ABSTRACT
Asclepius was the Greek god of medicine and healing. He received instruction in medicine from the centaur Chiron. He cured the sick while they slept in a temple dedicated to him – this was known as incubation. He developed such expertise that he was able to bring people back from the dead. Some versions of the myth say that this caused overpopulation and so Asclepius was killed. Other versions say that he was killed for reviving Hippolytus and receiving gold as recompense. Other versions still say that Hades asked Zeus to kill him as he was worried that no more dead spirits would come to his underworld.
