By: Susan-Marie Cronkite, PhD.
H
ygeia is a Greek goddess, one of the 5 daughters of Asklepius, and the personification of health. She was central to the cult of Asklepius, worshipped alongside her father, as a figure of personal and community health. Hygeia was considered important in the prevention of disease and plagues. Her cult came to prominence in the 5th century BCE when the abatement of the Great Plague of Athens (430 – 427 BCE) was attributed to her intervention.
The modern word ‘hygiene’ is derived from her name.
