Asklipios is an important deity of Hellenismos and a great God of Medicine and Healing. 

Asklipios is listed in the Hippocratic Oath second only to Apollohn (Apollo; Gr. Ἀπόλλων): "I SWEAR by Apollo the physician, and Aesculapius, and Health (Gr. Ὑγεία), and All-heal (Gr. Πανάκεια), and all the Gods and Goddesses, that, according to my ability and judgment, I will keep this Oath..." (translated by Francis Adams). 

According to the mythology, Askilpios is the son of Apollohn and the Trikkaian princess Korohnis (Coronis; Gr. Κορωνίς).

The Daughters and Sons of Asklipios

Asklipios is the husband of Ipioni (Epione; Gr. Ἠπιόνη) by whom he has six daughters: 

Aglaia (Aglæa or Ægle; Gr. Ἀγλαΐα) Radiance of Health 

Akæso (Akeso; Gr. Ἀκεσώ) Healing 

Ygeia (Hygeia; Gr. Ὑγεία) Good Health 

Iaso (Gr. Ἰασώ) Remedy 

Meditrina (? - Roman, perhaps the Greek Goddess Jaso) Restoration

Panakeia (Panacea; Gr. Πανάκεια) All-Healing  

He also had the sons Makhaohn (Makhaon; Gr. Μαχάων) and Pothaleirios (Podalirius; Gr. Ποδαλείριος), Greek surgeons during the siege of Troy.  According to Pafsanias (Pausanias; Gr. Παυσανίας), Asklipios also had a son named Aratos (Aratus; Gr. Ἄρατος) by Aristothama (Aristodama; Gr. Αριστοδαμα).  There is another God mentioned as a son of Asklipios, Tælæsphoros (Telesphorus; Gr. Τελεσφόρος) [Paus. ii. 11.7].  The name Tælæsphoros means "he who brings completion" because he is the recovery from illness.  Tælæsphoros is represented in iconography as a dwarf wearing a hood or cap.  

The Deification of Asklipios

The mother of Asklipios, Koronis, died in childbirth.  Apollo saved the child by cutting him from the womb, hence his name Asclipios, "to cut open."   He was raised by Kheirohn (Chiron; Gr. Χείρων, ΧΕΊΡΩΝ), the Kæntafri (Centaur; Gr. Κένταυροι), who taught him the art of medicine.  According to a familiar version of his mythology, Asklipios became such a skilled physician that he brought a dead man back to life, causing Aithohnefs (Aidoneus = Pluto = Hades; Gr. Ἀϊδωνεύς) to complain to Zefs (Zeus; Gr. Ζεύς), who then killed Asklipios with a thunderbolt, resulting in his deification.  

Classical Manual Entry for Asklepios:

"ÆSCULAPIUS, or ASCLEPIUS (ed. Asklipios), was the God of medicine.  Cicero enumerates three deities of this name: the first, a son of Apollo and Coronis (ed. Korohnis; Gr. Κορωνίς), the daughter of Phlegyas (ed. Phlæyias; Gr. Φλεγύας); the second, a brother of Mercury (ed. Hermes or Ærmis; Gr. Ἑρμῆς); and the third, a son of Apollo (ed. Apollohn; Gr. Ἀπόλλων) and Arsinoe (ed. Arsino-i; Gr. Αρσινόη ), the daughter of Leucippus (ed. Lefkippos; Gr. Λεύκιππος).  Some writers considering the Æsculapius of the Greeks to be the same as Tosorthrus, or Sesorthrus (ed. Σέσωστρις?), a king of Memphis, whom the Egyptians regarded as the inventor of medicine, suppose that the worship of this Gods was brought into Greece by Danaus (ed. Danaos; Gr. Δαναός); while others, tracing his origin to the Cabiric divinities, assert that Cadmus (Kadmos; Gr. Κάδμος) introduced it from Phœnicia (Phiniki; Gr. Φοινίκη).  The Æsculapius, however, most generally acknowledged, is the son of Apollo (ed. Apollohn; Gr. Ἀπόλλων) and Coronis (ed. Korohnis; Gr. Κορωνίς).  From the death of his mother at his birth, he was exposed on Mount Titthyon (ed. Titthion; Gr. Τίτθιον), near Epidaurus (ed. Æpithafros; Gr. Επίδαυρος), and there nursed by a goat, and guarded by a dog, till he was discovered by the shepherd Aresthanas (ed. Aræsthanas; Gr. Αρεσθάνας), who, observing that the infant was surrounded by an unusual radiance, took him home, and confided him to the care of his wife Trigone.  He was afterwards claimed by his grandfather Phlegyas (ed. Phlæyias; Gr. Φλεγύας), who entrusted his education to the Centaur (ed. Kæntafros; Gr. Κένταυρος) Chiron (ed. Kheirohn; Gr. Χείρων).  From this preceptor he obtained a knowledge of natural history, which he afterwards applied with such success to the improvement of the art of medicine, that to him is generally ascribed the glory of being its inventor, though many refer the discovery to Apis (ed. Apis; Gr. Ἄπις), the son of Phoroneus (ed. Phoronefs; Gr. Φορωνεύς).  The most dangerous and inveterate maladies yielded to the remedies, the harmonious songs, and the magical charms employed by Æsculapius to effect their cure; and his skill is even said to have restored the dead to life: but this presumption excited the anger of the Gods; and Jupiter (ed. Zefs = Zeus; Gr. Ζεύς), at the request of Pluto (ed. Ploutohn; Gr. Πλούτων), destroyed him with his thunder.  Apollo (ed. Apollohn; Gr. Ἀπόλλων) revenged the fate of his son by exterminating the Cyclops (ed. Kykohps; Gr. Κύκλωψ) who had forged the fatal thunder bolt.

"Æsculapius was of the number of the Argonauts (ed. Argonaftai; Gr. Ἀργοναῦται).  He married Epione (ed. Ipioni; Gr. Ἠπιόνη), and was the father of Machaon (ed. Makhaohn; Gr. Μαχάων) and Podalirius (ed. Pothaleirios; Gr. Ποδαλείριος), who distinguished themselves at the siege of Troy (ed. Tria; Gr. Τροία) by their medical skill.  He had also four daughters, Hygæia (Ygeia; Gr. Ὑγεία) or Salus (ed. Latin), Egle (ed. Aglaia = Aglæa = Ægle; Gr. Ἀγλαΐα), Panacea (ed. Panakeia; Gr. Πανάκεια), and Jaso (ed. Iasoh; Gr. Ἰασώ); and a son, named Telesphorus (ed. Tælæsphoros; Gr. Τελεσφόρος), or profitable.  After his death, Æsculapius received divine honours: his principal temple was at Epidaurus (ed. Æpithafros; Gr. Επίδαυρος); thence his worship was diffused throughout Greece, and her colonies in Asia and Africa, where numerous altars were erected to him, round which his votaries were accustomed to suspend tablets describing the malady from which he had relieved them.  

"Æsculapius is generally represented with a mild countenance, crowned with laurel, to denote his descent from Apollo; his right arm bare, and in his left hand a stick with a serpent twisted round it; sometimes he appears leaning on the head of a serpent, with a cock or a dog (emblems of vigilance) near him.  The serpent was particularly symbolical of this deity, partly on account of its supposed medicinal properties, and partly from a fabulous tradition, that under the form of that animal he was hatched from the egg of a crow, a story probably arising from the name of his mother Coronis (ed. Korohnis; Gr. Κορωνίς), which signifies a crow.  Goats, bulls, lambs, and pigs, were commonly sacrificed on his altars; and the cock, the raven, the dog, and the serpent were sacred to him.  The worship  of Æsculapius was introduced at Rome about 291 B.C., when, a plague having desolated that city, the sibylline books commanded that, in order to check its progress, an embassy should be despatched to fetch this deity from Epidaurus (ed. Æpithafros; Gr. Επίδαυρος).  He came accordingly, under the form of a serpent, and was received with every mark of reverence and joy; his presence having, it is said, stopped the ravages of the disease.  To commemorate this signal benefit, a temple, in the form of a ship, was erected to his honour in a marshy island of the Tiber, near Rome, among the reeds of which the sacred serpent had been observed  to take up his abode.

"Æsculapius formed in the heavens the constellation of Ophiuchus (ed. Ophioukhos; Gr. Ὀφιοῦχος), or Serpentarius (ed. Latin), which anciently bore his name."  (CM* pp.153-154)

Philostratus about Asklipios in his book about Apollonios of Tyana:

"And he (ed. Apollonios of Tyana) replied: 'I can advise you of what, under the circumstances, will be most valuable to you; for I suppose you want to get well.'  'Yes, by Zeus,' answered the other (ed. a drunkard suffering from dropsy), 'I want the health which Asclepius promises, but never gives.'  'Hush,' said the other, 'for he gives to those who desire it, but you do things that irritate and aggravate your disease..."  (Philostratus Life of Apollonios of Tyana Book I:IX, trans. F. C. Conybeare, 1912; found here in the 1948 Harvard/Heinemann/Loeb edition [Cambridge MA and London England], Vol. 1, p. 21)

EPITHETS OF ASKLIPIOS

(Abbreviations can be found near the bottom of this page: Glossary Home Page)

Aflohnios (Aulonius; Gr. Αὐλωνίος, ΑΥΛΩΝΙΟΣ) from Aulon in Messenia. (CM p.155)  

- In the depression called Aulon there is a temple and statue of Asclepius Aulonius."  (Paus. Vol. 2, p. 377 [Jones]; Book IV Messenia.XXXVI.7)

Aglaopais (Aglaopes; Gr. Ἀγλαόπαις, ΑΓΛΑΟΠΑΙΣ) giving beautiful children; his name among the Lacedæmonians. (CM p.154)

- Lexicon entry: ἀγλαό-παις, ὁ, ἡ,  rich in fair children, Opp.H.2.41, Epigr.Gr.896 (Syria).  (L&S p. 11, left column, within the entries beginning with ἀγλαό-βοτρυς)  Ed. note: aglaos (Gr. ἀγλαός) means splendid, shining, bright (L&S p. 11, left column) + pais (Gr. παῖς) meaning child (L&S p. 1289, left column)

Aglaopes - See Aglaopais.

Agnitas - (Gr. Αγνίτας, ΑΓΝΙΤΑΣ) "The sanctuary of Agnitas has been made on the right of the Course; Agnitas is a surname of Asclepius, because the God had a wooden image of agnus castus.  The agnus is a willow like the thorn." (Paus. Vol. 2, p. 87 [Jones]: Book III Laconia, XIV.7).

- his statue in a temple at Sparta being of osier.  (CM p.155) 

Archagetas - See Arkhagætas.

Arkhagætas - (Archagetas; Gr. Ἀρχαγέτας, ΑΡΧΑΓΕΤΑΣ) founder, his name in Phocis. "Seventy stades distant from Tithorea is a temple of Asclepius, called Archagetas (Founder)." (Paus. Vol. 4, p. 561 [Jones]; Book X Phocis.32.12)

Asclepius - See Asklipios.

Asklipios - (Asclepius; Gr. Ἀσκληπιός, ΑΣΚΛΗΠΙΟΣ) his general name among the Greeks. (CM p.154)

- "Formerly he was called Epios, on account of his gentleness and calmness, but after he had cured Askles, the tyrant of Epidaurus, who suffered seriously from ophthalmia, he was called Asklepios because he had healed Askles."  (271. Scholia in Lycophronem, Ad Alexandram, 1054.  Found in Asclepius: Collection and Interpretation of the Testimonies by Emma J. Edelstein and Ludwig Edelstein, 1945, 1998, John Hopkins, Baltimore MD and London England, pp. 125-126)

Aulonius - See Aflohnios.

Caüsios - See Kaousios.

Coronides - See Koronithis.

Cotylæus - See Kotylæos.

Demenetes - See Dimainætos.

Dimainætos (Demenetes; Gr. Δημαινέτος, ΔΗΜΑΙΝΕΤΟΣ) so called from Demenetes, or Demarchus, who dedicated to him a temple on the banks of the Alpheus.  (CM p.155)

- " Forty stades beyond the ridge of Saurus is a temple of Asclepius, surnamed Demaenetus after the founder." (Paus. Vol. 3, p. 133 [Jones]; Book VI Elis, XXI.4)

Êpios - See Ipios.

Gortynios - (Gortynius; Gr. Γορτύνιος, ΓΟΡΤΥΝΙΟΣ) from Gortynia, in Arcadia, where his statue represented him as young and beardless. (CM p.155)

- "In the portico are dedicated images of Dionysus and Hecate, with Aphrodite, the Mother of the Gods, and Fortune.  These are wooden, but Asclepius, surnamed Gortynian, is of stone." (Paus. Vol. 1, p. 309 [Jones]; book 2 Corinth.11.8)

Gortynius - See Gortynios.

Hagnitas - See Agnitas.

Iatros - (Gr. Ἰατρὸς, ΙΑΤΡΟΣ) one who heals, physician or surgeon.

- "Further, at Balagrae of the Cyreneans there is an Asclepius called Healer (ed. Ἰατρὸς, from the Greek text), who like the others came from Epidaurus." (Paus. Vol. 1, p. 389 [Jones]; Book II Corinth, XXVI.9)

Infans - a name under which he was worshipped in a temple erected to him at Megalopolis, and on the banks of the river Ladon in Arcadia.  The Arcadians had a tradition that Æsculapius was exposed in his infancy near the fountain Telphusa, and that he was there accidentally discovered by Autolaus, son of Areas, who educated him.  (CM p.155)

Ipios - (Êpios; Gr. Ηπιος, ΗΠΙΟΣ) gentle, kind.

- "Formerly he was called Epios, on account of his gentleness and calmness, but after he had cured Askles, the tyrant of Epidaurus, who suffered seriously from ophthalmia, he was called Asklepios because he had healed Askles."  (271. Scholia in Lycophronem, Ad Alexandram, 1054.  Found in Asclepius: Collection and Interpretation of the Testimonies by Emma J. Edelstein and Ludwig Edelstein, 1945, 1998, John Hopkins, Baltimore MD and London England, pp. 125-126)

Kaousios (Caüsios; Gr. Καουσίος, ΚΑΟΥΣΙΟΣ) "In the Thelpusian territory is a river called Arsen (Male).  Cross this and go on for about twenty-five stades, when you will arrive at the ruins of the village Caüs, with a sanctuary of Caüsian Asclepius, built on the road." (Paus. Vol. 4, pp. 21-23 [Jones]; Book VIII Arcadia.XXV.1)

Koronithis - (Coronides) from his mother Coronis.  (CM p.155)

Kotylæohs (Cotylæus; Gr. Κοτυλέως, ΚΟΤΥΛΕΩΣ) the name under which he was worshipped on the borders of the Eurotas, in a temple dedicated to him be Hercules, in consequence of his being healed of a wound in the thigh.  (CM p.155)

- "Across the river is a temple of Asclepius Cotyleus (of the Hip-joint); it was made by Heracles, who named Asclepius Cotyleus, because he was cured of the wound in the hip-joint that he received in the former fight with Hippocoön and his sons." (Paus. Vol. 2, p. 121 [Jones]; Book III Laconia.19.7)

Kyros - (Gr. Κῦρος, ΚΥΡΟΣ) the supreme authority.

Medicus - his name at Balanagræ, a town of Cyrene, where goats were sacrificed on his altars.  (CM p.155) 

Paidos - See Paithos.

Paithos (Paidos; Gr. Παιδός, ΠΑΙΔΟΣ) Boy Asklipios.  "Under this hill there is another sanctuary of Boy Asclepius.  His image is upright and about a cubit in height..."  (Paus. Vol. 4, p. 67 [Jones]; Book III Arcadia.XXXII.5)

- "The Ladon, leaving on the left the sanctuary of the Fury, passes on the left the temple of Oncaeatian Apollo, and on the right a sanctuary of Boy Asclepius, where is the tomb of Trygon, who is said to have been the nurse of Asclepius.  For the story is that Asclepius, when little, was exposed in Thelpusa, but was found by Autolaüs, the illegitimate son of Arcas, who reared the baby, and for this reason Boy Asclepius...I thought more likely, as also I set forth in my account of Epidaurus."  (Paus. Vol. 4, pp. 27-29 [Jones]; Book III Arcadia.XXV.11)

Philolaos (Philolaus; Gr. Φιλόλαος, ΦΙΛΟΛΑΟΣ) friend of the people; he had a temple under this name near the river Asopus in Laconia. (CM p.155)

- "In it is a temple of the Roman emperors, and about twelve stades inland from the city is a sanctuary of Asclepius.  They call the God Philolaus, and the bones in the gymnasium, which they worship, are human, although of superhuman size." (Paus. Vol. 2, p. 143 [Jones]; Book III Laconia.XXII.9)

Philolaus - See Philolaos.

Phœbigena - (Lat) son of Phœvos or Apollo. (CM p.155)
- etymology, although Phœbigena is a Latin word, it's roots are Greek: Phœvus (Φοῖβος = shining Apollo) + gena (from γένεσις genesis = origin, source), thus Son of Apollo.

Salutifer Puer - (Lat) health-bearing boy.  (CM p.155)
- salutifer = health-bringing, healing, salubrious (LD p.1622, right column)

Tosorthrus - one of his names in Egypt.  (CM p.155)

Triccæus - See Trikkaios.

Trikkaios - (Triccæus) from Tricca, in Macedonia, or from a town of the same name in Thessaly. (CM p.155; Strabo Geography 8.4.4)

NOTES:

[1] Asklipiathis [singular] (Asklepiades; Gr. Ἀσκληπιάδης, ἈΣΚΛΗΠΙΆΔΗΣ); Asklipiathæ [plural] (Asklepiadae)

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