Erythraean Paean to Aesculapius

Ἐρυθραῖος Παιὰν πρὸς Ἀσκληπιόν

The Erythraean Paean to Aesculapius is a cult hymn addressed to the healing god Asclepius. It survives as one of several paean inscriptions from the major healing sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus. Its designation as "Erythraean" likely indicates an origin or association with the cult of Asclepius in the city of Erythrae, either in Ionia or Boeotia. Preserved epigraphically, the work survives directly on stone from the sanctuary, with its two passages transmitted archaeologically in a complete state rather than through a medieval manuscript tradition.

The hymn's verses invoke and praise Asclepius, celebrating his divine genealogy as the son of Apollo and the nymph Coronis, born in the land of the Phlegyans. It names his illustrious children—the healers Machaon and Podalirius, the goddesses Iaso, Aegle, Panacea, and Epione—who serve alongside the famed Hygieia, or Health. The communal ritual function of the paean is clear in its closing supplication, where the worshippers ask the god to come graciously to their wide-spaced city and grant them the joy of seeing the sunlight in good health, worthy and accompanied by glorious Hygieia. This paean is a primary source for understanding the performance and dedication of hymns within the cult of Asclepius. As part of the Epidaurian collection, it provides crucial evidence for personal and communal religious expression, ritual healing practices, and the networked diffusion of cults across the Hellenistic and Roman Greek world.