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Asclepius ( Greek '''''', transliterated ''Asklepios''; Latin '''Aesculapius''') was the demigod of medicine and healing in ancient Greek Mythology . Asclepius represents the healing aspect of the medical arts, while his daughters Hygieia , Meditrine , and Panacea (literally, "all-healing") symbolize the forces of cleanliness, medicine and healing, respectively. MYTHOLOGY , Berlin .]] Asclepius was married to , Telesphoros , and Podalirius . Coronis (or Arsinoe ) became pregnant with Asclepius by Apollo but fell in love with Ischys , son of Elatus . A crow informed Apollo of the affair and he sent his sister, Artemis , to kill Coronis. Her body was burned on a funeral pyre, staining the white feathers of the crows permanently black. Apollo rescued the baby performing the first Caesarean Section and gave it to the Centaur Chiron to raise. Enraged by his grief, Coronis' father Phlegyas torched the Apollonian temple at Delphi, for which Apollo promptly killed him. Chiron taught Asclepius the art of surgery, teaching him to be the most well-respected doctor of his day. According to the in the Trojan War , and cured Philoctetes of his famous snake bite. However, others have attributed this to either Machaon or Podalirius , Asclepius' sons, who Homer mentions repeatedly in his Iliad as talented healers. Asclepius, on the other hand, is only referred to in Homer in relation to Machaon and Podalirius. Asclepius' powers were not appreciated by all, and his ability to revive the dead soon drew the ire of Zeus , who struck him down with a thunderbolt. According to some, Zeus was angered, specifically, by Asclepius' acceptance of money in exchange for resurrection. Others say that Zeus killed Asclepius after he agreed to resurrect Hippolytus at the behest of Athena . Zeus may or may not have smote Hippolytus with the same bolt. Either way, Asclepius' death at the hands of Zeus illustrates man's inability to challenge the natural order that separates mortal men from the gods. In retaliation for Asclepius' murder at the hands of Zeus, Apollo killed the Cyclopes , who fashioned Zeus' thunderbolts. After he realized Asclepius' importance to the world of men, Zeus placed him in the sky as the Constellation Ophiuchus . The name, "serpent-bearer," refers to the Rod Of Asclepius , which was entwined with a single serpent. This symbol has now become a symbol for physicians across the globe. However, one should be careful not to confuse the Staff of Asclepius, which features a single serpent wrapped around a roughhewn branch, with the Caduceus of Mercury (Roman), or the Karykeion of Hermes . The Caduceus, which features two intertwined serpents (rather than the single serpent in Asclepius' wand), as well as a pair of wings, has long been a symbol of commerce. It is thought that the two were first confused in the seventh century A.D., when alchemists often used the caduceus to symbolize their association with magical or "hermetic" arts. After his death, Asclepius was given immortality as the Constellation Ophiuchus . The Greeks used the name Asclepius interchangeably with the then well known Egyptian genius Imhotep. CULT Asclepius' most famous sanctuary was in Epidaurus in Northeastern Peloponnese . Another famous "asclepieion" was on the island of Cos , where Hippocrates , the legendary doctor, may have begun his career. In honor of Asclepius, snakes were often used in healing rituals. Non-poisonous snakes were left to crawl on the floor in dormitories where the sick and injured slept. Starting about 300 BCE , the cult of Asclepius grew very popular. His healing temples were called Asclepieion ; pilgrims flocked to them to be healed. They slept overnight and reported their dreams to a priest the following day. He prescribed a cure, often a visit to the baths or a gymnasium. It is also written by Lewis Farnell, that some healing temples used sacred dogs to lick the wounds of the sick petitioners. Socrates ' last words as reported in Plato 's Phaedo are a reminder to Crito to sacrifice a cock, a bird sacred to Asclepius. |
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