Editing Asclepius (section)

=== Birth ===
Asclepius was the son of Apollo and, according to the earliest accounts, a mortal woman named [[Coronis_(lover_of_Apollo)|Koronis]] (Coronis), who was a princess of [[Tricca]] in Thessaly.<ref>''[[Homeric Hymns|Homeric Hymn]] to Asclepius'' (16), [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0013.tlg016.perseus-eng1:16 1–4]; [[Diodorus Siculus]], [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/5D*.html#74.6 5.74.6]</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Asklepios.html | title=ASCLEPIUS (Asklepios) - Greek God of Medicine & Doctors }}</ref> When she displayed infidelity by sleeping with a mortal named [[Ischys]], Apollo found out with his prophetic powers and killed Ischys. Coronis was killed by [[Artemis]] for being unfaithful to Apollo and was laid out on a funeral pyre to be consumed, but Apollo rescued the child by cutting him from Coronis' womb.<ref>[[Pindar]], ''Pythian Odes'' 3.5</ref>

According to Delphian tradition, Asclepius was born in the temple of Apollo, with [[Lachesis]] acting as a midwife and Apollo relieving the pains of Coronis. Apollo named the child after Coronis' nickname, Aegle.<ref>Isyllus, ''Hymn to Asclepius''</ref>

Phoenician tradition maintains that Asclepius was born of Apollo without any woman involved.<ref>[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], 7.23.7</ref>

According to the Roman version, Apollo, having learned about Coronis' betrayal with the mortal Ischys through his raven [[Lycius (son of Clinis)|Lycius]], killed her with his arrows. Before breathing her last, she revealed to Apollo that she was pregnant with his child. He repented his actions and unsuccessfully tried to save her. At last, he removed their son safely from her belly before she was consumed by the fire.<ref>[[Ovid]], ''[[Metamorphoses]]'' 2.620</ref>

In yet another version, Coronis who was already pregnant with Apollo's child, had to accompany her father to [[Peloponnesos]]. She had kept her pregnancy hidden from her father. In [[Epidaurus]], she bore a son and exposed him on a mountain called ''Tittheion'' (from τίτθη "wet nurse", τιτθεύω "to suckle, breastfeed"). The child was given milk by one of the goats that pastured about the mountain, and was guarded by the watch-dog of the herd. Aresthanas, the owner of goats and the guard dogs found the child. As he came near, he saw lightning that flashed from the child, and thinking of it to be a sign of the divine, he left the child alone. Asclepius was later taken by Apollo.<ref>Pausanias, 2.26.1–7</ref>

According to [[Strabo]] and other traditions, the birthplace of Asclepius is considered to be [[Tricca]] (modern [[Trikala]] city in [[Thessaly]]).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Asklepios.html | title=ASCLEPIUS (Asklepios) - Greek God of Medicine & Doctors }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.worldhistory.org/Asclepius/ | title=Asclepius }}</ref>