Asclepius (; grc-gre, Ἀσκληπιός ''Asklēpiós'' ; la, Aesculapius) is a hero and god of
medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...
in ancient
Greek religion and
mythology
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narra ...
. He is the son of
Apollo
Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label= Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label ...
and
Coronis, or
Arsinoe, or of Apollo alone. Asclepius represents the healing aspect of the medical arts; his daughters, the "Asclepiades", are:
Hygieia
Hygieia is a goddess from Greek, as well as Roman, mythology (also referred to as: Hygiea or Hygeia; ; grc, Ὑγιεία or , la, Hygēa or ). Hygieia is a goddess of health ( el, ὑγίεια – ''hugieia''), cleanliness and hygiene. Her ...
("Health, Healthiness"),
Iaso
Iaso (; el, Ἰασώ, ''Iasō'') or Ieso (; el, Ἰησώ, ''Iēsō'') was the Greek goddess of recuperation from illness. The daughter of Asclepius, she had four sisters: Aceso, Aglæa/Ægle, Hygieia, and Panacea. All five were associated wi ...
(from ἴασις "healing, recovering, recuperation", the goddess of recuperation from illness),
Aceso
Aceso ( grc, Ἀκεσώ) was the Greek goddess of the healing process.
Family
Aceso was the daughter of Asclepius and Epione, sister of Iaso, Hygieia, Panacea, and Aegle.
Mythology
Unlike her sister Panacea (Cure-All), she represented ...
(from ἄκεσις "healing", the goddess of the healing process),
Aegle Aegle may refer to:
* Aegle (mythology), a number of characters from Greek mythology
* 96 Aegle
Aegle ( minor planet designation: 96 Aegle) is a carbonaceous asteroid and the namesake of the Aegle family located in the outer regions of the ast ...
(the goddess of good health) and
Panacea
In Greek mythology, Panacea (Greek ''Πανάκεια'', Panakeia), a goddess of universal remedy, was the daughter of Asclepius and Epione. Panacea and her four sisters each performed a facet of Apollo's art:
* Panacea (the goddess of univers ...
(the goddess of universal remedy). He has several sons as well. He was associated with the Roman/Etruscan god
Vediovis
Vejovis or Vejove ( lat, Vēiovis, italic=yes or ''Vēdiovis''; rare ''Vēive'' or ''Vēdius'') was a Roman god of Etruscan origins.
Representation and worship
Vejovis was portrayed as a young man, holding a bunch of arrows, pilum, (or ligh ...
and the Egyptian
Imhotep. He shared with Apollo the epithet ''Paean'' ("the Healer"). The
rod of Asclepius
In Greek mythology, the Rod of Asclepius (⚕; grc, Ράβδος του Ασκληπιού, , sometimes also spelled Asklepios), also known as the Staff of Aesculapius and as the asklepian, is a serpent-entwined rod wielded by the Greek god A ...
, a snake-entwined staff, (similar to the
caduceus) remains a symbol of medicine today. Those physicians and attendants who served this god were known as the
Therapeutae of Asclepius
Therapeutae (plural) is Latin from the Greek plural ''Therapeutai'' (Θεραπευταί). The term ''therapeutes'' means one who is attendant to the gods although the term, and the related adjective ''therapeutikos'' carry in later texts the m ...
.
Etymology
The etymology of the name is unknown. In his revised version of
Frisk's ''Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch'' (''Greek Etymological Dictionary''),
R.S.P. Beekes gives this summary of the different attempts:
:"H. Grégoire (with R. Goossens and M. Mathieu) in ''Asklépios, Apollon Smintheus et Rudra'' 1949 (Mém. Acad. Roy. de Belgique. Cl. d. lettres. 2. sér. 45), explains the name as "the mole-hero", connecting '
mole
Mole (or Molé) may refer to:
Animals
* Mole (animal) or "true mole", mammals in the family Talpidae, found in Eurasia and North America
* Golden moles, southern African mammals in the family Chrysochloridae, similar to but unrelated to Talpida ...
' and refers to the resemblance of the
Tholos in
Epidauros
Epidaurus ( gr, Ἐπίδαυρος) was a small city (''polis'') in ancient Greece, on the Argolid Peninsula at the Saronic Gulf. Two modern towns bear the name Epidavros: '' Palaia Epidavros'' and '' Nea Epidavros''. Since 2010 they belong to ...
and the
building of a mole. (Thus
Puhvel, ''Comp. Mythol''. 1987, 135.) But the variants of Asklepios and those of the word for "mole" do not agree.
:The name is typical for Pre-Greek words; apart from minor variations ( for , for ) we find (a well known variation;
Fur. 335–339) followed by or , i.e. a
voiced velar (without ) or a
voiceless velar (or an
aspirated one: we know that there was no distinction between the three in the
substr. language) with a . I think that the renders an original
affricate, which (prob. as ) was lost before the (in Greek the group is rare, and certainly before another consonant).
:
Szemerényi's etymology (''
JHS JHS may refer to:
* Christogram (ΙΗΣ), derived from the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus
* Jacksonville Historical Society, in Florida, United States
* Jhankot Sign Language, a village sign language of Nepal
* Jhansi Junction railw ...
'' 94, 1974, 155) from
Hitt. ''assula(a)-'' "well-being" and ''piya-'' "give" cannot be correct, as it does not explain the
velar
Velars are consonants articulated with the back part of the tongue (the dorsum) against the soft palate, the back part of the roof of the mouth (known also as the velum).
Since the velar region of the roof of the mouth is relatively extensive a ...
."
Beekes suggested a
Pre-Greek
The Pre-Greek substrate (or Pre-Greek substratum) consists of the unknown pre-Indo-European language(s) spoken in prehistoric Greece before the coming of the Proto-Greek language in the Greek peninsula during the Bronze Age. It is possible that ...
proto-form ''*At
yklap-''.
His name may mean "to cut open" from a story about his birth.
Mythology
Birth
Asclepius was the son of Apollo and, according to the earliest accounts, a mortal woman named
Koronis (Coronis), who was a princess of
Tricca
Tricca or Trikka ( grc, Τρίκκη or Τρίκκα) was a city and polis (city-state) of ancient Thessaly in the district Histiaeotis, standing upon the left bank of the Peneius, and near a small stream called Lethaeus. This city is said to ha ...
in Thessaly. When she displayed infidelity by sleeping with a mortal named
Ischys In Greek mythology, Ischys (Ancient Greek: Ἰσχύς means 'strength') was the son of Elatus and Hippea.
Mythology
Ischys had an affair with the Thessalian princess Coronis, one of Apollo's lovers, who was at that time pregnant with the god's ...
, Apollo found out with his prophetic powers and killed Ischys. Coronis was killed by
Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...
for being unfaithful to Apollo and was laid out on a funeral pyre to be consumed, but Apollo rescued the child by cutting him from Coronis' womb.
According to Delphian tradition, Asclepius was born in the temple of Apollo, with
Lachesis
Lachesis ( ; grc, Λάχεσις, Lákhesis, disposer of lots; from , 'to obtain by lot, by fate, or by the will of the gods'), in ancient Greek religion, was the second of the Three Fates, or Moirai; the others were her sisters, Clotho and ...
acting as a midwife and Apollo relieving the pains of Coronis. Apollo named the child after Coronis' nickname, Aegle.
Phoenician tradition maintains that Asclepius was born of Apollo without any woman involved.
According to the Roman version, Apollo, having learned about Coronis' betrayal with the mortal
Ischys In Greek mythology, Ischys (Ancient Greek: Ἰσχύς means 'strength') was the son of Elatus and Hippea.
Mythology
Ischys had an affair with the Thessalian princess Coronis, one of Apollo's lovers, who was at that time pregnant with the god's ...
through his raven
Lycius, killed her with his arrows. Before breathing her last, she revealed to Apollo that she was pregnant with his child. He repented his actions and unsuccessfully tried to save her. At last, he removed their son safely from her belly before she was consumed by the fire.
In yet another version, Coronis who was already pregnant with Apollo's child, had to accompany her father to
Peloponnesos
The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridge whic ...
. She had kept her pregnancy hidden from her father. In
Epidaurus, she bore a son and exposed him on a mountain called ''Tittheion'' (from τίτθη "wet nurse", τιτθεύω "to suckle, breastfeed"). The child was given milk by one of the goats that pastured about the mountain, and was guarded by the watch-dog of the herd. Aresthanas, the owner of goats and the guard dogs found the child. As he came near, he saw lightning that flashed from the child, and thinking of it to be a sign of the divine, he left the child alone. Asclepius was later taken by Apollo.
According to
Strabo and other traditions, the birthplace of Asclepius is considered to be
Tricca
Tricca or Trikka ( grc, Τρίκκη or Τρίκκα) was a city and polis (city-state) of ancient Thessaly in the district Histiaeotis, standing upon the left bank of the Peneius, and near a small stream called Lethaeus. This city is said to ha ...
(modern
Trikala
Trikala ( el, Τρίκαλα; rup, Trikolj) is a city in northwestern Thessaly, Greece, and the capital of the Trikala regional unit. The city straddles the Lithaios river, which is a tributary of Pineios. According to the Greek National Stati ...
city in
Thessaly
Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, The ...
).
Education and adventures
![Aesculap 147-](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Aesculap_147-.png)
Apollo named the rescued baby "Asclepius" and reared him for a while and taught him many things about medicine. However, like his half-brother,
Aristaeus
A minor god in Greek mythology, attested mainly by Athenian writers, Aristaeus (; ''Aristaios'' (Aristaîos); lit. “Most Excellent, Most Useful”), was the culture hero credited with the discovery of many useful arts, including bee-keepin ...
, Asclepius had his formal education under the
centaur Chiron
In Greek mythology, Chiron ( ; also Cheiron or Kheiron; ) was held to be the superlative centaur amongst his brethren since he was called the "wisest and justest of all the centaurs".
Biography
Chiron was notable throughout Greek mythology ...
who instructed him in the art of medicine.
It is said that in return for some kindness rendered by Asclepius, a snake licked Asclepius's ears clean and taught him secret knowledge (to the Greeks snakes were sacred beings of wisdom, healing, and resurrection). Asclepius bore a rod wreathed with a snake, which became associated with healing. Another version states that when Asclepius (or in another myth
Polyidus
In Greek mythology, Polyidus ( grc, Πολύειδος ''Polúeidos'', "seeing many things"; also Polyeidus), son of Coeranus, was a famous seer from Corinth.
Family
Polyidus was a descendant of another renowned seer, Melampus. Given that Mela ...
) was commanded to restore the life of Glaucus, he was confined in a secret prison. While pondering on what he should do, a snake crept near his staff. Lost in his thoughts, Asclepius unknowingly killed it by hitting it again and again with his staff. Later, another snake came there with an herb in its mouth, and placed it on the head of a dead snake, which soon came back to life. Seeing this, Asclepius used the same herb, which brought Glaucus back. A species of non-venomous pan-Mediterranean serpent, the
Aesculapian snake (''Zamenis longissimus'') is named for the god.
He was originally called Hepius but received his popular name of Asclepius after he cured Ascles, ruler of Epidaurus who suffered an incurable ailment in his eyes.
Tzetzes
John Tzetzes ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης Τζέτζης, Iōánnēs Tzétzēs; c. 1110, Constantinople – 1180, Constantinople) was a Byzantine poet and grammarian who is known to have lived at Constantinople in the 12th century.
He was able to pr ...
, ''Chiliades'
10.49, p. 712–714
/ref> Asclepius became so proficient as a healer that he surpassed both Chiron and his father, Apollo. Asclepius was therefore able to evade death and to bring others back to life from the brink of death and beyond. This caused an excessive abundance of human beings, and Zeus resorted to killing him to maintain balance in the numbers of the human population.
At some point, Asclepius was among those who took part in the Calydonian Boar
The Calydonian boar hunt is one of the great heroic adventures in Greek legend. It occurred in the generation prior to that of the Trojan War, and stands alongside the other great heroic adventure of that generation, the voyage of the Argonauts, ...
hunt.
Marriage and family
Asclepius was married to Epione
In Greek mythology, Epione (Ancient Greek: Ἠπιόνη) is the wife of Asclepius. Her name derives from the word ηπιος (, "soothing"), and she was probably a personification of the care needed for recovery. With Asclepius, she had five d ...
, with whom he had five daughters: Hygieia
Hygieia is a goddess from Greek, as well as Roman, mythology (also referred to as: Hygiea or Hygeia; ; grc, Ὑγιεία or , la, Hygēa or ). Hygieia is a goddess of health ( el, ὑγίεια – ''hugieia''), cleanliness and hygiene. Her ...
, Panacea
In Greek mythology, Panacea (Greek ''Πανάκεια'', Panakeia), a goddess of universal remedy, was the daughter of Asclepius and Epione. Panacea and her four sisters each performed a facet of Apollo's art:
* Panacea (the goddess of univers ...
, Aceso
Aceso ( grc, Ἀκεσώ) was the Greek goddess of the healing process.
Family
Aceso was the daughter of Asclepius and Epione, sister of Iaso, Hygieia, Panacea, and Aegle.
Mythology
Unlike her sister Panacea (Cure-All), she represented ...
, Iaso
Iaso (; el, Ἰασώ, ''Iasō'') or Ieso (; el, Ἰησώ, ''Iēsō'') was the Greek goddess of recuperation from illness. The daughter of Asclepius, she had four sisters: Aceso, Aglæa/Ægle, Hygieia, and Panacea. All five were associated wi ...
, and Aegle Aegle may refer to:
* Aegle (mythology), a number of characters from Greek mythology
* 96 Aegle
Aegle ( minor planet designation: 96 Aegle) is a carbonaceous asteroid and the namesake of the Aegle family located in the outer regions of the ast ...
, and three sons: Machaon, Podaleirios and Telesphoros. He also sired a son, Aratus
Aratus (; grc-gre, Ἄρατος ὁ Σολεύς; c. 315 BC/310 BC240) was a Greek didactic poet. His major extant work is his hexameter poem ''Phenomena'' ( grc-gre, Φαινόμενα, ''Phainómena'', "Appearances"; la, Phaenomena), the ...
, with Aristodeme.
Death and resurrection as a god
Asclepius once started bringing back to life the dead people like Tyndareus, Capaneus, Glaucus, Hymenaeus, Lycurgus and others. Others say he brought Hippolytus back from the dead on Artemis' request, and accepted gold for it. It is the only mention of Asclepius resurrecting the dead. In all other accounts he is said to use his skills simply as a physician.
However, Hades accused Asclepius of stealing his subjects and complained to his brother Zeus
Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label= genitive Boeotian Aeolic and Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label= genitive el, Δίας, ''Días'' () is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek reli ...
about it. According to others, Zeus was afraid that Asclepius would teach the art of resurrection to other humans as well. So he killed Asclepius with his thunderbolt. This angered Apollo who in turn killed the Cyclopes
In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; el, Κύκλωπες, ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguish ...
who made the thunderbolts for Zeus. For this act, Zeus banished Apollo from Olympus and commanded him to serve Admetus
In Greek mythology, Admetus (; Ancient Greek: ''Admetos'' means 'untamed, untameable') was a king of Pherae in Thessaly.
Biography
Admetus succeeded his father Pheres after whom the city was named. His mother was identified as Periclymene ...
, King of Thessaly
Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, The ...
, for a year as a mortal. After Asclepius's death, Zeus placed his body among the stars as the constellation Ophiuchus
Ophiuchus () is a large constellation straddling the celestial equator. Its name comes from the Ancient Greek (), meaning "serpent-bearer", and it is commonly represented as a man grasping a snake. The serpent is represented by the constella ...
("the Serpent Holder").
Later, however, upon Apollo's request, Zeus resurrected Asclepius as a god and gave him a place on Olympus as a god.
Sacred places and practices
The most ancient and the most prominent asclepeion (or healing temple) according to the geographer of the 1st century BC, Strabo, was situated in Trikala
Trikala ( el, Τρίκαλα; rup, Trikolj) is a city in northwestern Thessaly, Greece, and the capital of the Trikala regional unit. The city straddles the Lithaios river, which is a tributary of Pineios. According to the Greek National Stati ...
. The 1st century AD Pool of Bethesda
The Pool of Bethesda is a pool in Jerusalem known from the New Testament account of Jesus miraculously healing a paralysed man, from the fifth chapter of the Gospel of John, where it is described as being near the Sheep Gate, surrounded by f ...
, described in the Gospel of John
The Gospel of John ( grc, Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην, translit=Euangélion katà Iōánnēn) is the fourth of the four canonical gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "sig ...
, chapter 5, was found by archaeologists in 1964 to be part of an asclepeion.[An archaeological diagram of the layout – the diagram displayed at the location itself – is visible at this link](_blank)
.Jerome Murphy-O'Connor
Jerome Murphy-O'Connor (born 10 April 1935, Cork City, Ireland – died 11 November 2013, Jerusalem) was a Dominican priest, a leading authority on St. Paul, and a Professor of New Testament at the École Biblique in Jerusalem, a position ...
, ''The Holy Land'', (2008), page 29 One of the most famous temples of Asclepius was at Epidaurus in north-eastern Peloponnese, dated to the fourth century BC.[Edelstein, Ludwig and Emma Edelstein. ''Asclepius: a Collection and Interpretation of the Testimonies''. Vol. 2. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1998. p. 243] Another famous asclepeion was built approximately a century later on the island of Kos
Kos or Cos (; el, Κως ) is a Greek island, part of the Dodecanese island chain in the southeastern Aegean Sea. Kos is the third largest island of the Dodecanese by area, after Rhodes and Karpathos; it has a population of 36,986 (2021 census), ...
, where Hippocrates
Hippocrates of Kos (; grc-gre, Ἱπποκράτης ὁ Κῷος, Hippokrátēs ho Kôios; ), also known as Hippocrates II, was a Greek physician of the classical period who is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history o ...
, the legendary "father of medicine", may have begun his career. Other asclepieia were situated in Gortys
Gortyna ( grc, Γόρτυνα; also known as Gortyn (Γορτύν)) was a town of ancient Crete which appears in the Homeric poems under the form of Γορτύν; but afterwards became usually Gortyna (Γόρτυνα). According to Stephanus of ...
(in Arcadia), and Pergamum
Pergamon or Pergamum ( or ; grc-gre, Πέργαμον), also referred to by its modern Greek form Pergamos (), was a rich and powerful ancient Greek city in Mysia. It is located from the modern coastline of the Aegean Sea on a promontory on th ...
in Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
.
From the fifth century BC onwards, the cult of Asclepius grew very popular and pilgrims flocked to his healing temples ( Asclepieia) to be cured of their ills. Ritual purification would be followed by offerings or sacrifices to the god (according to means), and the supplicant would then spend the night in the holiest part of the sanctuary– the abaton (or adyton). Any dreams or visions would be reported to a priest who would prescribe the appropriate therapy by a process of interpretation. Some healing temples also used sacred dogs to lick the wounds of sick petitioners.[Farnell, Chapter 10, "The Cult of Asklepios" (pp. 234–279)] In honor of Asclepius, a particular type of non-venomous snake was often used in healing rituals, and these snakes— the Aesculapian Snake
The Aesculapian snake (now ''Zamenis longissimus'', previously ''Elaphe longissima''), is a species of nonvenomous snake native to Europe, a member of the Colubrinae subfamily of the family Colubridae. Growing up to in length, it is among th ...
s— slithered around freely on the floor in dormitories where the sick and injured slept. These snakes were introduced at the founding of each new temple of Asclepius throughout the classical world.
The original Hippocratic Oath began with the invocation "I swear by Apollo the Physician and by Asclepius and by Hygieia and Panacea and by all the gods ...".
''Epidauria'' (τὰ Ἐπιδαύρια) was a festival at Athens in honour of Asclepius.
Some later religious movements claimed links to Asclepius. In the 2nd century AD the controversial miracle-worker Alexander claimed that his god Glycon
Glycon ( grc, Γλύκων ''Glýkōn'', : ''Glýkōnos''), also spelled Glykon, was an ancient snake god. He had a large and influential cult within the Roman Empire in the 2nd century, with contemporary satirist Lucian providing the primary ...
, a snake with a "head of linen"[Lucian, ''Alexander the False Prophet'' (trans A.M. Harmon) (Cambridge: Loeb Classical Library, 1936), Lucian, vol IV. Accessible online at http://www.tertullian.org/rpearse/lucian/lucian_alexander.htm] was an incarnation of Asclepius. The Greek language rhetorician
Rhetoric () is the art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic (or dialectic), is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. Rhetoric aims to study the techniques writers or speakers utilize to inform, persuade, or motivate parti ...
and satirist
This is an incomplete list of writers, cartoonists and others known for involvement in satire – humorous social criticism. They are grouped by era and listed by year of birth. Included is a list of modern satires.
Under Contemporary, 1930-196 ...
Lucian produced the work Alexander the False Prophet
Alexander of Abonoteichus ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Ἀβωνοτειχίτης ''Aléxandros ho Abōnoteichítēs''), also called Alexander the Paphlagonian ( CE), was a Greek mystic and oracle, and the founder of the Glycon cult that bri ...
to denounce the swindler for future generations. He described Alexander as having a character "made up of lying, trickery, perjury, and malice; t was
T, or t, is the twentieth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is deri ...
facile, audacious, venturesome, diligent in the execution of its schemes, plausible, convincing, masking as good, and wearing an appearance absolutely opposite to its purpose." In Rome, the College of Aesculapius and Hygia was an association ''(collegium
A (plural ), or college, was any association in ancient Rome that acted as a legal entity. Following the passage of the ''Lex Julia'' during the reign of Julius Caesar as Consul and Dictator of the Roman Republic (49–44 BC), and their rea ...
)'' that served as a burial society A burial society is a type of benefit/friendly society. These groups historically existed in England and elsewhere, and were constituted for the purpose of providing by voluntary subscriptions for the funeral expenses of the husband, wife or child ...
and dining club that also participated in the Imperial cult
An imperial cult is a form of state religion in which an emperor or a dynasty of emperors (or rulers of another title) are worshipped as demigods or deities. "Cult" here is used to mean "worship", not in the modern pejorative sense. The cult may ...
.
The botanical genus ''Asclepias
''Asclepias'' is a genus of herbaceous, perennial, flowering plants known as milkweeds, named for their latex, a milky substance containing cardiac glycosides termed cardenolides, exuded where cells are damaged. Most species are toxic to humans ...
'' (commonly known as milkweed) is named after him and includes the medicinal plant ''A. tuberosa'' or "Pleurisy root".
Asclepius was depicted on the reverse
Reverse or reversing may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Reverse'' (Eldritch album), 2001
* ''Reverse'' (2009 film), a Polish comedy-drama film
* ''Reverse'' (2019 film), an Iranian crime-drama film
* ''Reverse'' (Morandi album), 2005
* ''Reverse'' ...
of the Greek 10,000 drachmas
The drachma ( el, δραχμή , ; pl. ''drachmae'' or ''drachmas'') was the currency used in Greece during several periods in its history:
# An ancient Greek currency unit issued by many Greek city states during a period of ten centuries, fro ...
banknote of 1995–2001.
At the city of Miletus, archaeologists discovered a cave under the city's theatre which was associated with Asclepius cult.
At Hyperteleatum, Hypsi and Hyettus there were temples of Asclepius.Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), Hyettus
/ref>
See also
*Rod of Asclepius
In Greek mythology, the Rod of Asclepius (⚕; grc, Ράβδος του Ασκληπιού, , sometimes also spelled Asklepios), also known as the Staff of Aesculapius and as the asklepian, is a serpent-entwined rod wielded by the Greek god A ...
*Darrhon Darrhon or Darron (Greek: Δάῤῥων) was a Paeonian god of healing, whose cult was adopted by the ancient Macedonians, as mentioned by Hesychius as Macedonian Daemon and attested hapax in one inscription of Pella
c. 200-150 BC.
Excavation ...
* 1027 Aesculapia
Notes
References
Primary sources
* Apollodorus, ''The Library'' with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.Greek text available from the same website
* Apollonius Rhodius
Apollonius of Rhodes ( grc, Ἀπολλώνιος Ῥόδιος ''Apollṓnios Rhódios''; la, Apollonius Rhodius; fl. first half of 3rd century BC) was an ancient Greek author, best known for the ''Argonautica'', an epic poem about Jason and t ...
, ''Argonautica'' translated by Robert Cooper Seaton (1853-1915), R. C. Loeb Classical Library Volume 001. London, William Heinemann Ltd, 1912
Online version at the Topos Text Project.
* Apollonius Rhodius, ''Argonautica''. George W. Mooney. London. Longmans, Green. 1912
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library
* Diodorus Siculus, ''The Library of History'' translated by Charles Henry Oldfather. Twelve volumes. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59–8
Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site
* Diodorus Siculus, ''Bibliotheca Historica. Vol 1-2''. Immanel Bekker. Ludwig Dindorf. Friedrich Vogel. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1888-1890
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library
* Gaius Julius Hyginus, ''Astronomica from The Myths of Hyginus'' translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies
Online version at the Topos Text Project.
* Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
, ''The Iliad'' with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924.
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
* Homer, ''Homeri Opera'' in five volumes. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 1920.
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library
* ''The Homeric Hymns and Homerica'' with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Homeric Hymns. Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.Greek text available from the same website
* Lycophron, ''The Alexandra'' translated by Alexander William Mair. Loeb Classical Library Volume 129. London: William Heinemann, 1921
Online version at the Topos Text Project.
* Lycophron, ''Alexandra'' translated by A.W. Mair. London: William Heinemann; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1921
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
* Marcus Tullius Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the esta ...
, ''Nature of the Gods from the Treatises of M.T. Cicero'' translated by Charles Duke Yonge (1812-1891), Bohn edition of 1878
Online version at the Topos Text Project.
* Marcus Tullius Cicero, ''De Natura Deorum.'' O. Plasberg. Leipzig. Teubner. 1917
Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library
* Pausanias Pausanias ( el, Παυσανίας) may refer to:
*Pausanias of Athens, lover of the poet Agathon and a character in Plato's ''Symposium''
*Pausanias the Regent, Spartan general and regent of the 5th century BC
* Pausanias of Sicily, physician of t ...
, ''Description of Greece'' with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918.
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
* Pausanias, ''Graeciae Descriptio.'' ''3 vols''. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library
* Pindar
Pindar (; grc-gre, Πίνδαρος , ; la, Pindarus; ) was an Ancient Greek lyric poet from Thebes. Of the canonical nine lyric poets of ancient Greece, his work is the best preserved. Quintilian wrote, "Of the nine lyric poets, Pindar ...
, ''Odes'' translated by Diane Arnson Svarlien. 1990
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
* Pindar, ''The Odes of Pindar'' including the Principal Fragments with an Introduction and an English Translation by Sir John Sandys, Litt.D., FBA. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1937
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library
* Publius Ovidius Naso
Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...
, ''Fasti'' translated by James G. Frazer
Online version at the Topos Text Project.
* Publius Ovidius Naso, ''Fasti.'' Sir James George Frazer. London; Cambridge, MA. William Heinemann Ltd.; Harvard University Press. 1933
Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library
* Tzetzes, John, ''Book of Histories,'' Book IX-X translated by Jonathan Alexander from the original Greek of T. Kiessling's edition of 1826
Online version at theoi.com
Secondary sources
* Edelstein, Ludwig and Emma Edelstein. ''Asclepius: Collection and Interpretation of the Testimonies'', Baltimore, The Johns Hopkins Press, 1945.
* von Ehrenheim, Hedvig. ''Greek Incubation Rituals in Classical and Hellenistic Times. Kernos. Supplément, 29.'' Liège: Presses Universitaires de Liège, 2015.
* Farnell, Lewis Richard. ''Greek Hero Cults and Ideas of Immortality'', (Oxford Clarendon Press,1921).
* Grimal, Pierre
''The Dictionary of Classical Mythology''
Wiley-Blackwell, 1996,
"Asclepius" pp. 62–63
* Hart, Gerald D. MD. ''Asclepius: The God of Medicine'' (Royal Society of Medicine Press, 2000)
* Kool, S. "The Soother of Evil Pains: Asclepius and Freud." ''Akroterion'' 60, 2015, pp. 13–32.
* LiDonnici, Lynn R. ''The Epidaurian Miracle Inscriptions: Text, Translation, and Commentary.'' Atlanta: Scholars, 1995.
* Mitchell-Boyask, Robin, ''Plague and the Athenian Imagination: Drama, History and the Cult of Asclepius'', Cambridge University Press, 2008, .
* Oberhelman, Steven M. (ed.), ''Dreams, Healing, and Medicine in Greece: From Antiquity to the Present.'' Farnham; Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2013.
* Renberg, Gil H. "Public and Private Places of Worship in the Cult of Asclepius at Rome". ''Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome'', 51/52, 2006, pp. 87–172.
* Riethmüller, Jürgen W. ''Asklepios : Heiligtümer und Kulte'', Heidelberg, Verlag Archäologie und Geschichte, 2005,
*
* Wickkiser, Bronwen. ''Asklepios, Medicine, and the Politics of Healing in Fifth-century Greece: Between Craft and Cult''. JHU Press, 2008.
External links
Warburg Institute Iconographic Database
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Medicine gods
Health gods
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Greek mythological heroes
Mythological Greek physicians
Argonauts
Children of Apollo
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Snakes in religion
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Olympian deities
Iliad