Asclepius

Ringkasan

Asclepius adalah dewa pengobatan Yunani, putra Apollo, yang menyembuhkan orang sakit dan bahkan menghidupkan orang mati sebelum dibunuh Zeus; ia dikenali lewat tongkat berlilit ular.

Asclepius is the Greek god of medicine, son of Apollo, who healed the sick and even revived the dead before Zeus killed him; he is recognized by his snake-entwined staff.

Kisah dan tradisi

Asclepius (Asklepios, juga disebut Aesculapius) adalah dewa pengobatan Yunani yang juga dianggap memiliki daya ramal. Dalam mitos ia putra Apollo; ibunya paling sering disebut Koronis, meski ada versi dengan Arsinoe sebagai ibunya. Ia dibesarkan dan diajar centaur Chiron dan, menurut sumber lain, menerima rahasia pengobatan dari ayahnya. Namanya dikatakan berarti "membelah" karena Apollo membedah rahim ibunya untuk mengambil bayi itu. Satu sumber mencatat bahwa dalam puisi Homeros ia tampaknya hanya manusia, bukan dewa. Keterampilan Asclepius begitu tinggi sehingga ia dapat menghidupkan kembali orang mati. Menurut Apollodorus, ia menerima darah Gorgon dari Athena: sisi kiri untuk membinasakan dan sisi kanan untuk menyelamatkan. Zeus membunuhnya dengan petir karena menganggapnya ancaman bagi pemisahan manusia dan dewa, takut manusia menjadi abadi atau saling menolong, atau, menurut sebagian, karena Pluto mengeluh jumlah orang mati berkurang. Apollo yang murka membunuh para Kiklops dan sendiri dihukum melayani Admetos. Asclepius kemudian didewakan dan menjadi rasi Ophiochus. Kuil-kuilnya didirikan di banyak bagian Yunani, dekat mata air penyembuh atau di gunung tinggi. Pusat pemujaannya yang paling terkenal adalah Epidaurus, tempat pasien yang telah menjalani ritus penyucian tidur semalam menunggu mimpi tempat sang dewa menunjukkan obat. Orang yang sembuh mempersembahkan kurban, terutama ayam jantan, dan menggantung lempeng nazar; pasien yang bersyukur juga meninggalkan persembahan yang kadang menggambarkan bagian tubuh yang sembuh. Tempat suci itu dikatakan seperti rumah sakit, dan hutan di sekitarnya melarang kematian dan kelahiran. Kultusnya menyebar ke kota Athena, Pergamon, dan Roma, dan Epidaurus ditutup pada 426 M. Dalam seni, Asclepius digambarkan berjanggut, berjubah himation sederhana, dan memegang tongkat dengan ular suci melilitnya, yang kini menjadi simbol kedokteran. Di Epidaurus, patungnya digambarkan duduk di singgasana dengan tangan bertumpu pada kepala ular dan seekor anjing di sisinya. Ia sering ditemani Hygeia atau Telesphorus, dan kadang ada anjing di kakinya. Ular melambangkan regenerasi dan pembaruan. Keturunannya, Asclepiad, menurunkan ilmu pengobatan, dan dokter paling terkenal di antara mereka adalah Hippocrates.

Asclepius (Asklepios, also called Aesculapius) is the Greek god of medicine, also credited with powers of prophecy. In myth he is the son of Apollo; his mother is most often named Koronis, though some versions give Arsinoe. He was raised and taught by the centaur Chiron and, according to another source, received the secrets of medicine from his father. His name is said to mean "to cut open" because Apollo cut the child from his mother's womb. One source notes that in the Homeric poems he appears to be merely a human being, not a god. Asclepius's skill was so great that he could revive the dead. According to Apollodorus he received the Gorgon's blood from Athena: the left side to destroy and the right side to preserve. Zeus killed him with a thunderbolt, seeing him as a threat to the division between humans and gods, fearing men would become immortal or help one another, or, according to some, because Pluto complained that the number of the dead was shrinking. An angry Apollo slew the Cyclopes and was himself punished by serving Admetos. Asclepius was then deified and became the constellation Ophiochus. Sanctuaries to him rose across much of Greece, typically beside healing springs or on lofty mountains. His most famous centre was Epidaurus, where patients who had undergone purification rituals slept overnight awaiting dreams in which the god offered remedies. Those who recovered offered sacrifice, especially a cock, and hung up votive tablets; thankful patients also left offerings, sometimes depicting the body part that was cured. The sanctuaries are likened to hospitals, and the grove around Epidaurus forbade death and birth. His cult spread to Athens, Pergamon and Rome, and the Epidaurus sanctuary closed in 426 CE. In art Asclepius is shown bearded, wearing a simple himation, and holding a staff coiled by a sacred snake, which has become the modern symbol of medicine. At Epidaurus his statue showed him enthroned with a hand resting on the head of a serpent and a dog by his side. He is often accompanied by Hygeia or Telesphorus, and sometimes has a dog at his feet. Snakes symbolise regeneration and renovation. His descendants, the Asclepiads, carried on the art of medicine, the most famous of them being Hippocrates.

Konteks budaya

Asclepius adalah dewa pelindung dan leluhur yang dipercaya dari serikat dokter kuno, Asklepiades. Pemujaan Asclepius menyatukan agama dan pengobatan: kuilnya didatangi banyak orang sakit sehingga dapat dibandingkan dengan rumah sakit modern, dan pengetahuan pengobatan dianggap rahasia suci yang diwariskan dalam keluarga Asclepiadae.

Asclepius was the patron god and reputed ancestor of the ancient guild of doctors, the Asklepiades. The worship of Asclepius joined religion and medicine: his temples were frequented by many sick people and may be compared to modern hospitals, and medical knowledge was regarded as a sacred secret passed down in the families of the Asclepiadae.

Fakta utama

Budaya / Culture: Mitologi Yunani
Kawasan / Region: Eropa
Era: Worshipped at Epidaurus from the 6th century BCE; his cult was brought to Rome in 293 BCE
Klasifikasi / Classification: Deity
Kemampuan / Abilities: Penyembuhan, Menghidupkan kembali orang mati, Daya ramal, Memberi obat lewat mimpi

Nama lain / Alternate names

Asklepios, Aesculapius, Ἀσκλήπιος

Tahukah kamu? / Did you know?

Di hutan suci Epidaurus tak seorang pun boleh meninggal dan tak seorang perempuan pun boleh melahirkan.

The grove surrounding the Epidaurus temple forbade both dying and giving birth within its bounds.