The goddess Cybele is not strictly a goddess of medicine, but she is linked to health through her role as a great mother goddess (Magna Mater) associated with fertility, protection of the body, and the cycles of life. In antiquity, these domains were closely connected to healing. Her cult was introduced into Rome during a period of crises and disease to protect the city, which gave her a dimension of collective health protection. Unlike Asclepius, the true god of medicine, Cybele rather represents regeneration, nature, and vital forces, which explains her indirect association with healing, especially in more modern symbolic or holistic interpretations.
Musée de la Médecine
