Who Was the Goddess Hygieia?

Statue of Hygieia, “The Hope Hygieia” Roman, Imperial period, 130-161 CE Marble Hygieia, goddess of health, is feeding a snake from a shallow offering dish. In antiquity, the skin-shedding reptile was associated with rebirth and healing, and it is still used today as a symbol of the medical profession. Although originally Greek, the goddess’s worship-and that of her healing father Asklepios was embraced by the Romans as well. This Roman statue reproduces a lost Greek bronze of the 4th century BC