Asclepius was the god of medicine and healing. His cult was very popular in the classical era with many shrines and temples established throughout Greece and its colonies. The god's cult center was the sanctuary of Epidauros which purported to cure supplicants of their ills. The Asklepiades, an ancient guild of doctors, were ministers of the god. In Greek sculpture, Asclepius was usually depicted as a bearded man holding a serpent-entwined staff.
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