ABSTRACT
In Greco-Roman medicine, animals had a distinct significance in the curing of illness. Asclepian medicine is a famous example of this. There are 28 different animals affiliated with Asclepius. The principal animal is the snake, which is symbolic of Asclepius and points to the fact that human and animal were closely related in ancient Greek religion. This chapter considers three areas in which animals relate to medicine: first, the central cultural—historical tradition of animals as it traces its origin to the myth of Asclepius; second, the fact that the cult of Asclepius features the same animals as one finds in myth; and, third, the role that these animals play in temple healing. It shows the triangular relations among the divine, animal, and human spheres as they are rendered symbolically in Asclepian medicine. The chapter constitutes a systematic presentation and analysis of the sources attesting to the importance of animals in the myth, cult, and healing associated with Asclepius.
