Diophantos’ hymn to Asklepios for curing his gout
IG II3 4 837 Date: mid-2nd century AD
By Diophantos (son of Diophantos) of Sphettos:
I, your dear temple attendant (zakoros), say these things to you:
o Asklepios, child of Leto’s son,[2] how will I come to your golden
(5) hall, o blessed, desired one,
o divine head, when I lack the feet,
with which I hitherto came to your temple,
unless you should earnestly wish
to heal me and lead me back in,
(10) so that I might look upon you, my god,
who are more joyous than spring-time earth?
*
I, Diophantos, address these prayers to you:
Save me, blessed, strongest one,
by healing my terrible gout (podagran),
(15) in the name of your father, to whom I pray greatly,
for not one of the mortals on Earth
could provide resolution to such pains.
Only you, blessed divine, are strong enough,
for the entirely supreme gods provided you,
(20) as a great gift, the compassionate one,
to mortals, resolution of pains.[3] *
Thrice-blessed, o Paian Asklepios, by your skill
is Diophantos, healed of an incurable, terrible affliction,
no longer seen as crab-footed, nor
(25) walking as if on savage thorns, but sound footed, just as you promised.