Machaon, Son of Asclepius, the Father of Surgery

Abstract

The first description of organized surgical care is given in Homer's epic poem "Iliad'', even though evidence of performing surgical operations can be traced back to the history of ancient civilizations. Machaon (ca. 1300 BC), the son of Asclepius, was described as a skillful and confident therapist, whose lineage ensured a unique training. He lived in an era when the reality was shaped by myths, and natural phenomena were ruled by the will of the Olympian gods. It was at that time when philosophers and scientists rediscovered the world that surgery was born. We review and present Machaon's story, as he is not only the first documented surgeon ever mentioned in written records in Greek history, but he also proved himself to be a valiant soldier at the battlefield, during the Trojan War. It is no wonder that the life of such a charismatic man, living in a place and time of prosperity and steady evolution of both the scientific and the spiritual world, became a demigod patron of surgical treatment and a landmark in the history of medicine.