Hygieia
Greek · quartigod · heroic age · quartigod
Quartigod daughter of Asclepius, the personification of Health. Achieved independent cult-deity status by the late-Classical period; received worship as Hygieia / Salus across the Mediterranean. The Anonymous Erythraean Paean (c.380 BCE) is the canonical primary-text consolidation of the Asclepiad family — it lists Hygieia, Iaso, Aceso, Aegle, Panacea as the Asclepiad daughters, with Machaon and Podalirius as the sons. The English word "hygiene" descends through Latin hygiena from her name.
Parentage
Powers
- Preserve and maintain bodily health
Relations
- sibling: Aratus of Sicyon
- father: Asclepius
- sibling: Machaon
- sibling: Podalirius
- sibling: Iaso
- sibling: Aceso
- sibling: Aegle
- sibling: Panacea
- half sibling: Telesphorus
Sources
- Anonymous Erythraean Paean (Inscr. Erythrai 205, c.380 BCE = IGRR IV 1505 — the canonical primary-text consolidation of the Asclepiad family); Lycophron, Alexandra 1054 with Tzetzes scholia; Pausanias 1.23.4, 2.11.6, 2.27.6; Aristophanes, Plutus 701; numerous epigraphic-cult attestations across the Greek world
- Anon. Erythraean Paean