Statue of Asclepius in the British Museum
Asclepius was the son of Apollo and was the god of healing and medicine. His name means ‘to cut open’. His symbol was a staff with a snake entwined around it and this has remained a symbol associated with the medical professions to this day. He had 6 daughters, including Hygieia and Panacea, who were all associated with health and well-being. Asclepius was eventually killed by a thunderbolt cast by Zeus as punishment for raising people from the dead and then charging for it. It is unclear from my reading which of these two he was punished for although one source tells that Hades was becoming frightened that if Asclepius continue to resurrect people there would be no-one left in the underworld. He appears in the mythological constellations as Opiuchus ‘the serpent holder’
Photo from Derby Museums (http://www.flickr.com/photos/derbymuseums/)
Statue of Hygieia in the British Museum
Hygieia was one of the daughters of Asclepius and was the personification of health, cleanliness and sanitation. Another of his daughters was Panacea, the goddess of the universal remedy. Hygieia has now passed into use in the English language as Hygiene and Panacea still means a universal cure-all.
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