Asclepius

• In Homer's Iliad, he is defined as a hero; taught by the centaur Chiron; named the "blameless physician". He brings his sons along to help heal the most seriously wounded of the Greek warriors
• Asclepius was the son of Apollo and a mortal mother, Coronis
• While Coronis was pregnant, she fell in love with another mortal man. When Apollo learned their secret affair, he sent his sister Artemis to kill Coronis. Artemis burned Coronis on a funeral pyre. Meanwhile Apollo, who was watching this scene and felt guilty of killing his unborn child, rescued the baby by cutting open the womb of the burning Coronis. This is thought to be the first cesarean section
• Apollo entrusted the baby to the centaur Chiron, half-human half-horse, who was famous for his skills in medicine. Chiron then brought Asclepius up and became his mentor
• Evidence for Asclepius' cult

  sanctuary buildings, votive offerings such as inscriptions or models of heled body parts
• Pilgrims worshipped him to seek cure from a wide range of illnesses, or wishing to give thanks for a cure
• Everybody was welcome, regardless of status, class or gender
• Treatment was free (but patients were expected to make an offering)
• During epidemics, the cult was particularly important (eg in 420BC, Athens suffered a plague and erected an Asclepion)
• The cult was panhellenic, but the main sanctuaries were the Asclepion at Epidaurus and another sanctuary at the island of Cos
• In the cult there was bathing, sacrifices and incubation (sleeping in a stoa of the sanctuary, being visited by a god in the dream and receiving guidance from him)
• Either the patient was miraculously healed straight away, or he/she was prescribed a treatment (surgery, drugs, diet, exercise) performed by priests/physicians, following the dreams
• Only those without stain (physical and moral) might enter the shrine. No sexual intercourse, no death or birth allowed
• The abaton was used as a place of incubation for the worshippers
• The tholos had an uncertain use. Maybe as an abaton or place for the priests to eat
• In the subterranean maze was perhaps a place were offerings were made to the gods of the underworld. Perhaps the patients were left to wander the maze, potentially finding at its centre a pit of snakes. Some suggest the maze mat have acted as a form of shock treatment for particular psychiatric cases
• Snakes were thought to have been kept in the sanctuary of Asclepius, next to the bathing and healing facilities, their poison supposedly curing several illnesses. Non venomous snakes were left free in some asclepieia
• The snake symbolises the snake bite, which was one of the worst kinds of disease someone could have and was very difficult to cure. However, Asclepius had the power to heal even the snake bite. He is thought to have healed the Greek warrior Philoctetes of a snake bite
• The snake could symbolise the shedding of the skin and renewal is emphasised as symbolising rejuvenation
• Snake is a symbol that unites and expresses the dual nature of the work of the physician, who deals with life and death, sickness and health
• The ambiguity of the serpent as a symbol, and the contradictions it is thought to reflect the ambiguity of the use of drugs, which can help or harm