The Myth Of Asclepius, God Of Medicine
The myth of Asclepius, or Aesculapius for the Romans, tells us not only 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 was the one who mastered this knowledge best, to the point of having the power to raise the dead.
The myth of Asclepius is believed to be based on the legend of an Egyptian figure named Imhotep. This character lived around 2,000 years before the myth of the Greek god took shape. He was a scholar who is considered the father of modern medicine and the first to practice medicine as such.
Imhotep was the author of an extensive book of pharmacological prescriptions and, as far as is known, the first human being to describe clinical cases from a rational, not a magical perspective.
He even used opioids as anesthetics and made the earliest known anatomical descriptions. The myth of Asclepius is believed to have been inspired by this real-life character.
The origin of the myth of Asclepius
As usual with the Greeks, there are several versions of the myth of Asclepius. The best known indicates that this character was the son of the god Apollo, ruler of the sun and the arts, and a mortal called Coronis or Arsinoe.
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 her feet when he saw her.
The story goes that they gathered near a lake and in order to do this the god had to turn into a swan. Coronis got pregnant.
After that, Apollo had to return to Delphi, but he ordered a white crow to take care of his wife while he was away. However, taking advantage of the god’s absence, Coronis became the lover of a warrior named Isquis. The crow realized this and flew quickly to warn its master.
Along the way, he encountered a crow who warned him that it was not a good idea to bring bad news, but the crow ignored him. Apollo was completely appalled. In his anger, he cursed the bird and condemned it forever to wear black plumage. Therefore, he is considered a “bird of bad omen”.
Asclepius, a brilliant child
The myth of Asclepius says that Apollo went to where Coronis was and, full of anger, threw one of his arrows at him, piercing his chest. When he saw her die, the god repented and tried to revive her, but it was too late. Then he took her to the funeral pyre. So when Coronis’ body was consumed by fire, Apollo decided to take the son out of his womb.
This son was Asclepius and Apollo decided to entrust his education and training to Chiron, the healing centaur. Thus, the child grew up under the tutelage of a master who was well versed in the healing arts. So, from an early age, he learned about medicinal plants and treatment techniques.
He had so many healing skills that he even learned how to raise the dead. This angered Zeus, who thought it was a danger to reverse the condition of mortals. So, using a Cyclops, he sent a bolt of lightning and killed Asclepius.
A revered god
Apollo, furious at the murder of his son, killed the Cyclops who had executed Zeus’ plan. Then, using his powers, he caused Asclepius to reach Olympus and become a god. Since then, many mortals began to revere and beg him when they needed help with an illness.
The death of Asclepius also brought great virtues to the family he left behind on Earth. This is how his wife, Epione, gains the power to soothe pain. His daughter, Hygieia, has become the symbol of prevention in the field of health.
Panacea, another of her daughters, has become synonymous with treatment; Télesphore has become the symbol of convalescence and Machaon and Podalire have become the protectors of doctors and surgeons.
Later it was said that Hippocrates was a descendant of Asclepius ; the insignia of this god, a serpent wrapped around a stick, has become the universal symbol of medicine.
Our thoughts Chiron is a character from Greek mythology. This immortal centaur flooded the ancient texts with his wisdom and empathy.
