Episode 43: Asklepios and Healing Magic in Ancient Greece

It's a Fel and Han takeover! This week, two of the hosts get together to discuss a synthesis of mysticism and medicine in the ancient world: the Cult of Asklepios. Tune in to hear about who Asklepios really was: the ascent of a revered medic to god-hero, his relationship to Paian Apollo, and his influence on the development of modern medicine via a cult that dominated the ancient world for centuries. Resources: • A timeline of Asklepios: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/0003-4819-124-2-199601150-00011 • Medical historians the Edelsteins discuss the historical evidence for the worship of Asklepios: Kirchner J, ed. Inscriptiones Graecae. In: Edelstein EJ, Edelstein L. Asclepius: A Collection and Interpretation of the Testimonies. Baltimore: John Hopkins Pr; 1945:374-5. • Asklepios in Rome: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25609491 • John Scarborough dissects Theophrastus’ Enquiry Into Plants with a modern lens: https://philpapers.org/rec/SCATOH-2 • The Hippocratic ideal: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4263393/ • The evolution of medicine in the ancient world – how rationalism developed: https://aacnjournals.org/ajcconline/article/23/6/437/3976/From-Asclepius-to-Hippocrates-The-Art-and-Science • Hippocrates, the “father of molecular medicine”: https://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/23/4/507.long • Hans Dieter Betz, The Greek Magical Papyri In Translation (ISBN: 9780226044477) • Lindsay Watson, Magic In Ancient Greece and Rome (ISBN: 9781788312981) • Did it actually work? Placebo effects in the Asklepian sanctuaries: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/tc-2021-0004/html?lang=en• Frederic Grant, Hellenistic Religions• Luther H. Martin, Hellenistic ReligionsYou can still follow us on Instagram @testtubesandcauldrons, or join discussions on our Discord (https://discord.gg/rfJ4eb2DAM) 👾