Machaon
Surgeon of Troy
He carried medicine into the storm of bronze and blood, treating wounds where others could not remain. In a war of attrition, he kept fighters alive so command could endure.
Mythic exemplar of field care
Asclepius
Patron of Medicine
The serpent‑rod signifies renewal governed by discipline: knowledge bound to restraint. Healing is not sentiment, but responsibility exercised with precision.
Symbol of ordered compassion
Hippocrates
Clinical Reason
He replaced superstition with observation and ethics. His oath placed restraint above ambition, and the patient above the practitioner.
Method before myth
Galen
Anatomist of Rome
He imposed order on the body through relentless inquiry. From chaos he forged systems that endured for centuries, even when imperfect.
Inquiry under pressure
Edith Cavell
Moral Courage
Under occupation, she chose duty over safety and compassion over fear. Her clarity endured even when power turned hostile.
Service without hatred