More Critobulos--

AI Overview In ancient history, Critobulus (also spelled Critodemus or Kritoboulos) was an eminent Greek physician of the 4th century BCE. He belonged to the famous family of the Asclepiads on the island of Kos and is most famous for serving as a military surgeon to Alexander the Great and his father, King Philip II of Macedon.

🗡️ Key Historical Milestones

• Saving King Philip II (354 BCE): Critobulus gained great renown for extracting an arrow from King Philip II's eye after the king was severely wounded during the siege of Methone. Though the king lost his eye, Critobulus successfully prevented infection and minimized facial disfigurement.

• Treating Alexander the Great (326 BCE): Years later, during Alexander's campaign against the Malli in India, the young king was shot through the chest with a deep, barbed arrow that pierced his lung.

• Defensive Medicine Pioneer: Historical accounts note that Critobulus initially hesitated to perform the high-stakes operation on Alexander. Fearing he would be executed or punished by the Macedonian army if the king died on his table, he only agreed to extract the arrow after receiving explicit immunity and formal verbal guarantees from Alexander and his generals. The surgery was a success, and Alexander survived.