- An excavation within Laodicea uncovered a 2,100-year-old statue head of the goddess Hygieia.
- Revered as the goddess of health and cleanliness, statues of Hygieia were often located at key healing centers and temples.
- Discovering a piece of a Hygieia statue further cements Laodicea’s status as a prominent cultural center in the first century B.C.
The goddess of health, Hygieia, must be thrilled to have her head—in this case, the head of a statue—pulled from the dusty ruins of an ancient amphitheater after 2,100 years.
An archeological team helped with the restoration of the amphitheater in Laodicea, a project that started in 2003. Upon finding the ancient statue head of Hygieia, Celal Simsek—a researcher from Pamukkale University—called it an incredible find. Writing on X, Simsek calls the discovery “the meeting of the Sun and Hygieia with us in Laodicea after 2,100 years.”
Hygieia was a prominent figure in both ancient Greek and Roman mythology—she was the daughter of Asclepius, the god of medicine. Hygieia (from whose name we get the word ‘hygiene’) was known as the goddess of health and cleanliness, and statues of her cropped up in healing centers and alongside temples dedicated to Asclepius.
The work in Laodicea had previously unearthed a statue of Aslepius, so discovering the head of Hygieia added to the existing excitement. “Both statues were made in the late Hellenistic-early Augusts Period in the classical style,” Simsek said, according to Hurriyet Daily News. “The statues of the god and goddess of health reveal the presence of the Herophileion medical school in the ancient city of Laodicea and the ancient writer Strabo, one of the important doctors trained there. All statues have very fine workmanship and are of high artistic quality.”
Originally known as “Laodicea on the edge of the Lycus,” the ancient Greek city—located in what is now southwestern Turkey, outside of modern-day Denizli—likely rose to prominence after its founding by Antiochus II around 261 B.C. Tucked against the south side of the Lycus River, the city’s success was in part thanks to its location both near the river and along a major overland trade route. It didn’t stay in Greek hands long and was soon conquered by the Romans. Laodicea is also well known as the home of one of the seven churches discussed in the Bible, and shares proximity to other prominent Biblical cities (such as sitting roughly 100 miles east of Ephesus).
In its heyday, the city was believed to have housed the largest stadium in Asia Minor, two theaters, four baths, five fountains, and a bounty of temples, churches, and decorative streetscapes. Archaeologists have said that city was largely build and decorated in the Roman style, heavy with colonnades and extravagance.
But none of it lasted, likely thanks to earthquakes. One struck the city in 60 A.D. while Nero ruled, and while the city was largely rebuilt, additional earthquakes around 494 A.D. and 602 A.D. made living in the area difficult—especially as the political landscape shifted with the ground. It is later believed Laodicea was destroyed fully during the invasion of the Turks and Mongols.
Tim Newcomb is a journalist based in the Pacific Northwest. He covers stadiums, sneakers, gear, infrastructure, and more for a variety of publications, including Popular Mechanics. His favorite interviews have included sit-downs with Roger Federer in Switzerland, Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles, and Tinker Hatfield in Portland.
