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Prayers to Asclepius

11 prayers

The prayers to Asclepius are the closest thing in the collection to a clinical record. They come from the sanctuaries — Epidaurus, Erythrae — where the sick slept in the abaton and woke to report what the god had done. The paeans were sung by the whole precinct; the dedications were left by one person who got better.

What is asked
Fontes · Sources
  • Anonymous (inscription from Athens) · Inscriptiones Graecae II³ 4, 9392
  • LABRYS Polytheistic Community · Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship2
  • Anonymous (Homeric corpus) · Homeric Hymns1
  • Anonymous (inscription from Erythrai) · Greek Lyric (Campbell, vol. V)1
  • Anonymous (inscription from the shrine of Asclepius at Epidaurus) · Greek Lyric (Campbell, vol. V)1
  • Anonymous (Orphic corpus) · Orphic Hymns1
  • Hippocrates · Hippocratic Oath1
  • Makedonikos of Amphipolis · Inscriptiones Graecae II³ 4, 7771
  • Plethon / Mousaios adaptation · Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship1
In the sources
Asclepius · Asklepios
The name as each source prints it.
Orationes · The texts
  1. 001

    Second Hymn to Telesphorus

    Anonymous (inscription from Athens) · Inscriptiones Graecae II³ 4, 939 · ll. 30-42

    Hail then to me, O healer, O greatly honoured one, play, Telesphoros, play, hail — and you with your

    GreekPraiseInvocation
  2. 002

    The Hippocratic Oath

    Hippocrates · Hippocratic Oath

    I swear by Apollon the physician, and Asklepios, and Hygeia, and Panakeia, and all the gods and goddesses, that, according to my ability and judgment, I will keep this Oath and this stipulation...

    GreekOath
  3. 003

    Prayer to Asclepius

    Anonymous (inscription from Erythrai) · Greek Lyric (Campbell, vol. V) · fr. 939

    Sing, youths, of Paian, skill-famed, Leto's son, Far-shooter — ie Paian! — who fathered a great joy for mortals when he mingled in love with Koronis in the land of the Phlegyai — ie Paian! — Asklepios, the most famous god — ie Paian! By him were fathered Makhaon and Podaleirios and Iaso — ie Paian! — and fair-eyed Aigle and Panakea, children of Epione, along with Hygieia, all-glorious, undefiled; ie Paian! Asklepios, the most famous god — ie Paian! Greetings I give you: graciously visit our wide-spaced city — ie Paian! — and grant that we look on the sun's light in joy, approved with the help of Hygieia, all-glorious, undefiled : ie Paian! — Asklepios, the most famous god — ie Paian!

    GreekInvocationPetitionPraise
  4. 004

    Prayer to Apollo and Asclepius

    Makedonikos of Amphipolis · Inscriptiones Graecae II³ 4, 777

    We praise the silver-bowed Delian, Zeus's beautiful quiver, silently holy and compassionate, IE PAIAN. Like the Aglaion Êrnos, the supplicant pledges with olive and laurel branch in hand, IE PAIAN, calling upon the leader of the Muses, singing pure hymns to the far-shooting son of Leto, IE PAIAN. Asklepios, kindly youth, defender against any born disease, warder of mortal woes, IE O IE PAIAN. To Kentauros, the pain warder of humans, You taught all the secret healing arts on the peaks of Mt. Pelias, IE PAIAN. Child of Koronis, mild man and modest spirit, IE PAIAN. Adorning the Hellenic lances of the young soldiers, IE PAIAN. Children of Epione and noble Hygeia, Iaso, Akeso and Aigle and Panacea, IE PAIAN. Khaire, illustrious spirit, great benefit of mortals, IE O IE PAIAN. You are gentle, Makar, eliminate dread diseases, IE O IE PAIAN. Come Blessed Paian and grant to your supplicant much-desired health.

    GreekPraisePetitionInvocation
  5. 005

    The Prayer of Musaeus

    Plethon / Mousaios adaptation · Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship · Noumenia Ceremony — Prayer of Mousaios

    King Zeus and Gaia and sacred heavenly flames of Helios; holy light of Mene and all the stars; and You, dark haired Poseidon, earth-shaker; pure Persephone and Demetra of the bountiful fruit; Artemis, the maiden archer and farshooting Phoibos, who dwells in the sacred valley of Delphi, holding the highest honours amongst the Blessed; dancing Dionysos, bold Ares and powerful holy Ephaistos, foam-born goddess, bearer of famous gifts, and You, King of the Underworld, great and venerable God; Hebe and Eileithia and brave Heracles, and the great providence of Dikaiosyne and Eusevia; I also call the splendid Nymphs and Pan, the Great, and Hera, vigorous wife of aegis-bearing Zeus; I invoke the lovely Mnemosyne and the nine sublime Muses and the Kharites and the Horês of the Eniautos, Leto with the beautiful limbs, the modest Theio and Dione, the Kouretes, the armed Koryvantes, and the Kaveires, as well as our great Saviours, the indestructible children of Zeus, the great Idaian gods and the heavenly messenger, Hermes, the communicator, and Themis, the diviner of men, I invite venerable Nyx and brightly glowing Day, Pisti and Dike and the immaculate Lawgiver, Rhea and Kronos and the dark-veiled Tethys, Okeanos, the Great, and his daughters, the Okeanides, Atlas' and Aionos' superior power, and the eternal Time, and the splendid water of Styx, the soothing Gods and the benevolent Pronoia; the all-holy Daimona of the Gods and the malevolent of mortals, all heavenly, air and water Gods, all Gods of the earth, and of the fire, and of the underworld. Semele and the company of Bakkhos; Ino Leukothea and Palaimon, the bliss-giver, Sweet tongued Nike and queen Adrastea, and the great king, giver of tranquillity, Asclepios, Pallas, the fearsome maiden, and all the Winds and the Thunder, the steady foundation of the Kosmos, Mother of the Immortals, Attis and Mena, I call the Goddess Ourania together with her immortal pure Adonis, the Beginning and the End — the greatest of all. Come with benevolence and happy hearts, to this holy ceremony and sacred libation.

    GreekInvocationPraise
  6. 006

    Prayer to Asclepius

    Anonymous (inscription from the shrine of Asclepius at Epidaurus) · Greek Lyric (Campbell, vol. V) · fr. 937

    High-skilled Asklepios; and summon the two Dioskouroi and the august Kharites and glorious Mousai and kindly Moirai and unwearied Helios and Selene at her full and all the signs with which heaven is crowned. Greetings, all you immortal gods everlasting and immortal goddesses!

    GreekInvocation
  7. 007

    Hymn to Asclepius

    Anonymous (Orphic corpus) · Orphic Hymns · 67

    Great Asklepios, skilled to heal mankind, all-ruling Paian, and physician kind; whose arts medicinal can alone assuage diseases dire, and stop their dreadful rage. Strong, lenient God, regard my suppliant prayer, bring gentle health, adorned with lovely hair; convey the means of mitigating pain, and raging deadly pestilence restrain. O power all-flourishing, abundant, bright, Apollon's honoured offspring, God of light; husband of blameless Hygeia, the constant foe of dread disease, the minister of woe: come, blessed saviour, human health defend, and to the mortal life afford a prosperous end.

    GreekInvocationPetition
  8. 008

    Hymn to Asclepius and Apollo

    Anonymous (Homeric corpus) · Homeric Hymns · 16

    I begin to sing of Asklepios, son of Apollon and healer of sicknesses. In the Dotian plain fair Koronis, daughter of King Phlegyas, bare him, a great joy to men, a soother of cruel pangs. And so hail to you, lord: in my song I make my prayer to thee!

    GreekInvocationPraise
  9. 009

    Prayer to Asclepius

    LABRYS Polytheistic Community · Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship · Health Ceremony — Hymn to Asklepios

    Asklepios, Healer of all, who dispels the diseased sufferings of people. Mighty, Soothing, Healer of disease, honoured child of Phoibos Apollon, terminate dire illness. Come O' Blessed Saviour, and grant health to your supplicant and an end to pain.

    GreekPetitionInvocation
  10. 010

    Prayer to Apollo

    LABRYS Polytheistic Community · Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship · Health Ceremony — Invocation of the Healing Gods

    Come, O' Healing Gods, Apollon, Asklepios, Much Desired Hygeia, and you, Telesphoros. May you terminate dire diseases granting health to our body and mind.

    GreekInvocationPetition
  11. 011

    First Hymn to Telesphorus

    Anonymous (inscription from Athens) · Inscriptiones Graecae II³ 4, 939 · ll. 19-29

    O young imperishable shoot […] Telesphoros, your excellences […] all-wise, [son?] of the god who looses pain […] […] deathless, grief-banishing […] the all-tongued races of mortals — raise them up out of their toils, you two,

    GreekInvocationPetitionPraise
Invoked alongside
Apollo7Hygieia4Telesphorus3Helios2Panacea2Aegle1Aphrodite1Ares1Artemis1Athena1Demeter1Dionysus1Epione1Gaia1Hades1Hephaestus1Hera1Hermes1Iaso1Machaon1Persephone1Podaleirius1Poseidon1Selene1the Charites1the Dioscuri1the Moirai1the Muses1Zeus1
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