Asklepios (Asclepius in Latin) was married to Epione, with whom he had six daughters: Hygieia, Meditrine, Panacea, Aceso, Iaso, and Aglaea, and three sons: Machaon, Telesphoros, and Podalirius.

Apollo the sun god was always in the sky during the day, and shone his light and warmth on the Earth and in that way gave plants their life and was a God of Health. (With the Light, the Greeks could see: thus he is also the God of Reason.

Up in his Ivory Tower, he is the God of Academia!

But he fell in love with an earthly woman, Coronis.

He was not really there for her, as he was always in his sky world.

Apollo appointed a crow to watch Coronis, lest she took an earthly lover.

In those days according to the myth, all the crows and ravens were white!

 Tiring of his absence, she fell in love with Ischys, son of Elatus.

 But unknown to the sun-god, she was pregnant with Asklepios by

Apollo!

 The crow informed Apollo of the affair and he sent his sister, Artemis, to kill Coronis. Her body was burned on a funeral pyre, staining the white feathers of the crows permanently black.

 Since then all the crows and ravens have been black!

 Apollo rescued the baby performing the first caesarean section and gave him the name “Asklepios” meaning, ”snatched from the jaws of death”.

Being unable to care for the child because of his sky duties, Apollo gave his son to the centaur Chiron to raise.

Chiron was the first herbalist and wandered the woods and fields of Greece looking for medicinal and healing herbs.

He was blessed by possessing a very friendly temperament. (Perhaps a good physician is also a friend of all who come to see him of her!)

He was said to be wounded in one foot, and all physicians are reminded that they are wounded!

The lesson is to discover that we are wounded, face that which wounds us and be healed from our wounds lest we wound others.

Asklepios become a loved son and apprentice.

Hopefully he did value the reasoning of his father Apollo.

Chiron taught Asklepios the art of surgery, teaching him to be the most well-respected doctor of his day.

According to the Pythian Odes of Pindar, Chiron also taught him the use of drugs, incantations and love potions.

The name, "serpent-bearer," refers to the Rod of Asklepios, which was entwined with a single serpent. This symbol has now become a symbol for physicians across the globe. However, one should be careful not to confuse the Staff of Asklepios, which features a single serpent wrapped around a rough-hewn branch, with the Caduceus of Mercury (Roman), or the Karykeion of Hermes.

A doctor needs to combine the qualities of passion and reason.