InGreek mythology and religion, Panacea (Greek Πανάκεια, Panakeia), a goddess of universal remedy, was the daughter of Asclepius and Epione.
| Panacea | |
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Statue of Panacea in the Archaeological Museum of Dion.
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| Abode | Mount Olympus |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Asclepius and Epione |
| Siblings | Aceso, Aegle, Aratus, Hygieia, Iaso, Machaon, Podalirius, Telesphoros |
Panacea and her four sisters each performed a facet of Apollo's art:[1]
Panacea also had four brothers:
However, portrayals of the family were not always consistent; Panacea and her sisters each at times appear as Asclepius' wife instead.[2]
Panacea may have been an independent goddess before being absorbed into the Asclepius myth.[1]
Panacea traditionally had a poulticeorpotion with which she healed the sick.[citation needed] This brought about the concept of the panacea in medicine, a substance with the alleged property of curing all diseases. The term "panacea" has also come into figurative use as meaning "something used to solve all problems".[3]
The opening of the Hippocratic Oath mentions Panacea:[4]
Ὄμνυμι Ἀπόλλωνα ἰητρὸν καὶ Ἀσκληπιὸν καὶ Ὑγείαν καὶ Πανάκειαν καὶ θεοὺς πάντας τε καὶ πάσας ἵστορας ποιεύμενος ἐπιτελέα ποιήσειν κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ κρίσιν ἐμὴν ὅρκον τόνδε καὶ ξυγγραφὴν τήνδε. |
I swear, calling upon Apollo the physician and Asclepius, Hygeia and Panaceia and all the gods and goddesses as witnesses, that I will fulfill this oath and this contract according to my ability and judgment. |
A river in Thrace/Moesia took its name from the goddess, and is still known in modern Bulgaria as the river Zlatna Panega ("Golden Panega", from Greek panakeia).
[...] Asclepius can hardly be thought of without his feminine companions, his wife and daughters. There were Epione (the gentle one), Hygeia, Panacea, Iaso, and others, each of whom was at times wife and at other times daughter.
The dictionary definition of panacea at Wiktionary
