Apollo, although the god of medicine, wasn't the only deity in Greek mythology associated with healing, with many different deities in Ancient Greece including Hygeia and Asclepius, having responsibilities in the realms of healing, medicine, and health. Asclepius, under the tutelage of Chiron, excelled in the arts of medicine and healing. He could heal wounds made by bronze weapons and stones, and could heal limbs ravaged by the sun's heat or the cold of winter. He could remedy pain and affliction with soothing balms and draughts, and with songs or incantations.
Asclepius had numerous children, all with responsibilities in the realm of medicine and healing. According to Homer in his Iliad, Asclepius was the father of two mortals who were both powerful healers and fought in the Trojan War, Podalirius and Machaeon, although their mother isn’t mentioned. With his wife Epione, the goddess of soothing pain, Asclepius was the father of five daughters who, collectively, are known as the Asclepiades; Iaso, Aigle, Panakeia, Akeso, and Hygeia, although Hygeia is sometimes referred to as Asclepius’ wife, not daughter.
Both Asclepius and Hygeia had cults dedicated to them in antiquity as deities of healing and health. Hygeia was venerated in Athens and linked with Athena as Athena Hygeia, and a statue of the goddess was mounted on the Acropolis. Asclepius was particularly venerated at the sanctuary of Epidaurus called the Asklepieion which was founded in the 6th century BCE. This sanctuary was visited by people from all over Greece and was the most important healing centre in the ancient world.
Did you know that before Asclepius became the god of medicine he was a mortal killed by Zeus?
Hello and welcome to World History Encyclopedia. My name is Kelly and today's video is all about
the numerous deities from the ancient Greek pantheon that were responsible for all aspects
of healing and medicine. Don't forget the easiest way to support us is by giving this video a thumbs
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Your support helps us create videos twice a week so make sure to check it out via the pop-up in
the top corner of the screen or via the Patreon link down below. Apollo, twin brother to the
Artemis, was the Olympian god of many things. Music, oracles and prophecy, plagues, singing and
music, archery and healing. The god, as frequently happened, fell in love with a mortal, Cronus,
who in turn loved the mortal, Iscus. Apollo sent a white raven to follow Cronus and in doing so
he found out about her adultery. In some versions Apollo had his sister Artemis kill the girl and
in others Apollo killed both Cronus and Iscus. Cronus was pregnant with Asclepius, son of Apollo,
at the time of her death and so he was saved by either Hermes or Apollo himself
and carried to the centaur Chiron, a tutor to heroes in hunting and healing.
Asclepius, under the tutelage of Chiron, excelled in the arts of medicine and healing.
He could heal wounds made by bronze weapons and stones and could heal limbs ravaged by the sun's
heat or the cold of winter. He could remedy pain and affliction with soothing balms and draughts
and with songs or incantations. He became so skilled a surgeon that he not only saved lives
of those sick and injured, but he could bring back those who had already passed into Hades realm.
In some versions of the tale it was with the blood from the right side of the gorgon,
given to him by the goddess Athena, that he could revive people from the dead and in others it was
through his skill as a healer. Either way Zeus was enraged that a mortal would upend the balance
between the immortals and mortals on earth and so he killed the healer with a bolt of lightning.
In anger Apollo struck back at Zeus and killed the Cyclopes, who were the skilled artisans who
forged the thunderbolts for Zeus. After his death Asclepius was deified and became the god of
medicine. As a god Asclepius was depicted on pottery and coins, in mosaics and sculpture from ancient
Greece and he is often seen holding his bacteria, which is a staff with a sacred snake coiled around
it. This staff has since become the modern day symbol of medicine. Asclepius had numerous children
all with responsibilities in the realm of medicine and healing. According to Homer in his Iliad,
Asclepius was the father of two mortals who were both powerful healers and fought in the Trojan
War, Podillerius and Machaion, although their mother isn't mentioned. With his wife Epione,
the goddess of soothing pain, Asclepius was the father of five daughters who collectively are
known as the Asclepiades, Aeso, Aegle, Panacea, Aceso and Hygieia, although Hygieia is sometimes
referred to as Asclepius's wife, not daughter. The daughters of Asclepius and Epione were all
responsible for different aspects of healing and medicine. Aeso was the goddess of remedies and
ways of healing, Aegle was the goddess of radiance or radiant good health, Panacea was the goddess of
all cures and remedies in the forms of salves and medicine, from which the word Panacea,
a remedy for any disease or difficulty, comes. Aeso was the goddess of the process of curing
and healing sickness and wounds, and Hygieia was the goddess of good health. These five daughters
were the attendants to their father, and Aeso had a male counterpart known as Acesis or Telosphoros.
He is presumably a son of Asclepius and is the god of recuperation from illness or injury,
the convalescence or completion of the healing process. Among Asclepius's children, Hygieia,
from whose name we get the word hygiene, is probably the best known, and she is frequently
depicted in art from ancient Greece wearing a long robe, sometimes accompanied by a serpent.
The Orphic hymn to Hygieia tells us how the goddess was revered in ancient Greece.
Charming queen of all, lovely and blooming, blessed Hygieia, mother of all, bringer of bliss,
hear me. Through you vanish the illnesses that afflict man,
through you every house blossoms to the fullness of joy.
Both Asclepius and Hygieia had cults dedicated to them in antiquity as deities of healing and
health. Hygieia was venerated in Athens and linked with Athena as Athena Hygieia,
and a statue of the goddess was mounted on the Acropolis. She was venerated in Oropos village
in Attica, and sculptures of Hygieia and Asclepius were situated in the cities of Megara,
Corinth, and Argos. Asclepius was particularly venerated at the sanctuary of Epidaurus
called the Asclepion, which was founded in the 6th century BCE. This sanctuary was visited by
people from all over Greece, and was the most important healing center in the ancient world.
Resident priests administered medicines to the ill who visited the sanctuary,
and the sanctuary itself consisted of the Thymele, which was a round marble building
with a mysterious underground labyrinth beneath it, and a larger-than-life statue of Asclepius
in the huge temple to the god. There was also the Enkoimeterion, which was the place where
patients would spend the night after having gone through numerous purification rituals.
They would await dreams where the god would appear and offer remedies and cures for their
maladies, and the next day the cures would either be self-administered or carried out by the priests
in the more complex cases. Often those who were cured would leave votive offerings of the cured
body part in thanks to Asclepius. The site of Epidaurus is best known for its well-preserved
theater, which would have been used in the Asclepiaia festival, which was held every four
years beginning in the 5th century BCE in honor of Asclepius. Why do you think the Greeks had
so many different gods presiding over specific parts of medicine and healing? Let us know what
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