The Myth Of Asclepius, God Of Medicine

The myth of Asclepius, or Aesculapius for the Romans, tells us not only the story of the god of medicine, but also of an entire family dedicated to the healing arts. Although almost all gods had some healing power, Asclepius mastered this knowledge to the point of being able to resurrect the dead.

The myth of Asclepius is believed to be based on the legend of an Egyptian man named Imhotep. He lived about 2000 years before the myth of the Greek god took shape. Imhotep was a scholar, now considered the father of modern medicine, and the first to practice this profession as such.

Imhotep is also the author of an extensive drug cookbook and, as far as we know, he was the first human being to describe clinical cases from a rational and not magical perspective.

He used opiates as anesthetics and was responsible for the first known anatomical descriptions. The Asclepius myth is believed to have been inspired by this real-life character.

The origin of the myth of Asclepius

As was usual among the ancient Greeks, there are several versions of the myth of Asclepius. The best known indicates that this character was the son of the god Apollo, god of the sun and the arts, and of a mortal named Coronis.

Coronis is described as a woman of great beauty. She was so beautiful that she stole the heart of the god Apollo, who fell at his feet as soon as he saw her. The myth tells that they united near a lake and that, for this purpose, the god had to take the form of a swan. From this union, Coronide became pregnant.

Apollo later had to return to Delphi, but ordered a white crow to take care of the woman while she was away. Taking advantage of the god’s absence, Coronides became the lover of a warrior named Ischis. The crow noticed this and flew quickly to warn its master.

On the way, he met a crow who warned him that it was not a good idea to bring bad news, but the crow ignored it. Apollo was dismayed. Out of rage, he cursed the bird and forever condemned it to have black feathers. Since then, the raven has been considered an inauspicious bird.

Asclepius, a brilliant boy

The myth of Asclepius tells that Apollo went to the place where Coronides was and, furious, he shot one of his arrows at her, piercing her chest. Seeing her die, the god repented and tried to revive her, but it was too late. Then he took her to the funeral pyre.

As soon as Coronis’s body was consumed by fire, Apollo decided to remove the child from her womb. Apollo decided to entrust the education of Asclepius to Chiron, the healing centaur.

The boy grew up under the guidance of a teacher who was thoroughly familiar with the healing arts. From an early age, therefore, he became familiar with medicinal plants and treatment techniques. Asclepius learned healing skills so effectively that he was able to resurrect the dead.

This aroused the wrath of Zeus, who thought it dangerous to reverse the condition of mortals. Then, using a Cyclops, he threw a bolt of lightning and killed Asclepius.

A revered god

Enraged by the murder of his son, Apollo killed the Cyclops who had carried out the orders of Zeus. Then, using his powers, he convinced Asclepius to reach Olympus and become a god. Since then, many mortals began to worship him and ask for his favors in case of illness.

The death of Asclepius allowed great virtues to develop in the family he had left on Earth. His wife, Epione, acquired the power to calm pain. His daughter, Hygieia, became the symbol of health prevention.

Panacea, another of his daughters, became synonymous with cure. Telesphorus became the god of convalescence and Machaon and Podalirius became the protectors of doctors and surgeons.

Hippocrates was a descendant of Asclepius. The staff of this god, a snake surrounding a rod with its body, has become the universal symbol of medicine.