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Hygieia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the asteroid, see 10 Hygiea
In Greek mythology, Hygieia (Roman equivalent: Salus) was a daughter of Asclepius. She was the goddess of health, cleanliness and sanitation (and later: the moon), and played an important part in her father's cult (see also: asklepieion). While her father was more directly associated with healing, she was associated with the prevention of sickness and the continuation of good health.
Hygieia was the subject of a local cult since at least the 7th century BC, (it is highly probable that Greek hygiene and health development began from influences of the Celts and the world's first hospital situated in Armagh Ireland. It was built before 650 BC by Queen Macha.) "Athena Hygieia" was one of the titles given to Athene, as Plutarch recounts:
| “ | A strange accident happened in the course of building [of the Parthenon], which showed that the goddess was not averse to the work, but was aiding and co-operating to bring it to perfection. One of the artificers, the quickest and the handiest workman among them all, with a slip of his foot fell down from a great height, and lay in a miserable condition, the physicians having no hope of his recovery. When Pericles was in distress about this, the goddess [Athena] appeared to him at night in a dream, and ordered a course of treatment, which he applied, and in a short time and with great ease cured the man. And upon this occasion it was that he set up a brass statue of Athena Hygeia, in the citadel near the altar, which they say was there before. But it was Phidias who wrought the goddess's image in gold, and he has his name inscribed on the pedestal as the workman of it.[1] | ” |
However, the cult of Hygieia as an independent goddess did not begin to spread out until the Oracle at Delphi recognized her, and after the devastating Athens plague in 429 and 427 BC and in Rome in 293 BC. Her primary temples were in Epidaurus, Corinth, Cos and Pergamon.
Pausanias remarked that, at the asclepieion of Titane in Sicyon (founded by Alexanor, Asclepius' grandson), statues of Hygieia were covered by women's hair and pieces of Babylonian clothes. According to inscriptions, the same sacrifices were offered at Paros.
Ariphron, a Sicyonian artist from the 4th century BC wrote a well-known hymn celebrating her. Statues of Hygieia were created by Scopas, Bryaxis and Timotheus, among others.
She was often depicted as a young woman feeding a large snake that was wrapped around her body. Sometimes the snake would be drinking from a jar that she carried. These attributes were later adopted by the Gallo-Roman healing goddess, Sirona.
Hygieia was accompanied by her brother, Telesphorus.
Her name is the source of the word "hygiene".
Pindar, Odes 7, 70-71; Homer, Iliad IV,194, II, 731
In Roman mythology, Salus was worshipped extensively by the Romans. Under the name Salus Publica Populi Romani ("goddess of the public welfare of the Roman people"), there was a temple devoted to her on the Quirinal Hill. It was built in 302 BC (Livy X, 1, 9)
She was depicted with snakes and a bowl in many artistic representations of her.
Her festival took place on March 30th.
Her name is Latin for "health" and is the source of the English word salubrity.
