Many community members have been reading Gregory Nagy’s “The Last Words of Socrates in the Place Where He Died” on H24H Dialogues. In that post he explores the meaning of sacrificing a rooster to Asklepios. We are happy to share a curated selection of resources designed to help readers explore this topic in greater depth and make new connections.
Primary Texts
Plato, Phaedo (in English)
Plato, Phaedo (in Greek)
Plato, Apology of Socrates (in English)
Plato, Apology of Socrates (in Greek)
Pindar, Pythian 3 (in English)
Pindar, Pythian 3 (in Greek)
Ovid, Metamorphoses 15.622–679
Images
Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus (via UNESCO)
Asklepios
Asklepios via theoi.com
Word Search
Ἀσκλήπιος, ‘Asklepios’ lemma search via Perseus Under Philologic
φάρμακον, ‘drug, cure’ lemma search via Perseus Under Philologic
ἀλεκτρυών, ‘cock, rooster’ lemma search via Perseus Under Philologic
Son of Asklepios in Homeric Epic
But fair-haired Menelaos reassured him and said, “Take heart, and do not alarm the people; [185] the arrow has not struck me in a mortal part, for my outer belt of burnished metal first stayed it, and under this my cuirass and the belt of mail which the bronze-smiths made me.”
And powerful Agamemnon answered, “I trust, dear Menelaos, that it may be even so, [190] but the surgeon shall examine your wound and lay herbs [pharmakon, pl.] upon it to relieve your pain.”
He then said to Talthybios, “Talthybios, tell Makhaon, son to the great physician, blamelessAsklepios, [195] to come and see Menelaos immediately. Some Trojan or Lycian archer has wounded him with an arrow to our grief [penthos], and to his own great glory [kleos].”
Talthybios did as he was told, and went about the army of warriors, [200] trying to find Makhaon. Presently he found him standing amid the brave warriors who had followed him from horse-pasturing Tricca; then he went up to him and said, “Son of Asklepios, powerful King Agamemnon says [205] you are to come and see warlike Menelaos immediately. Some Trojan or Lycian archer has wounded him with an arrow to our grief [penthos] and to his own great glory [kleos].”
Thus did he speak, and Makhaon was moved to go. They passed through the vast army of the Achaeans [210] and went on till they came to the place where fair-haired Menelaos had been wounded and was lying with the chieftains gathered in a circle round him. Makhaon passed into the middle of the ring and at once drew the arrow from the belt, bending its barbs back through the force with which he pulled it out. [215] He undid the burnished belt, and beneath this the cuirass and the belt of mail which the bronze-smiths had made; then, when he had seen the wound, he wiped away the blood and applied some soothing drugs [pharmakon, pl.] which Cheiron had given toAsklepios out of the good will he bore him.
(Iliad IV 184–219)