Asclepius | Tales of Money

In this episode of Tales of Money we meet a god so powerful… even Hippocrates swore an oath in his name.

In Greek mythology, Asclepius, son of Apollo and Coronis, was worshipped as a divine healer, standing between gods and mortals. His earliest images do not appear in Tricca, where his cult began, but on coins from Larissa in Thessaly, already in the 5th century BCE - showing him with staff, serpent, and calm healing presence.

Some scholars believe these portraits were inspired by Hippocrates himself, whose original oath begins:
“I swear by Apollo the physician,
and by Asclepius,
and by Hygieia and Panakeia…”

From Tricca to Epidaurus, from Kos to Pergamum, pilgrims sought cures, dreams, and hope in his sanctuaries, known as Asklepieia. Even Roman emperors, like Gordian III and Caracalla, placed him on their coins, honoring the god of healing.

Asclepius - where myth and medicine first met.

🎬 Money tells stories. I just let it speak.

This video is part of “Tales of Money”, my ongoing project to bring currency to life – with images, words, and sound.

👉 More coins & stories on TikTok:
@Tales_Of_Money

📌 Don’t forget to subscribe if you believe coins can speak.

#talesofmoney #asclepius #ancientmedicine #greekmythology #hippocrates #ancientcoins #numismatics #healing #history #archeology #fyp #pergamon