Snake of Asclepius Curing Ancient Greek Patient

A Grecian relief showing a patient being visited by the sacred snake of Asclepius (left) and subsequently standing upright (right), all cured. In Ancient Greece, sick people would pilgrimage to the temple of the Greek god Asclepius in Epidaurus, where they would go through purification rituals and therapeutic massages administered by priests. They would be dressed in white robes and olive wreaths and would fall asleep on a special bed where the god Asclepius or his sacred snake would visit and cure them in their dreams. Asclepius is the god most closely associated with healing and medicine. He is often depicted with a serpent-entwined staff, called the rod of Asclepius, which is now a symbol of the medical profession

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Asclepius Bite Biting Caduceus Cure Cured Deity Epidaurus Grecian Healer Healing Healthy Serpent Tending Unhealthy Unwell

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