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SANITAS;
Health, of which the Anci∣ents made a Deity: Pausanias shews us, that the Worshipping of the Goddess of Health was very common in Greece. Posita sunt Deorum signa Hygiae, quam filiam Aesculapii fuisse dicunt: & Minervae, cui itidem Hygiae, id est, Sospitae cogno∣mentum. by the first was plainly meant the Health of the Body, and by the other that of the Mind: He says elsewhere, that there was an Altar for Iason, Venus, Panacer, Health, and Minerva in the Temple of Amphiaraus: lason comes from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Sanatio; and Panacea in Greek is the same as Sanatio: They also make her to be Aesculapius his Daughter: Pliny in like manner says very well, that the Name of Panacea implies the Cure of all Distempers: The Pagans herein pretended to no more than to worship the Deity that bestowed and preserved Health. The Romans worshipped Health upon Mount Quirinal; by her Statue she is repre∣sented like a Roman Lady holding a Serpent crowned with medicinal Herbs in her Right-hand: She was covered with Hair which Women cut off in Honour of her; her Temple, as Pub∣lius Victor says, stood in the Sixth Division of the City of Rome, and Domitian erected a little Temple for her (after he had been freed from the Danger he was in upon Vitellius his coming to Rome) with this Inscription:
SALUTI AUGUSTI.
There is a Medalion in Relidro of Mar∣cus Aurelius, whereon is represented a Sacrifice made to Aesculapius under the Form of a Ser∣pent by Minerva, who holds a Cup covered with an Olive-Tree in her Hand, and before her ap∣pears Victory, holding a Basket full of Fruit.