Coronis
nymphA Thessalian nymph or princess beloved by Apollo, whose infidelity led to the birth of Asclepius, god of medicine.
The Myth
Coronis was a beauty from Thessaly who caught Apollo's eye and conceived his child. Apollo, unable to watch her constantly, left a white crow as her guardian. But Coronis took a mortal lover, Ischys, while carrying the god's son. The crow flew to Apollo with the news.
Apollo's reaction was characteristically extreme. He cursed the crow, turning its feathers from white to black — which is why all crows are dark to this day. Then he sent his sister Artemis to kill Coronis with her arrows. As Coronis burned on her funeral pyre, Apollo felt a sudden pang of grief — not for her, but for their unborn child. He snatched the baby from the flames and entrusted him to the centaur Chiron for raising.
That rescued child was Asclepius, who grew to become the greatest healer in Greek myth, capable of raising the dead. The entire tradition of Greek medicine — the temples, the Hippocratic oath, the serpent-and-staff symbol used by doctors worldwide — flows from this moment of rescue at a funeral pyre.
Parents
Phlegyas
Symbols
Explore Further
Asclepius
heroThe legendary physician who could cure any illness and even raise the dead. Son of Apollo, his...
Apollo (Light)
godApollo was the most complex Olympian — god of light, music, poetry, prophecy, healing, plague, and...
Asclepius (God)
godAsclepius began as a mortal hero trained by Chiron who became so skilled at medicine that he could...
Asclepius (Healer God)
godThe divine physician whose healing art grew so powerful that he could resurrect the dead — forcing...
Apollo
godGod of light, music, poetry, and prophecy. Apollo embodied the Greek ideal of youthful masculine...
Apollo (Far-Striker)
godThe radiant god of light, prophecy, music, healing, and plague — the most complex deity in the...
Apollo Loxias
godAn epithet of Apollo meaning "the Oblique One," referring to the deliberately ambiguous nature of...
Artemis
godTwin sister of Apollo and goddess of the hunt. Artemis roamed the wild forests with her band of...
Artemis (Wild Goddess)
godThe virgin huntress who roamed the wild places with her nymphs, punishing those who trespassed on...
Artemis Brauronia
godAn epithet of Artemis worshipped at Brauron in Attica, where young girls performed bear dances as a...
Chiron
creatureChiron tutored Achilles, Asclepius, Jason — the great teacher.
Ophiuchus
conceptThe serpent-bearer constellation identified with Asclepius, who learned to resurrect the dead and...