Hygieia

Greek goddess

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Hygieia, in Greek religion, goddess of health. The oldest traces of her cult are at Titane, west of Corinth, where she was worshipped together with Asclepius, the god of medicine. At first no special relationship existed between her and Asclepius, but gradually she came to be regarded as his daughter; later literature, however, makes her his wife. The cult of Hygieia spread concurrently with his and was introduced at Rome from Epidaurus in 293 bc, when she was gradually identified with Salus (q.v.). In later times, Hygieia and Asclepius became protecting deities. Hygieia’s animal was a serpent, sometimes shown drinking from a saucer held in her hand.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.