A light source for a surgical microscope includes a laser light source, first and second scattering elements defining first and second planes, respectively, and a collector optical device arranged between the first and second scattering elements with a focal length and a focus in the first plane. The laser light is focused on a first beam cross section with a first dimension in the first plane. The scattered beam emanating from the first scattering element is imaged at infinity with a first numerical aperture and produces a second beam cross section with a second dimension in the second plane. The second scattering element emits a beam of illumination light with a second numerical aperture at each point of the beam cross section in the second plane. The illumination light emanating from the second scattering element forms an illuminated field imageable into an object plane by an illumination optical device.