God of healing in Ancient Greece: history and interesting facts

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2018-03-26 21:53:22

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The ancient Greek God of healing was Asclepius. The circumstances of his life known thanks to the numerous mythological sources. In the heyday of ancient Greece, there were about 300 temples of Aesculapius, where the priests were treated by their countrymen with the help of magical and empirical techniques.

The Son of Apollo

There are several theories about the origin of Asclepius. According to the most common of them, the God of healing Asclepius was the son of Apollo and the nymph Coronide. Other sources call the mother of Arsinoe, daughter of Leucippus. The nymph Coronis was the lover of Apollo, but while pregnant from God, cheated on him with mortal man Isham. On Olympus decided to punish both. Ischia incinerated by lightning. Unfaithful woman Coronis Apollo was struck by one of his solar arrows. Then he burned the nymph, pre-snatched from the womb baby. This was the God of healing Asclepius.

Apollo gave the boy to be raised by centaur Chiron. It was very different from most of their relatives. Almost all the centaurs were known for their drunkenness, riot and dislike for people. Chiron was famous for his kindness and wisdom. When his education got the Greek God of healing, the centaur lived on the Pelion-mountain in the South-East of Thessaly.

God of healing

Learning from Chiron

Although known as Asclepius the God of healing in Ancient Greece, at birth he did not have any abilities. His patron Chiron began to teach the boy the medicine, and soon he had made amazing progress. At some point, Asclepius in his skills even surpassed the wise centaur. He began to travel all over Greece and to treat people, and the inhabitants of the island of KOs has even taught some of his secrets (more on this in the «Annals» mentions Tacitus).

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Asclepius acted and deadly disease. Honing his art, Asclepius (God of healing in Ancient Greece), I learned how to resurrect people. With his help, the ordinary citizens of Greece gained immortality. The secret is the unique ability of Asclepius was in the blood of the Gorgon. The doctor got it from goddess of war, Athena. The Pherecydes (one of the most revered ancient Greek seven sages) in his works mentioned that Asclepius raised all the inhabitants of Delphi, where the temple of his father Apollo.

Death

When Asclepius - God of healing among the Greeks - began to massively resurrect mortals, its rituals caused resentment among the other gods. Living on the edge of the world Thanatos, which became for the Greeks the personification of death, went to complain at what is happening to the main Olympian Zeus. The resurrection of the violated world order. Having received immortality, ordinary people no longer differentiated from the gods. This turn of events did not like most of the Olympians. The gods thirsted for retribution.God of healing in ancient Greece

After some reflection, Zeus decided to punish Asclepius. The ancient God of healing, was struck by lightning thunder. Apollo learned of his son's death, was furious. He could not take revenge on the powerful Zeus and instead attacked the Cyclopes that was forged out for lightning. As a result, these one-eyed creatures were killed.

Until now, Asclepius was still considered mortal. Dying from lightning of Zeus, he came to the spirits the fate of the moir. They determined the time of the birth and death of each person. After the death of Asclepius, they decided to bring him back to life. So the resurrected son of Apollo became God. Later the General biographical features inherited the Roman equivalent of Asclepius-the Roman God of healing of Esculapius.

Staff of Asclepius

In any mythology, the gods-patrons of healing have their own recognizable symbols. The Asclepius became so familiar with his staff entwined with a snake. From the ancient Greeks, this image is passed to the Romans and then spread to a large part of human civilization. Today the staff of Asclepius – international medical symbol.God of healing among the Greeks

Its history is connected with one of the myths about the God of healing. According to legend, Asclepius came to Crete to resurrect the son of the famous king Minos. Going on the road, he came across a snake. The animal was coiled around a staff, and Asclepius, not hesitating for a second, killed him. Immediately there was a second snake with the grass in his mouth, which she miraculously resurrected first. Surprised, Asklepiy began to seek a miracle cure and after a while found him. Since then, the God of healing in ancient Greece always had at hand the drug made from Cretan herbs. The staff of Asclepius is traditionally depicted as a snake entwined with a wooden stick.

In contemporary medicine the influence of Hellenic mythology is reflected not only in the form of graphic symbols. A significant part of the medical terminology has roots related to the Greek past. The origins of traditional medical techniques first appeared in the literature, are written in this ancient language. More importantly for modern medicine international Latin, however the greater part of his knowledge, the Romans were obliged to the Greeks.

Worship

Like any other Greek cult, the cult of Asclepius was especially popular in a particular region of the country. With the greatest zeal the deity worshiped at Epidaurus – the city located in the North-East of the Peloponnese Peninsula. Today, in its place remained only the ruins of the ancient theatre and, more importantly, the temples of Asclepius. There were pools withthe healing thermal waters. They were hiding in the cave temple, built in the V century BC by the famous architect Polykleitos the Younger. Sanctuaries of Asclepius were often built on the site of mineral springs and different healthy air cypress groves. In the excavations at Epidaurus were found the ruins of columns on stelae which were carved the descriptions of the happy cases of healing the sick. In addition, the sanctuary was filled with rare artifacts – made of gold, silver and marble images of cured body parts (arms, legs, hearts, eyes and ears). They went to the temple as payment for services.

The Sanctuary of Asklepios existed according to a set of sacred rules. For example, they would not die. Because of this the terminally ill (even across the other side of the country) the temple is not allowed. Had no right to go inside, and mothers. The priests of Asclepius were guided by rigid principles. For them the treatment was not a medical service but rather a religious ritual, the rules of which were developed in accordance with strictly defined canonical rite. In particular, the rule prescribes to exclude from the sanctuary of all that is connected with birth and death. Another important feature of the temple of Asklepios – keeping squeaky clean. Every newcomer had first to wash in the source.

The First sanctuary in honor of Asclepius, asclepeion, appeared in Greece in the VI-IV centuries BC in Addition to Epidaurus and KOs, the medical center was also the thessalian Tricca. Only in the sources of ancient authors, historians found evidence of more than 300 sanctuaries of Aesculapius scattered throughout Ancient Greece. In comparison with modern medical institutions, they were more medical health centers, not hospitals. In the temples combined both magical and mundane methods of treatment. In Greek medicine, these two schools were not opposed to each other. For example, if in the temple of Asklepios were especially difficult patient, the priests could consult with their secular colleagues who worked in the sanctuaries.

the Greek God of healing

The Priests

The Ancient God of medicine and healing had its own priests who took patients, fellow countrymen. For healing to them people came from all over Greece. Health the ancient Greeks associated with the sport. all the same Epidavros was famous for its stadium, gymnasium and competitions, dedicated to Asclepius. There were temples of his daughter, Gigai, Aphrodite, Artemis and Themis. Rites of treatment was accompanied by sacrifices of animals (often males), so a mandatory attribute of any of the sanctuary was the large altar.

God of healing got its own cult around the VII century BC Historians believe that this mythological creature actually existed was a prototype – who became legendary during the Trojan war, the doctor with exactly the same name – Asclepius. Moreover, he was also a king of Thessaly, and also the Creator of the family's own medical school.

Ancient Greek medical education had some common features with the modern. Archaeologists and historians have proved that the real medical school took place in Pergamum and KOs. The service in the temple was allowed which gave a sacred oath and join the community of asclepiades. For the first time this term appeared in Greek literature in the sixth century BC.

the Greek God of healing

Ancient Greek medicine

Healing in the temples was a combination of magical and empirical techniques. The most common means of treatment and medical drugs, water sources, and gymnastic exercises. The sacred rite of healing each time ended with the ritual of incubation, held in the long gallery along the temple walls, where you can get it only with a special permit. The priests with the help of drugs and techniques of hypnosis injected patients in a state of artificial sleep. The ritual was a famous theatre performances (the phenomenon of the Holy snakes or even God).

In 430 BC Greece was hit by a terrible plague that claimed thousands of lives. Traditional medicine was powerless against the epidemic, therefore, the population began to pay attention to all kinds of magical practices. Then the sacred serpent of Asclepius was moved from Epidauros to Athens, where the Acropolis was built a new Church. The cult of the God of healing, shone with unprecedented force. Religious rituals were brought to the priests of Asclepius huge profits. Ancient temples of this God was distinguished by a remarkable richness of its decoration.

Interestingly, not all Greeks belonged to incubation and inventions of priests with religious reverence. In the famous Comedy “plutus" (388 BC), Aristophanes tells of the many bitter disappointments in the effectiveness of ritual magic dream.

gods patrons doctoring

Place of Asclepius in the ancient Greek Pantheon

The Mythological image of Asclepius with all its distinctive attributes has certain roots. God of healing Greek often associated with the chthonic serpent-healer. In the ancient world this animal has been revered as a symbol of renewal, wisdom and power of natural forces.

The Other side of the image of Asclepius – it belongs to a generation of children of the gods (heroes) who have encroached on the establishment of a new world order. The healer learnedto raise the dead, thus violating the global balance. The rules established by the Olympic athletes was under threat, and that is what Asclepius and paid the price. God of healing, his fate reminds the other characters, rioted against their all-powerful parents.

Each God of the Greek Pantheon had their own “farming”. Although healing is associated Asclepius, some of the features typical of other Olympians. Sister of Apollo Artemis was not only the mistress of the beasts and Protectress of hunting, she was venerated as a protector of mothers, children and female chastity. Of Zeus's wife Hera cared about marriage and well-being of the family. Approximately related to that is the Hestia-goddess of hearth, happiness and health. Not to mention Hypnos. This God, who lived on the edge of the world, followed a full and healthy sleep.

God of healing in Roman mythology

Family and descendants

According to legend, Asclepius married Epione, daughter of the ruler of the island of Merops of KOs. In ancient times this place has become one of the most important centres of ancient medicine.

Asclepius had several children who also became well-known characters of Greek mythology. God of healing, was the father of Machaon – the famous physician and surgeon. It is believed that he even participated in the Trojan war and brought with him 20 ships. Machaon is not only fought on the side of the Greeks (the Achaeans), and treated the wounded. The surgeon helped the famous Archer Philoctetes, bitten by a poisonous snake. The wound was horrible, feet oozing pus. Besieging Troy, meanwhile, could not take the city. They needed their best shooter. Then the Greeks rescued the gods. Apollo beach is a Trojan immersed in a magical dream, and his grandson swallowtail operated on the Philoctetes. Later recovered Archer killed Paris in the company of his comrades hid in the Trojan horse by which the Achaeans still conquered the impregnable city. With the filing of biologist Carl Linnaeus is a common family of butterflies is called swallowtail in honor of the son of Asclepius.

The Eldest daughter of the God of healing, Hygieia-goddess of health. The Greeks depicted it in the form of a young woman feeding a snake from a bowl. Named Gigai named the scientific discipline hygiene. In addition, the symbols of the Cup and the snake became the international attributes of medicine and pharmacy. Vessel Gigai can be found in any pharmacy and the hospital. As the ancient Greek God of healing, it is associated with the snake – traditional chthonic creature in Greek mythology. Vessel Gigai again became known to Europeans in the late eighteenth century, when this symbol is engraved on the commemorative coin, the customer of which was the Paris society of pharmacy.God of healing in ancient Greece

Another daughter of Asclepius-Panakeya, who became the personification of healing. She named the panacea – the legendary cure any disease. Interest chudodeistvenno the drug again increased in the Middle ages. European alchemists of the era used the ancient sources, trying to synthesize this unknown vaccines. A cure was never found, but the idiom is preserved. Others are less well known daughter of Asclepius – IASO, Aglea, Meditrina and Aceso. All of them were trained in the art of healing from his wise father.

The God of healing in Greek mythology was considered the ancestor of many famous ancient doctors, whose existence is well documented. A descendant of Asclepius was Hippocrates (he was born on KOs in 460 BC) and Aristotle (his father was court physician at the Macedonian king).

Esculapius

In 293 BC Rome was an outbreak of the plague. People were dying by the hundreds, and the city authorities had nothing to do with a terrible natural disaster. Then the Roman sages advised to build on the banks of the Tiber sanctuary of the Greek God of healing Asclepius.ancient Roman God of healing

Epidaurus travelled lush Embassy. The Romans managed to find a common language with the priests of an ancient deity. When the guests returned to their ship, they were followed by the sacred serpent-the symbol and personification of Asclepius. The animal settled on located inside of Rome, Tiber island is a small (Tiberina). In the year 291 BC on this piece of land was built and consecrated the temple of Asclepius. God of healing in Roman mythology was the name of the doctor. The first time his priests in Rome were Greeks. Like many other gods of the Pantheon of the Eternal city, the doctor borrows many traits from his Greek predecessor. For example, in the sacrifice he had just brought roosters. God of healing, the Romans enjoyed a special popularity among the people. His cult disappeared one of the last after the adoption by the Roman Empire of Christianity.


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Alin Trodden - author of the article, editor
"Hi, I'm Alin Trodden. I write texts, read books, and look for impressions. And I'm not bad at telling you about it. I am always happy to participate in interesting projects."

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