Hygie

In the Greek Mythology, Hygie (in Greek old Ὑγιεία / Hugieía or Ὑγεία / Hugeía , “health”), girl of Asclépios (god of the Medicine) and of Épione, is the goddess of the Santé, cleanliness and the Hygiène (the term was forged starting from its name).

It corresponds to Salus at the Romains.

Role

His/her sister is Panacée, which symbolizes the remedial medicine. Asclépios and its daughters belong to the line of Apollo, god of the rational intelligence, which precedes already science such as one will conceive it later in Occident.

The Greeks honoured it like a powerful goddess, charged to take care on the health of the living beings. Not only men, but all the animals were the object of its care. It is it which suggested mysteriously with the ones and with the others the choice of food necessary to their existence and the remedies appropriate to their evils; she personified to some extent the instinct of the life and, by supporting the forces of the mortals, by preventing even the disease, avoided with his/her father the sorrow continuously intervening in order to reduce or curing the pain.

It was associated later with the the Moon.

Representations

Statues of Hygie were allotted inter alia to Scopas, Bryaxis, and Thimoteos. It is represented crowned of bay-tree and holding a sceptre of the right hand, like queen of medicine. On its center is a snake with several folds, which advances the head for drinking in a cut that it holds of the left hand.

Ariphron, artist and musician of Sicyone of fourth century BC addressed a famous anthem to him.

In the French Encyclopedia of the 19th century, one describes it like:

“a young nymph, with the eye sharp and laughing, the fresh and vermilion dye, with the light size, rich of a plumpness of flesh, but nonin charge of obesity, bearing on the right hand a cock and other a stick surrounded by a snake, emblem of vigilance and prudence. ”

Worship

Although the worship of Hygie was celebrated locally as of seventh century BC, it started has to be spread more largely only when the oracle of Delphes recognized it (it was done after an epidemic of Peste which devastated Athens between 429 and 427 av. J. - C.). Rome for its part recognized it in 293 av. J. - C. the principal temples celebrating it was high with Épidaure, Corinthe, Cos and Pergamon.

Pausanias noticed among the statues of Hygie, in a temple of Asclépios, with Sicyone (founded by Alexanor, grandson of Asclépios), that one of it was covered with a veil and that the women of this city dedicated their hair to him. If one believes the inscriptions of them, of the similar sacrifices were practiced with Paros.

See too

Medicine in ancient Greece

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Hygie

Role

Representations

Worship

See too

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