Asclepius. Hygeia and the numinous virtue of water

Water, especially from springs and rivers insofar as a basic element of nature and fertilizer of the earth, has always been looked on as playing a fairly important role for all human communities, from the earliest times and in all geographical contexts. This is because not only did it represent an all-important resource of water supply and nourishment on a physical level, as well as a key factor for the choice of location of settlements, but also because it was felt to be a generally positive and vital symbol of fertility and rebirth, of purification and recovery. Inscriptions and reliefs provide proof of the fact that Asclepius, a leading divinity within this salutary setting, is very often accompanied by a female figure with whom he shares the followers’ gratitude: Hygeia