Introduction.

Cardiac traumatic injuries are serious injuries with a high lethality rate, an aspect that influences the interest shown by readers each time they appear reported in scientific publications. Sometimes there is a certain degree of inconsistency when it comes to establishing the historical origin of occurrences or events related to the history of medicine. In the case of penetrating cardiac trauma, different origins have been described in some of the published scientific articles, which may generate a degree of doubt in the readers.

Methods.

A review of the medical and non-medical literature was carried out to seek information that would help to clarify the true historical origin of this entity.

Results.

Penetrating cardiac trauma was first described in a Greek work entitled The Iliad, written by Homer in the 8th century B.C., and not in The Surgical Papyrus of Edwin Smith as several authors mention.

Conclusions.

Of all the events of penetrating cardiac trauma described, the most irrefutable is the one narrated in canto XIII, where it recounts the death of Alcathous product of a cardiac wound caused by a spear thrown by Idomeneo during a battle.

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