Hygeia, Asclepius, and the Ancient Greek Deities of Healing

Apollo, although the god of medicine, wasn’t the only deity in Greek mythology associated with healing, with many different deities in Ancient Greece including Hygeia and Asclepius, having responsibilities in the realms of healing, medicine, and health. Asclepius, under the tutelage of Chiron, excelled in the arts of medicine and healing. He could heal wounds made by bronze weapons and stones, and could heal limbs ravaged by the sun’s heat or the cold of winter. He could remedy pain and affliction with soothing balms and draughts, and with songs or incantations. Asclepius had numerous children, all with responsibilities in the realm of medicine and healing. According to Homer in his Iliad, Asclepius was the father of two mortals who were both powerful healers and fought in the Trojan War, Podalirius and Machaeon, although their mother isn’t mentioned. With his wife Epione, the goddess of soothing pain, Asclepius was the father of five daughters who, collectively, are known as the Asclepiades;