TELESPHOROS
Greek Name
Τελεσφορος
Transliteration
Telesphoros
Latin Spelling
Telesphorus
Translation
Accomplisher
TELESPHOROS (Telesphorus) was the god of convalescence who "brought to fulfillment" recuperation from illness and injury. He was depicted on ancient coins and reliefs as a boy wearing a wide cloak and low hood or Phrygian cap, and sometimes holding a scroll or tablet in his hands.
Telesphoros had his own temple, the Telesphorion (Telesphorium), in the precinct of Asklepios (Asclepius) at Pergamon in Anatolia. He was also recognised as one of the healing gods at the Asklepian sanctuary of Epidauros.
Telesphoros was also named Akesis and as such his female counterpart was the minor goddess Akeso.
PARENTS
Presumably a son of ASKLEPIOS, though nowhere stated
ENCYCLOPEDIA
TELE′SPHORUS (Telesphoros), that is, "the completing," is the name of a medical divinity who is mentioned now and then in connection with Asclepius. Pausanias (ii. 11. § 7) says : "In the sanctuary of Asclepius at Titane sacrifices are offered to Euamerion, to whom a statue is there erected; and, if I am not mistaken, this Euamerion is called at Pergamus Telesphorus, and at Epidaurus Acesis."
Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
ALTERNATE NAMES & TITLES
Greek Name
Ακεσις
Ευαμεριων
Transliteration
Akesis
Euameriôn
Latin Spelling
Acesis
Euaemerion
Translation
Healing, Cure
Prosperous
CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES
Pausanias, Description of Greece 2. 11. 4 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :
"Alexanor, the son of Makhaon (Machaon), the son of Asklepios (Asclepius), came to Sikyonia and built the sanctuary of Asklepios at Titane . . . There are images [within the shrine] also of Alexanor and of Euamerion; to the former they give offerings as to a hero after the setting of the sun; to Euamerion, as being a god, they give burnt sacrifices. If I conjecture aright, the Pergamenes, in accordance with an oracle, call this Euamerion Telesphoros (Accomplisher) while the Epidaurians call him Akesis (Cure)."
SOURCES
GREEK
- Pausanias, Description of Greece - Greek Travelogue C2nd A.D.
OTHER SOURCES
Other references not currently quoted here: Inscriptiones Graecae 22.4533.27, Corpus Scriptionum Graecum 6753.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.