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Epione (pronounced “ep-ee-own-A”) is the Greek goddess of soothing pain. She is married to Asclepius (Greek god of medicine). All of their children involve healthcare in some shape or form. Not much is known about Epione. This is because the majority of the temples and artwork have been destroyed due to her homeland being raided numerous times throughout history.
Many people know well of Asclepius (the snake and the staff you commonly see around American hospitals for example is a symbol commonly associated with Asclepius). However, I often get puzzled looks when I mention Epione. I have tried countless times to find a statue or at least a painting of Epione from the old decades of Greece, but all of my efforts have been futile. I actually found out about her whenever I went hunting for medicine-related gods from different pantheons.
I have chronic pain myself and worked in a pain clinic for a brief period of time. Most of the patients were there for were genetic (such as Ehlers danlos syndrome) or because of a terrible accident (like a car accident). It was a tiny pain clinic and I noticed the doctor who worked there had a statue of Asclepius. I remember pulling him aside and asking if he knew about Epione. He did not, so I had fun explaining Epione to him. A few days later, I gave him a small art piece of mine that was dedicated to Epione for him to have in the staff lounge as a colorful piece to have in the office.
I see myself as a devotee of Epione (despite very little formal information existing about her). My daily prayers often involve asking for relief from my own chronic pain and soothe those currently going through pain. I do believe I’ve gotten a miracle from her, relating to one of my own medicines that I thought I could in no way afford (yet appeared on my doorstep with no clear explanation as to why the pharmacy delivered it to my house).
