GOD OF MEDICINE

Asklepios (or Asclepius): was the god of medicine and healing in ancient Greek religion. The son of Apollo and Coronis, he was worshipped throughout the Greek world, but his most famous sanctuary was located in Epidaurus which is situated in the northeastern Peloponnese. Sanctuaries at Pergamon (in modern-day Turkey) and Kos were also renowned. The main attribute of Asklepios is a physician’s staff with an Asklepian snake wrapped around it. The cult of Asklepios became very popular during the 300s BCE and the cult centers (known as Askleieia, singular Asklepieion) were used by priests to cure the sick. The patient would spend the night at the sanctuary in a healing process known as incubation. During the night they would supposedly be visited by the god in a dream. Priests would interpret the dreams and then recommend a remedy or give advice on how they could be cured with perhaps a recommended visit to the baths and gymnasiums. Surgical implements and reliefs depicting surgical tools have been found associated with Asklepieia.