Panacea
Greek goddess of universal health
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Greek mythology and religion, Panacea (Greek Πανάκεια, Panakeia), a goddess of universal remedy, was the daughter of Asclepius and Epione.
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| Panacea | |
|---|---|
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Statue of Panacea in the Archaeological Museum of Dion. | |
| Abode | Mount Olympus |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Asclepius and Epione |
| Siblings | Aceso, Aegle, Aratus, Hygieia, Iaso, Machaon, Podalirius, Telesphoros |
Mythology
Panacea and her four sisters each performed a facet of Apollo's art:[1]
- Panacea (the goddess of universal health and remedy)
- Hygieia ("Hygiene", the goddess/personification of health, cleanliness, and sanitation)
- Iaso (the goddess of recuperation from illness)
- Aceso (the goddess of the healing process)
- Aegle (the goddess of radiant good health)
Panacea also had four brothers:
- Podaleirus, one of the two kings of Tricca, who was skilled in diagnostics
- Machaon, the other king of Tricca, who was a master surgeon (these two took part in the Trojan War until Machaon was killed by Penthesilea, queen of the Amazons)
- Telesphoros, who devoted his life to serving Asclepius
- Aratus, Panacea's half-brother, a Greek hero and the patron/liberator of Sicyon
However, portrayals of the family were not always consistent; Panacea and her sisters each at times appear as Asclepius' wife instead.[2]
Panacea may have been an independent goddess before being absorbed into the Asclepius myth.[1]
Panacea traditionally had a poultice or potion with which she healed the sick.[citation needed] This brought about the concept of the panacea in medicine, a substance with the alleged property of curing all diseases. The term "panacea" has also come into figurative use as meaning "something used to solve all problems".[3]
The opening of the Hippocratic Oath mentions Panacea along with Hygieia:[4]
Ὄμνυμι Ἀπόλλωνα ἰητρὸν καὶ Ἀσκληπιὸν καὶ Ὑγείαν καὶ Πανάκειαν καὶ θεοὺς πάντας τε καὶ πάσας ἵστορας ποιεύμενος ἐπιτελέα ποιήσειν κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ κρίσιν ἐμὴν ὅρκον τόνδε καὶ ξυγγραφὴν τήνδε.
I swear, calling upon Apollo the physician and Asclepius, Hygeia and Panacea and all the gods and goddesses as witnesses, that I will fulfill this oath and this contract according to my ability and judgment.
A river in Thrace/Moesia took its name from the goddess, and is still known in modern Bulgaria as the river Zlatna Panega ("Golden Panega", from Greek πανάκεια, panakeia).
