Aesculapius /es′kyo͝olā″pē·əs/ , the ancient Greek god of medicine. According to legend, Aesculapius, the son of Apollo, was trained by the centaur Chiron in the art of healing; he became so proficient that he not only cured sick patients but also restored the dead to life. Because Zeus feared that Aesculapius could help humans escape death altogether, he killed the healer with a bolt of lightning. Later, Aesculapius was raised to the stature of a god and was worshipped also by the Romans, who believed he could prevent pestilence. Serpents were regarded as sacred by Aesculapius, and he is symbolized in modern medicine by a staff with a serpent entwined about it. See also staff of Aesculapius.
