Asclepius (Aesculapius) is a Greek hero and Divine Physician, god of medicine in ancient Greek myth. Son of Apollo, he learns healing herbs from his father, and is later mentored by the revered centaur Chiron.
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Originally called Hepius, Asclepius receives his name when he cures Ascles, ruler of Epidaurus, of a chronic affliction in the eyes. Asclepius is married to Epione, personification of pain relief and recovery care. Their daughters, the Asclepiades, are:
Hygieia - personification of health, healthiness,
Iaso - healing, recovery, goddess of recuperation from illness.
Aceso - goddess of the healing process.
Aegle - goddess of good health
Panacea - goddess of universal remedy.
Panacea heals the sick with a mystical poultice or potion. In the 16th century the term is first used in literature, referring to the concept of the panacea in medicine, a substance to cure all disease. Finding a panacea is a primary goal for alchemists.
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Asclepius also has four sons. They are Machaon, a warrior mentioned in the Iliad as a esteemed surgeon, along with his brother Podalirius. Telesphoros is a child-god of healing thought to be Celtic in origin. Aratus is his son by another mother, and has a hazy history.
Asclepius is associated with Roman/Etruscan god Vediovis (Vejovis). Romans consider Vejovis one of the first gods born. Also equated with deified Egyptian Imhotep (c. 2667 - 2648 BCE), Asclepius shares with his father Apollo the epithet Paean (the Healer).
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Asclepius has a half-brother, Aristaeus, a legendary hero god credited with the discovery of many rural practical arts and handicrafts. He's patron god of bee-keeping and bee-keepers. The father of Aristaeus is also Apollo. His mother is huntress Cyrene, companion of Artemis.
Origin stories of Asclepius himself are various. In the most popular version his mother is Coronis, a Thessalonian princess. Apollo is madly in love with her. She's pregnant with his child. When he's away she cheats on him, and in a rage he kills her.
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Immediately he regrets his action and tries to revive Coronis, but cannot. He adorns her with jewels and myrrh and places her on the funeral pyre. As the fires burn, at the last moment Apollo takes the infant Asclepius from her womb.
Apollo raises him according to the boy's early talents. He teaches healing herbs to his son, and later sends him to the centaur Chiron, the wisest of all centaurs, to instruct him in the medical arts. The rod of Asclepius, a snake twining around a staff, is his popular symbol.
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Asclepius is associated with the non-venomous Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus). According to legend, in return for a kindness by Asclepius, a snake licks his ears clean and teaches him sacred hidden knowledge.
Creation of the staff or Rod of Asclepius happens when Asclepius is imprisoned in a tomb. King Minos of Crete orders him to restore the life Minos' son Glaucus, who has drowned in a honey vat, and also occupies the tomb.
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While Asclepius wonders and worries, a snake slithers near. Asclepius kills it with his staff. Another snake comes with an herb and puts it upon the head of the dead snake, which returns to life. In spiritually the snake is equated with rebirth and resurrection.
Asclepius is amazed and swears never to harm another snake. Using the same herb he brings Glaucus back to life. The non-venomous Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus) is named for the the Divine Physician.
Asclepius is the patron deity of physicians and healers. In antiquity his followers are known as the Therapeutae of Asclepius. The Therapeutae are a recognized association of the physicians, their attendants and support workers.
The Therapeutae assemble in the grand temples of Asclepius, known as healing temples or Asklepions. It's believed Asclepius heals the sick through dreams, leading to the widespread custom of sleeping in his temples in Epidaurus, in Southern Greece.
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Asclepius appears in Greek heroic legend such as the Calydonian Boar hunt. He's also part of the legend of Jason and the Argonauts. In 293 BCE his worship spreads to Rome, where he's revered under the Latinized name Aesculapius.
Asclepius becomes a greater healer than either Chiron or his father Apollo. Not only can he defeat death himself, but bring others back from fatal disease and land of the dead. The growing number of humans and fear they will be immortal makes Zeus take ruthless action.
Zeus kills Asclepius with a thunderbolt. At the death of Asclepius the tears of his father, sun god Apollo, fall into the divine river Eridanos and form drops of gleaming amber. Amber is a sacred gemstone and item of trade since Neolithic times.
In spirituality, the snake is associated with rebirth, the earth, secret knowledge or sacred wisdom, sensuality, prosperity, healing, yin. Snakes can also awaken primal fears. They may be shown as tricksters and liars. In some countries, snake wine is considered medicinal.