The god Asclepius or Aesculapius at the Archaeological Museum of Naples in Italy

Statue of Asclepius, Farnese Collection

Statue of Asclepius Sculpture - Marble - 2nd century

Asclepius is naked except for the himation draped over his left shoulder, which covers part of his muscular body.

Asclepius, who became Aesculapius among the Romans, was the god of medicine.

He was the son of Apollo, who entrusted him to the Centaur Chiron so that he might teach him medicine.

Asclepius quickly excelled in this art to such an extent that he became capable of bringing the dead back to life.

This was thanks to the use of blood from the right side of the Gorgon, a gift from Athena.

Poison flowed from the left side of the Gorgon, whilst healing blood flowed from the right.

Statue of Asclepius Using this magical remedy, Asclepius had brought many of the dead back to life, including Lycurgus and Glaucus, the son of Theseus.

His ability to bring the dead back to life did not please Zeus, who considered that, by doing so, Asclepius was going against the laws of Nature.

Zeus therefore did not hesitate to kill him by striking him with a thunderbolt, which provoked the wrath and vengeance of Apollo, who, in turn, killed the Cyclopes.

Asclepius, Temple of Aesculapius, Pompeii

Sculpture – Terracotta (Height 149 cm) Late 2nd – Early 3rd century BC

Asclepius appears here in the guise of an elderly and dignified man, wrapped in a large cloak. He wears a laurel wreath in honour of his father Apollo.

Asclepius, Pompeii