Asclepius (God)
godAsclepius began as a mortal hero trained by Chiron who became so skilled at medicine that he could raise the dead — Zeus struck him down, then deified him.
The Myth
Taught by Chiron, Asclepius mastered surgery, drugs, and incantations. When he raised Hippolytus from the dead, Hades complained and Zeus killed Asclepius with a thunderbolt for disrupting the natural order. Apollo, furious at his son's death, killed the Cyclopes who forged the bolt. Zeus later placed Asclepius among the stars as the constellation Ophiuchus and allowed his cult. His healing sanctuaries (Asklepieia) at Epidaurus, Kos, and Pergamon became the hospitals of the ancient world.
Parents
Apollo and Coronis
Symbols
Fun Fact
The Rod of Asclepius (one snake, one staff) is the true medical symbol — the caduceus (two snakes, wings) is a common error.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
Apollo
godGod of light, music, poetry, and prophecy. Apollo embodied the Greek ideal of youthful masculine...
Asclepius
heroThe legendary physician who could cure any illness and even raise the dead. Son of Apollo, his...
Chiron
creatureChiron tutored Achilles, Asclepius, Jason — the great teacher.
Epidaurus
placeEpidaurus was the most famous healing sanctuary in Greece, sacred to Asclepius, where patients...
Hades
godRuler of the underworld and lord of the dead. Despite his fearsome reputation, Hades was not evil —...
Hippolytus
heroHippolytus was the chaste son of Theseus who rejected Aphrodite and was destroyed when his...