἀφροδισίων ἔργων ἐπί τε γυναικείων σωμάτων καὶ ἀνδρῴων, ἐλευθέρων τε καὶ δούλων.

CONFIDENTIALITY (SECRECY) 

 

WHATEVER, in connection with my professional practice or not, in connection with it, I see or hear, in the life of men, which ought not to be spoken of abroad, I will not divulge, as reckoning that all such should be kept secret. 

Ἃ δ' ἂν ἐν θεραπείῃ ἢ ἴδω, ἢ ἀκούσω, ἢ καὶ ἄνευ θεραπηΐης κατὰ βίον ἀνθρώπων, ἃ μὴ χρή ποτε ἐκλαλέεσθαι ἔξω, σιγήσομαι, ἄῤῥητα ἡγεύμενος    εἶναι τὰ τοιαῦτα.

OATH  -  REITERATION 

 

WHILE I continue to keep this Oath unviolated, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and the practice of the art, respected by all men, in all times! But should I trespass and violate this Oath, may the reverse be my lot!

  Ὅρκον μὲν οὖν μοι τόνδε ἐπιτελέα ποιέοντι, καὶ μὴ ξυγχέοντι, εἴη ἐπαύρασθαι καὶ βίου καὶ τέχνης δοξαζομένῳ παρὰ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἐς τὸν αἰεὶ χρόνον· παραβαίνοντι δὲ καὶ ἐπιορκοῦντι, τἀναντία τουτέων.

 

THE CHRISTIAN FORM
of the
HIPPOCRATIC OATH
(ca. 3rd - 6th cent.)

(Urbinus 64 mss) tr. W.H.S. Jones, the Oath According to Hippocrates In So Far as a Christian May Swear It : The Doctor’s Oath: An Essay in the History of Medicine (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1924), pp. 23- 25.

 


The Articella, A Master of Medicine, teaching Oxford, 13th c. DeRicci NLM [78].) fol 61r

BLESSED be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever and ever; I lie not.

I will bring no stain upon the learning of the medical art

NEITHER will I give poison to anybody though asked to do so, nor will I suggest such a plan. Similarly I will not give treatment to women to cause abortion, treatment neither from above nor from below.

But I will teach this art, to those who require to learn it, without grudging and without an indenture. I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgment. And in purity and in holiness I will guard my art’.

Into whatsoever houses I enter, I will do so to help the sick, keeping myself free from all wrongdoing, intentional or unintentional, tending to death or to injury, and from fornication with bond or free, man or woman.

WHATSOEVER in the course of practice I see or hear (or outside my practice in social intercourse) that ought not to he published abroad, I will not divulge, but consider such things to be holy secrets.

NOW if I keep this oath and break it not, may God be my helper in my life and arts and may I be honoured among all men for all time. If I keep faith, well; but if I forswear myself may the opposite befall me.

 

 


This Webpage was created for a workshop held at Saint Andrew's Abbey, Valyermo, California in 2001....x....  .