Eshmun
Phoenician · deity · mythic · Recorded classification
Healing god and tutelary deity of Sidon, equated with Asclepius; a youth revived by Astarte who renews bodily life.
Domains
- healing
- renewal of life
Powers
- Cure disease and restore bodily health
- Be restored to divine life by Astarte's heat
Epithets
- 𐤀𐤔𐤌𐤍 healing-god and tutelary lord of Sidon, named in the royal sarcophagus textEshmunazar II sarcophagus inscription (KAI 14) (primary)
Relations
- lover: AstarteReciprocal of phoenician_astarte.lover — Damascius: the goddess (Astronoe, identified with Astarte) loved the hunter youth, who unmanned himself fleeing her; she revived him as a god.Damascius, Life of Isidore, apud Photius, Bibliotheca cod. 242 (primary)
- interpretatio: AsclepiusReciprocal of greek_asclepius.interpretatio — The Sardinian trilingual formally equates Eshmun with Asklepios. Preserves the healing youth-god (both with serpent emblem); breaks on Eshmun's dying-reviving myth and city-tutelary role at Sidon.KAI 66 (trilingual of San Nicolò Gerrei, Sardinia: Eshmun = Asklepios = Aesculapius) (primary)
Sources
- existence: Eshmunazar II sarcophagus; Temple of Eshmun, Bostrenus, Sidon (primary); Trilingual inscription equating Eshmun with Asclepius (secondary)