Abandonment of terminally ill patients in the Byzantine era. An ancient tradition?

Lascaratos, J; Poulakou-Rebelakou, E; Marketos, S

dc.contributor.author	Lascaratos, J	en
dc.contributor.author	Poulakou-Rebelakou, E	en
dc.contributor.author	Marketos, S	en
dc.date.accessioned	2014-03-01T01:48:50Z
dc.date.available	2014-03-01T01:48:50Z
dc.date.issued	1999	en
dc.identifier.issn	0306-6800	en
dc.identifier.uri	https://dspace.lib.ntua.gr/xmlui/handle/123456789/25609
dc.subject	byzantine care	en
dc.subject	caring ethics	en
dc.subject	terminally ill patients	en
dc.subject	tradition	en
dc.subject.classification	Ethics	en
dc.subject.classification	Medical Ethics	en
dc.subject.classification	Social Issues	en
dc.subject.classification	Social Sciences, Biomedical	en
dc.title	Abandonment of terminally ill patients in the Byzantine era. An ancient tradition?	en
heal.type	journalArticle	en
heal.language	English	en
heal.publicationDate	1999	en
heal.abstract	Our research on the texts of the Byzantine historians and chroniclers revealed an apparently curious phenomenon, namely, the abandonment of terminally ill emperors by their physicians when the latter realised that they could not offer any further treatment. This attitude tallies with the mentality of the ancient Greek physicians, who even in Hippocratic times thought the treatment and care of the terminally ill to be a challenge to nature and hubris to the gods. Nevertheless, it is a very curious attitude in the light of the concepts of the Christian Byzantine physicians who, according to the doctrines of the Christian religion, should have been imbued with the spirit of philanthropy and love for their fellowmen. The meticulous analysis of three examples of abandonment of Byzantine emperors, and especially that of Alexius I comnenus, by their physicians reveals that this custom, following ancient pagan ethics, in those time stook on a ritualised form without any significant or real content.	en
heal.publisher	BRITISH MED JOURNAL PUBL GROUP	en
heal.journalName	JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS	en
dc.identifier.isi	ISI:000081080500009	en
dc.identifier.volume	25	en
dc.identifier.issue	3	en
dc.identifier.spage	254	en
dc.identifier.epage	258	en