Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Meditrine- daughter of Asclepius and symbol of medicine


The children of Asclepius included his daughters Meditrine, Hygeia and Panacea who were symbols of medicine, hygiene and healing (literally, "all healing") respectively. Asclepius is the Greek god of Healing and was most probably a skilled physician who practised in Greece around 1200BC (and described in Homer's Iliad). Eventually through myth and legend he came to be worshipped. He is the son of Apollo and the nymph, Coronis. While pregnant with Asclepius, Coronis secretly took a second, mortal lover. When Apollo found out, he sent Artemis to kill her. While burning on the funeral pyre, Apollo felt pity and rescued the unborn child from the corpse. Asclepius was taught about medicine and healing by the wise centaur, Cheiron, and became so skilled in it that he succeeded in bringing one of his patients back from the dead. Zeus felt that the immortality of the Gods was threatened and killed the healer with a thunderbolt. At Apollo's request, Asclepius was placed among the stars as Ophiuchus, the serpent-bearer.

In the picture above you can see Asclepius in the center with his three daughters to the right- Meditrine, Hygeia and Panacea.

1 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

The daughters of asclepius were five. Iaso, Aceso, Panacea, Aegli, Hygeia. From them only Panacea was associated with medicine, Panacea. Panacea was a botanist-godess that could cure all illnesses. I found no reference of meditrine as a daughter of asclepius or godess of medicine. Actually meditrine doesn't ever seem a Greek word or produced by a Greek verb. Thanks

4:11 PM  

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