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Panacea

Goddess of universal remedy

In Greek mythology, Panaceia, (Latin Panacea), was the goddess of healing. She was the daughter of Asclepius, god of healing and medicine, and the Granddaughter of Apollo, god of healing. She had three sisters, Iaso, Aceso, and Aglaea/Aegle (the goddess of splendor).

Through her father she bore a daughter (and step-sister) named Hygeia. Together, Panacea, Iaso, and Hygeia helped the sick and diseased to health, as Panacea was the goddess of healing and cures, Iaso was the goddess of recovery, and Hygeia was the goddess of welfare and prevention of disease.

Panacea had four brothers - Podaleirus, one of the two kings of Tricca, who had a flare for diagnostics, and 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; and Aratus, her step-brother, who was a Greek hero and the patron/liberator of Sicyon.

Panacea was said to have a poultice or potion with which she healed the sick. This brought about the concept of the panacea.

[1]

Sources

[1] "Hellenica"





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