The ‘Myth of Asclepius’ by Maxwell Lewis Latham
“Joy is the best healer of labours decided,
and Songs, the Muses’ wise daughters.”
Pindar’s Nemean Ode 4.1-3 (c. 473 B.C.E.)
(trans. Bowra)
Who exactly was Asclepius?
There was no Asclepius, only Asclepii (plural). Much like the ancient Hermes or Thoth, or even Orpheus, there was not one, but many, each existing (or not) at various different times and places. Even if all of these Asclepii did in fact exist, it is far from certain whereabouts they existed (either upon earth or elsewhere in the cosmos, perhaps even both). One curious fact from the classical milieu is that Asclepius’ life seems to have an extraordinarily close parallel to the history of Egyptian civilisation itself, therefore Asclepius appears to be just as allegorical as he was historical: as above, so below.
Asclepius in Ancient Greek means ‘always kind’, but in Latin signifies ‘to cut open’. Evidently to these two interrelated ancient civilisations the same thing meant different things.
Asclepius’ purpose, whatever is meant by his name, is to heal not to harm. Yet as we shall see, much of what we know about Asclepius is contradictory. The sources vary and often conflict for one other. The reasons for this are many, but quite often arise from the localisation of certain cult centres, each of which gave rise to further myths about him. It is not even certain that Asclepius was a god, originally, at any rate. One leading authority of Greek mythology actually refers to Asclepius as a ‘healing-daemon’.
It may well be the case that the original Asclepius was a mortal, deified upon his death because he was so skilled in the arts of healing. Evidence for this comes in the earliest sources referring to him. Homer does not add Asclepius to his fables, only his sons (Iliad, 2.729-733 & 4.218-219, Odyssey, 4.232) and Hesiod does not mention Asclepius at all. The early Homeric Hymns mention Apollo as his father, but his mother as Coronis, a queen (the connections between royalty and divinities in antiquity are most nebulous indeed), making Asclepius a hero.
‘Of the healer of diseases, Asclepius, I begin to sing, the son of Apollo, whom fair Coronis bore on the Dotian plain, the daughter of king Phlegyas. Her son was a great source of joy to men, the soother of evil pains. Even so do you hail, O prince, I pray to you in my song.’
(trans. Lang)
This idea is reinforced by another early source of Pindar’s (Pythian Ode, 3.1.6) mentioning ‘Asclepius the hero, healer of every sickness’. It is interesting to note that the placement of Asclepius in the Homeric Hymns sits between that of Heracles and the twins: Castor and Polydeuces. Lucian (Dialogues of the gods, 1.15) also preserves an amusing anecdote about Asclepius, where Heracles calls him a pedlar of poisons and a layabout when Asclepius wittily retorts by saying that he has healed many of the wounds which Heracles had caused. The labours of Heracles are symbolic of the Zodiac, and the twins: Gemini. Asclepius has also been identified as the constellation Ophiuchus ‘The serpent holder’, which is thought to perhaps be the ‘lost’ thirteenth sign of the lunar astrological Zodiac.
Cicero writes in his work ‘The Nature of the Gods’ (3.22) that there were three Asclepii.
‘Of the various Aesculapii the first is the son of Apollo, and is worshipped by the Arcadians; he is reputed to have invented the probe and to have been the first surgeon to employ splints. The second is the brother of the second Mercury; he is said to have been struck by lightning and buried at Cynosura. The third is the son of Arsippus and Arsinoe, and is said to have first invented the use of purges and the extraction of teeth; his tomb and grove are shown in Arcadia, not far from the river Lusius.”
Cicero, On the nature of the gods, 3.22 (trans. Rackham)
The principle Asclepius Cicero mentions accords well with every single other ancient source referring to him, adding weight to the argument that this was the original Asclepius, and not simply a localised variant or offshoot of his myth. Cicero mentions Asclepius’ father as being Apollo, which is the only thing that all the sources agree upon, and mentions him in connection with the Arcadians. Some of the rivers in Arcadia may have had healing properties. Sanctuaries either dedicated to or containing images of Asclepius in Arcadia are attested in literary and archaeological sources, principally by the geographer Pausanias. They include Megalopolis (8.31.1, 8.32.4 & 5), Mantineia (8.9.1), Cleitor (8.25.1), near Thelpousa (8.25.11), Aliphera (8.26.5), Gortys (8.28.1) and Tegea (8.46.1). Sanctuaries and temples dedicated exclusively to Asclepius in Arcadia attested by Pausanias were at the ruined village of Caous (8.25.1), Thelpusa (8.25.3) and on the road between Tegea and Argos (8.54.5).
The Roman cult of Asclepius arrived in 293 B.C.E. following a plague and was based on the sanctuary at Epidaurus. With regard to the medical practices of adherents to the later Roman cults of Asclepius, it would appear from what evidence we have that these practices were efficacious in many cases, but completely unconnected with anything even remotely resembling ordinary medicine at the time. Asclepius is not really a feature of anything found in the Hippocratic corpus (except that Hippocrates himself claimed to have descended from him, and one slender fragment, which is comical in nature) and that the healing techniques employed by followers of this mysterious religious cult were entirely magical in nature. Remarkably, even some of the most sceptical historians of the past seem to have accepted the plausible effectiveness of their remedies based upon the evidence, and astonishingly, for the true believers among us, their cures appear to have been nothing short of miraculous.
What is even more intriguing, what might be case, is that the Roman Republic may have adopted the god into their pantheon because it had no state god purely devoted to the healing arts. Furthermore, the cult of Asclepius would be called upon in times of extreme need, when the prophetess of the Cumaen Sibyl was required. Her prophecies were inexorably linked with the cult of Asclepius, who was to be propitiated at her behest, following the oracle’s predictions.
A much earlier connection also existed between Asclepian ‘medicine’ and prophecy. The word common noun ‘prognosis’ has only a remnant of its ancient meaning retained. In the Prognostic is written:
‘It is most excellent for a physician to cultivate pronoia. Since he foreknows and foretells the past, present and future men would have confidence to entrust themselves to his care. By an early forecast in each case he can tend aright those who have a chance to survive and by foreseeing who will die.’
(trans. Singer)
Perhaps one of the most interesting scraps of evidence from the ancient world connects a person’s formal education directly with the ability to prophesy accurately (Ammianus Marcellinus, 21.1.8) particularly ancient languages and classical studies. The common noun interpres in Classical Latin means a ‘negotiator, mediator, messenger; expounder, explainer’ but also ‘prophet, prophetess’ as well as ‘interpreter; translator’. Ammianus Marcellinus (21.14.1) discussing the foresighted prediction of the death of Constantius Augustus seems to contain a blatant reference to Hermetic philosophical thought:
‘In this welter of adverse events Constantius’ fortune, already wavering and at a standstill, showed clearly by signs almost as plain as words, that a crisis in his life was at hand. For at night he was alarmed by apparitions, and when he was not yet wholly sunk in sleep, the ghost of his father seemed to hold out to him a fair child; and when he took it and set it in his lap, it shook from him the ball which he held in his right hand and threw it to a great distance. And this foretold a change in the state, although the seers gave reassuring answers. After that he admitted to his more intimate attendants that, as though forsaken, he ceased to see a kind of secret something which he used to think occasionally appeared to him, though somewhat dimly; and it was supposed that a sort of guardian spirit, assigned to protect his life, had deserted him, since he was destined quickly to leave this world. For the theologians maintain that there are associated with all men at their birth, but without interference from the established course of destiny, certain divinities of that sort, as directors of their conduct; but they have been seen by only a very few, whom their manifold merits have raised to eminence. And this oracles and writers of distinction have shown; among the latter is also the comic poet Menander, in whom we read these two senarii:
A daemon is assigned to every man
At birth, to be the leader of his life.
Likewise from the immortal poems of Homer were given to understand that it was not the gods of heaven that spoke with brave men, and stood by them or aided them as they fought, but that guardian spirits attended them; and through reliance upon their special support, it is said, that Pythagoras, Socrates, and Numa Pompilius became famous; also the earlier Scipio, and (as some believe) Marius and Octavianus, who first had the title of Augustus conferred upon him, and Hermes Trismegistus, Apollonius of Tyana, and Plotinus, who ventured to discourse on this mystic theme, and to present a profound discussion of the question by what elements these spirits are linked with men’s souls, and taking them to their bosoms, as it were, protect them (as long as possible) and give them higher instruction, if they perceive that they are pure and kept from the pollution of sin through association with an immaculate body.’
(trans. Rolfe)
The secrets of Asclepius’ cult appear to be rooted in theurgic philosophy, esoteric alchemy and the ritual summoning of spirits. The terms: demons, daemons, daimones are in fact all precisely the same thing with only very slight differences in meaning. It is only certain medieval thinkers which brought any stigma to the use of this common noun. In Ancient Greek δαιμόνιτός has various meanings but in a philosophical sense means ‘of an inferior divine being’. Magical incantations remaining through Roman syncretism and the earlier Hellenic syncretic origins of Oriental religious beliefs offer a tantalising glimpse of ancient treatments against disease. Seemingly, the invocation of deities, naming them in their original foreign languages was utilised in order to combat various conditions. Later Roman practices went even further than this by associating individual body parts (membra) and even particular feelings (sententiae) with their own individual deities. This may be rooted in much earlier Egyptian practice. A particular tutelary being (entity, numen, head, power, force, energy, spirit, angel, demon: whichever term suits one best) had to be propitiated for their corresponding symptom, part or function, in order for this spiritual healing to take place. Traces in Latin literature indicate magical homeopathic remedies of this sort (Virgil’s Eclogues, 8 & Ovid’s Heroides 6.91).
Esoteric symbolism
Pindar’s Pythian Ode (3.1.1-60) pairs the two legends of Asclepius and his royal mother, Coronis, which appears to be allegorical for highlighting the dangers of attempting to exceed the mortal limits of man. Asclepius was bribed to bring a mortal back to life, and paid divine punishment for it. Pindar also notes in the same Pythian Ode and also his Nemean Ode (3.52-55) that Asclepius was taught the healing arts by the mythical centaur Chiron. This centaur is unique in that he is often depicted on pottery as having human, not equine, forelegs and is sometimes dressed in a ceremonial robe. By the 5th century B.C.E. centaurs were thought to be symbolic of everything masculine Greek patriarchy did not represent. Diodorus Siculus (5.74.6) however posits that Asclepius learned how to heal from his father, Apollo, also thought to have been taught by Chiron. Apollo was known more for his prophetic abilities than his healing powers whereas Asclepius was the opposite, but both mythological figures could do both, wedding prophecy with medicinal efficacy.
In the earliest references to Asclepius (Homer and Pindar), there is no mention of a serpent. A relatively early text (388 B.C.E.), Aristophanes’ Wealth (2.733-747) mentions Asclepius as being a powerful god being able to harm, as well as heal, which appears in the form of a snake. Legend has it that when the cult of Asclepius came to Rome, a snake embodying Asclepius came ashore and chose its own sanctuary. It appears that this later addition to Asclepius (who is often depicted in art with only one serpent, not two) was connected to his healing powers. An inscription from Crete (CT791, IC 1,17#21) mentions the god, ‘sending… as a guide a divine serpent.’ In Plutarch’s Moralia (755) the passing of a serpent was seen as a good omen. Epigraphic evidence from mainland Greece (T423, IG vol.4,1 #121-122, A.7) mentions a man who had his foot healed by a serpent, seemingly as a direct result of sleeping at an Asclepion temple. This seems to relate directly to Apuleius’ description of Asclepius in his Metamorphoses as the image seen by the patient in the prophetic vision was quite similar to that of the fable ‘a young boy with a beautiful appearance.’
‘…A pretty young lad with a gentle way about him clambered up and disentangled the spear’s intricate windings in a feeble and loose-limbed dance. When he did this everyone present was astonished. You might say on that day the spear was like the staff which Asclepius the Physician carried, its half-trimmed little branches were full of knots, a noble serpent of Asclepius smoothly coiled around it, clinging to it…’
Apuleius’ Metamorphoses, 1.4.4-5 (trans. Latham, M.L.)
The serpent is a complex symbol because, according to Freudian psychology, seeing a serpent in a dream relates to propagation or a phallus. According to Sir Francis Bacon (Wisdom of the Ancients, ch.2) the serpent symbolizes rebellion. Although the serpent in the Old Testament (Gen. 3 etc.) is deemed utterly evil, both in the classical tradition and indeed elsewhere in the Holy Bible (Matt. 10:16) its symbolism indicates prudence and shrewdness. In the classical culture, serpents symbolize renovation and it may be important to note that some serpents are tamed (cf. Pausanias, 2.81.1) and can help people find curative herbs. Among other deities that held serpents in classical culture were Hygieia and Ophiuchus, the latter being analogous to Asclepius. Euripides (Bacchae, l.1330) mentioning Dionysus’ prophecy about Cadmus and Harmonia being transformed into snakes is aetiological in nature, combining numerous strange legends. The royal couple become leaders of western peoples Encheleis (‘Eels’) and this transformation may well reflect Cadmus’ association with Thebes’ earth or perhaps less likely, shades in the underworld. The house-snake was a symbol of stability and possession.
The main connections between healing and the dream temples are found in the works of Artemidorus and Pausanias.
The principle of correspondence is a key part to unlocking the mysteries of earlier traditions, because much of what remains was passed down by word of mouth, from teacher to student and so forth. With the addition of various social upheavals and religious turmoil and iconoclasm, a great deal of what we may otherwise have known with more certainty, has been lost to the passage of time. However, from what slender fragments and pieces of the puzzle remain, we can learn a great deal, but the evidence rests largely on fanciful reinterpretations of earlier traditions. For example, the French esotericist Deseille Michel (Enseignement ésotérique: La Tradition Primordiale) makes an analogy between the Christianisation of much later Arthurian romances and the symbolism of ancient Egypt. Monseigneur Michel claims that any references to an island, is a masked reference to an Egyptian pyramid, citing the isle of Avalon as an example.
In the Anglophone tradition, many instrumental correspondences were made by the late great teacher Manly P. Hall (Mystery of the Ineffable Name of God [44:48-45:99], Invisible Creatures of the 5 Elements [9:30-9:51] & Return of Masonic Initiation: Mozart’s Magic Flute [1:07:44-1:08:24]). For example, in elementalism Manly Hall draws together many intriguing parallels between the four elemental forces and various other analogies, only a few of which are listed here:
EARTH (Taurus): physical (body, world, etc.), the victory of the soul over mere materialism, symbolic of sarcophagi and subterranean burial places, corresponds to the Scandinavian Hertha.
FIRE (Leo): emotional nature, passions (anger, love, etc.), symbolic of a long passageway surrounded by fire and corresponds to the Indian deity Adni.
AIR (Aquarius): electrical fluid condensers, mind, flight, invisibility, teleportation, symbolic of mountains, corresponds to the Scandinavian valkyrie and Indian Mans.
WATER (Scorpio): vital life, generative principle in man, symbolic of a boat without oars, a flooded river or open seas, corresponds to the Indian Veruna.
Conclusion
From what slender evidence which remains we may conclude that an air of mystery surrounds the tradition of Asclepius, his followers and the practices employed by his attendants. Many different Asclepii appear to have existed at different times, but perhaps can be traced back to an original hero, highly mythologised with local offshoots springing up at certain cult centres throughout ancient Greece and eventually adopted into the Roman pantheon. The connection between prophecy and medicine is also tantalising, as although it was Asclepius’ father Apollo who was properly the god of prophecy, Apollo too had medicinal traits. Likewise, so did Asclepius, even if one had an emphasis on medicinal aspects and the other prophetic. Therefore it is safe to conclude that the two are interconnected and form part of a whole. What’s even more curious (to practitioners of the Craft, at least) are the magical remedies replete within the cult of Asclepius and the often nebulous nature of them, having been virtually destroyed by iconoclasm throughout the passage of time. The often symbolic and esoteric meanings still exist and have been explored variously by innumerable scholars, which may help elucidate parts of this ancient wisdom, aiding Hermeticists in their journey towards enlightenment. Even so, Asclepius’ legacy endured in an unbroken chain, even down to today, despite various upheavals, as evidenced by his symbol on ambulances in the United States of America, and it was only relatively recently that the Hippocratic Oath was no longer sworn by general medical practitioners in the United Kingdom. The Hermetic tradition keeps its flame alive (Herm means ‘flame’ in its etymology) and tends it carefully, with its inner workings being shrouded in mystery, magic and ritual, never to be profaned but ever present. One thing is for certain, that Asclepius and his followers are a force for good, for healing, not just of the body but also of the soul. The elements, spirits and apotropaic practices which remained hidden from religious and political intolerance went underground and stayed with the builders of civilisation, far away from the eyes of the uninitiated, the impious and ungodly. Like the dual meanings of his name in Ancient Greek and Latin, Asclepius’ followers are ever gentle, but make precision cuts with a scalpel, to heal the wounds of the world and everybody in it, through the spirit of goodness, loving kindness and universal brotherhood.
Ovid’s Metamorphoses 15.533-546 & 626-653
[Hippolytus said]… ‘…See too by the light without royal kingdoms
And a scarred body heated in the waves of fiery Phlegathon,
Were it not for Apollo’s kin, Asclepius, by their effective cures
Could man be restored to life, which, after taking potent herbs*
And with Apollo’s help, I fetched him back from unworthy Dis (Orcus),
While as for me, lest I should augment this gift I’d been given,
Being envied stood in the way, the thick clouds by Cynthia’s moon,
And as I must be careful and can be, it seems I’m safely
Joined. The age will not understand. He had not been forsaken,
For me, on the edge, and in order to own Crete, he had doubted them.
Whether or not he would surrender to Delos, and leave,
And make for Crete, put here, and then would be of the equines.
He ordered they be reminded, to set down there, and he said ‘Who are you
Hippolytus?’ saying ‘now you will be like the Forces.’
From there I harvest the woods, one rich, one poor, by this divine will.
You lie beneath mistresses, and I reckon so with the girls… […] …
You bring ill-omens, he missed the Romans, in heaven,
Pale and wan, they mourned their bodies, well-being (through meditation).
Exhausted, after all their funerals, they parted ways,
The trials were nothing, no healing remedy helped.
They strived for the help of the gods, in their midst he held
His ground near Delphi, the oracle: Apollo’s prophecy,
And a part had said no, and he disagreed and felt differently,
He was not supposed to help, and she herself had held back a lot,
They advised not to set him work, or surrender to the powers that be,
While they hesitated twilight struck, and appeared a beam of light,
As did a ghost of the land, and night covered the earth’s orbit,
When a helpful god, in his dreams, granted him visions in his rest.’
Translated by Maxwell Lewis Latham (2018)
To find out more about Maxwell Lewis Latham please visit his author page.
To view Maxwell’s latest title a translation of, the Corpus Hermeticum: Power and Wisdom of God by Marsilio Ficino translation of the Corpus Hermeticum available on Amazon in both paperback and digital versions.
