ASCLEPIUS ~ THE GREEK GOD OF MEDICINE

Asclepius is one of the most important healers of Hellenic Religion and has been one of the most beloved Gods of ancient Greeks, to whom they resorted to relieve them of their pains and illnesses. The cult of Asclepius, either as a God or as a deified hero, is among the oldest ones and He was honoured all over Greece.Asclepius was not only a doctor but also a giver of Oracles; he was a protector and omnipotent Savior of the people.His story teaches that a true physician is the one who offers himself in the major battle to cure the world in the most selfless way.

Birth and Education

 Asclepius is the son of Apollo and His mother was Koronida, a mortal princess. While she was pregnant with Asclepius, Koronida fell in love and married a mortal man,Ischys, who was thus considered the father of her divine child.
But the news arrived quickly to Apollo,who became enraged. Apollo killed his mortal rival and his twin sister, Goddess Artemis, killed Koronida with Her arrows.However,when Koronida's dead body was set on a  funeral pyre, Apollo hastened to take his son Asclepius from the womb of his mortal mother. It was a birth full of pain, sacrifice and death, but it brought great joy to the world, because Asclepius was a redeemer who would bring comfort and relief to the human race.

Newborn Asclepius was taken by Apollo to Mount Pelion of Thessaly and was given to Chiron,the wise Centaur, to raise and educate him.Near Chiron, Asclepius learnt the arts of hunting, medicine, and the ways to collect healing herbs. He became a great doctor who healed all diseases through medicines,performing operations and sacred incantations.Athena also helped Asclepius in His training.The Goddess of wisdom offered Him the precious blood of the beheaded Gorgon, which had two properties; it could be used either for healing and resurrection, or for death and destruction.

Achievements, Death and the Rise to Olympus

Asclepius gained vast reputation, which spread all over Greece.

He took part in the Argonautical campaign as a superb physician, as well as in the hunting of Caledonian Boar- one of Heracles' Labours. He had unique abilities; He healed many heroes and reached the point of resurrecting the dead, such as Glaucus, the son of the Cretan King Minos. He was also the teacher of many Greek heroes, such as Achilles and Jason.His wife was Hepione,who was also worshipped as a Goddess who had nursing knowledge and knew how to alleviate pain. Their children - Hygeia, Iaso, Acheso, Panacea, Eumarion, Telesphorus,and others-they also represented health and healing. 

Goddess Hygeia, by Gustav Klimt

But the resurrection of the dead caused concern to Hades, the king of the Underworld, who feared the desolation of his Kingdom and complained to his brother Zeus. The King of the Gods rushed to restore the order and he killed Asclepius, striking Him with lightning. Apollo avenged the loss of His son by killing the Cyclops, who had donated the deadly thunder to Zeus. After His death Asclepius became a God, and He was accepted to the divine Palace of Olympus, at the same time as Hercules.

Asclepius as a Hero and God

There are many theories about the life and origin of Asclepius.His position has always been divided between being either a God or a hero- for this reason they have offered him sacrifices worthy of a God and sometimes offerings given to heroes.
Many researchers claim that Asclepius was a real person; he was a great physician from Thessaly, who received great honour after death and gradually became a God. Asclepius is the role model of a doctor who dedicated Himself to the service of the people.He walked the same path as other heroes who were deified in the Greek Religion. All this appears to be in agreement with the evidence that was delivered to us by Homer, Hesiod and Pindar.


In another version, Asclepius is presented as a deity of the Earth. in later times, His worship finally merged with that of the celestial deities. Some writers present him as a God of the air, the storm or of the Sun, indicating his relationship with Apollo and the renewing forces of nature.

Aerial view of the Asclepeion of Epidaurus- the largest healing center of antiquity.

The worship of Asclepius and his Sanctuaries

Asclepius was a patron of cities that were famous for their medical science.The people offered Him sacrifices, organized processions and games, while His sanctuaries, called Asclepeia, were in places of worship, healing centers, but also divination.
  Of all the worship centers of Asclepius, the most important and the one that has given us the richest testimonies was Epidaurus, founded around 600 BCE. In this place, written memorials praised Asclepius as the God who healed patients from all kinds of illness. According to Strabo,other famous sanctuaries of the God were in Athens, Kos, Crete, etc. In Asia Minor, there were sanctuaries in Pergamon,the Aigai of Cilicia,  Erythra and further north in Bursa.There was also a sanctuary in Kyrenia of Libya.

Sacred animals and symbols
Reptiles and dogs are considered as messengers, escorts, and assistants of the God in healing. The rod with the snake is the emblem of Asclepius and is established as a symbol of the doctors until modern times. The snake symbolizes longevity and renewal and the rod is the symbol of supporting and relief for the sufferers. A cup filled with medicine was also included in the symbols of the great healer.

Treatment of Patients in the Sanctuaries of Asclepius 

Many believe that this God is primarily concerned with the treatment of bodily illnesses, but this is only one aspect.  It is a fact that the diseases are mental and physical, but they are essentially of a mental origin and doctors have to search the deep causes in order to eliminate the diseases effectively. As a true physician, Asclepius had the necessary wisdom for such an approach and delivered inner harmony to those people.This is their highest protection against diseases, both physical and mental.

Asclepios healing a patient

The therapeutic procedure followed by Asclepius remains generally indeterminate. In the early days of His worship, the view prevailed that Asclepius acted primarily as a miracle operator; His treatments were a religious experience beyond all human understanding.He removed the sickness with his divine hand, touching the patient's body or extending it towards Him; the divine kiss was one of the means He used. His sacred animals, snakes and dogs,took part as assistants in the treatments.

He was an excellent and bold surgeon. In many cases He did not hesitate to open the entire body of the patient; He operated on the innermost parts of the human body. In addition to the amazing treatments and interventions, Asclepius often gave His patients clear and direct instructions about healing methods and of course the doctrines or oracles that were then interpreted and applied by the priest of the temple. The remedies of the God had unusual results and their effect was enhanced when they were taken by the patient in a sacred part of the temple.

The gallery of the Inner Sanctum of Epidaurus. This is where patients slept to receive the healing instructions of Asclepios.

He also advised patients to exercise, swim in rivers and seas, bathe in springs and baths; He indicated diets and approved of spiritual exercise. 
After His death and deification,many believers were gathering in Asclepeia to ask the God for healing. There, Asclepius practiced treatment through dreams or sent oracles, by the method of 'enkoimesis', in which the patients slept on the sacred ground of the sanctuary with his ear leaning on the earth to receive the healing dream from below. Sleeping or sunk into a special state between sleep and wakefulness, they saw dreams or visions where the God appeared. He was seen either as a bearded man with a calm and polite expression, holding a staff, or as a handsome young man. He spoke softly and instilled trust, pushing the patient into a soul opening, releasing his energy potential and making the greatest contribution to the success of healing.Asclepius' wisdom was evident in his immediate help;the morning after the session, the patient woke up healthy or informed about what to do to heal.

Dedication to Asclepios and Hygeia, giving thanks for the healing of a person's leg. Melos island,Greece, 2nd century BCE.

The fact that Asclepius appeared to patients and cared for them or told them how to treat their illness was not strange to the ancient world. The methods of this God did not contradict the established knowledge of the time. He simply acted as a God within the limits of a world that the ancients recognized as true.It is generally accepted that the sick were cured by Asclepius in his sanctuaries is confirmed by reports by famous ancient doctors such as Rufus and Galenus. 

Seeking the healing power of the Soul

The sacred origin of Medicine is evident through Asclepius. The origins of this science are deep in the ancient past.Apollo is the spiritual source of healing. He transfers this stream to his son Asclepius, who acts as a mediator for Apollo to mankind through his students, the Asclepiades.That was the title which only good doctors could earn.

Among the scholars and speakers of Asclepius' healing tradition was Hippocrates, who is recognized worldwide as a founder of medicine.Doctors from all over the world begin their service with the "Hippocratic Oath", citing God Apollo the Doctor, Asclepius, Health, Panacea and citing the testimony of all the Gods.

In antiquity, the way people have captured natural laws was not as rigid as it is today. Valid testimonies testify to miracles and divine acts that can not be interpreted in a rational way, since they came from the worlds of Gods that the human intellect is unable to conceive. People used to rely on divine help; they considered it not only their right but their duty, in cases where human power proved to be helpless. The divine and human knowledge and action, though of a different nature, did not exclude each other and the ancient Greek doctors never opposed religious medicine.

On the path of evolution, humankind always needed spiritual and mental uplifting and a joyful, confident push for the future. Such a bright, archetypal figure is Asclepius- the Greek God who brings healing and regeneration, leading to harmony and balance.