Ascelipous
...ient Greece in early 1200 B.C. believed that the gift of healing the afflicted was badly needed. At the time he practiced medicine, disease was a major factor in the mortality rate of the Greek and Roman people. He realized the need to provide quality health care to all of his patients. Like Asclepius, OHP also sees the need to practice quality health care coverage for all of their clients. Asclepius was the god of medicine. Born a mortal, he became so skilled in the art of medicine that he was able to raise the dead. He was worshipped throughout the Greek world, but his most famous sanctuary was located in Epidaurus, which is situated in the northeastern Peloponnese. Eventually through myth and legend he became known as the Greek God of Healing and Medicine. The main attribute of Asclepius is a physician’s staff with an Asclepian snake wrapped around it, this is how he was distinguished in the act of healing and his attribute still survives to this day as the symbol of the modern medical profession. The snake was used in the healing ritual; non-poisonous snakes were left in the dormitory where the sick slept overnight on the bare ground. Many shrines and temples were dedicated to Asclepius. People went to these temples, called Asclepions, to pray that their illnesses would be cured. The cult of Asclepius became very popular during the 300s BCE and the cult centers (known as an Asclepieion) were used by priests to cure the sick. The process of healing was known as incubation. The patient would spend the night in a dormitory and during the night they would supposedly be visited by the god in a dream. Priests would interpret the dreams and then recommend a remedy or give advice on how they could be cured. The Asclepion became very important in Greek society. Patients would visit, offering gifts and sacrifices to the God, would stay overnight and be treated by priest healers. The snake, the symbol of Asclepius, would often be used in these healings along with ointments. Medical schools soon developed, which were connected to the temples dedicated to Asclepius, therefore, he actually started medicine as an organized science. His symbol was a serpent wrapped around a staff and this is still used today as a symbol for healing. It is also believed that Asclepius’ family had healing powers, especially his daughter, Hygiea, who was also known as the goddess of health. In fact, Hygiea, is where the word hygienic or clean was derived from. Aesclepius was crucial during Greek times. Without Asclepius teachings and studies there would not be new ways of healing d...