Date: 1877
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 170 x 208 cm
Location: Fine Art Society, London, UK
When you see the painting A Sick Child brought into the Temple of Athena, you may wonder what he looks like. The child in Aesculapius’ arms is reaching for something that he is holding onto, and the artist poses the painting as he moves towards the boy. This was Waterhouse’s way of capturing the god of medicine in all his glory.
John William Waterhouse’s A Sick Child brought into the Temple of aesculapius depicts the ancient Greek god in his element of healing. The picture depicts Aesculapius wearing a white robe inside a temple. A woman with a sick child holds it in her arms. Behind the child, a man in a brown robe looks out at the child. Behind the woman, a child in a dark green robe is standing. The child is wearing a white robe and sits on the floor in the painting. The setting of this piece depicts the elements of ancient Greek culture.
A Sick Child brought into the Temple of aesculapius is a striking painting. It depicts the ancient Greek god in all his glory. It shows him extending his hand to touch a boy and holding a piece of utensil. Waterhouse wanted to show the god’s glory. The painting was created to promote the cult of Aesculapius.
Aesculapius was the god of medicine in ancient Greek religion and mythology
The image of a physician comes from the ancient Greek god Aesculapius, who was known by the Roman name of Aesculapius. Aesculapius was the son of Apollo and his mortal mistress Coronis. In jealous rage, Apollo killed Coronis and her unborn child, bringing about the birth of Aesculapius.
Aesculapius was the ultimate physician and the god of medicine in Greek religion and mythology. He was the son of Apollo and Coronis. His wife, Epione, was the goddess of soothing. Asclepius and Epione had several children, including Aglaea and Panacea. In addition to Aesculapius, other notable Greek gods were Iaso and Aglaea. Aesculapius was also regarded as a hero and god in the Iliad.
The Greeks believed that Asclepius still had the healing power, even after death. Consequently, Asclepius’ followers built the Asclepeion temple in Epidaurus, which was the most important healing center in the ancient world. Asclepius would visit the temple in his dreams. This was the basis for the legends of Hippocrates, who later became the most famous physician in history.
Asclepius was the patron god of the Asklepiades, a guild of doctors in Greece. Apollon and Koronis had a son named Asklepios, which means “to cut open”. He was raised by the centaur Kheiron. He was taught the art of medicine by his mother. In ancient Greece, he cured the dead and even revived the living. In fact, this was considered a violation of the natural order, and Zeus destroyed him with a thunderbolt.
Aesculapius is the medicine in question
Some critics say that traditional healing has been replaced by science worship, but this is simply not the case. Aesculapius was revered for his powers of healing, and as a result, his status changed from mortal to divine. He was vested with the power to raise the dead and eventually became the most popular god of Greece. In fact, he was the first foreign god to be accepted by Rome, and numerous Aesculapian temples were established throughout the Roman Empire.
According to Greek mythology, Aesculapius was born to Zeus and was raised by the centaur Chiron. Later, he became the symbol of healing in ancient Greek society and the Roman Empire. In fact, many physicians were also referred to as Aesculapius followers, including Hippocrates and Galen. He was also known to have taken part in the Calydon hunt and the expedition of the Argonauts.
The Greek and Latin god Asclepius was a gifted physician and was the father of two Greek physicians at Troy. His cult was so popular that it spread from Thessaly to many other areas of Greece. He slept in Epidaurus, but later migrated to Rome, where he was worshipped as Aesculapius. It is unknown how he came to be worshiped in Rome, but his legacy is rooted in Greek mythology.