In Roman mythology, Salus is the goddess of wellbeing and prosperity, and in latin, Salus translates to 'health,' 'safety,' and 'welfare'. She was later identified with the Greek goddess of health, Hygieia. Salus was often depicted on Roman coins feeding a sacred serpent, a symbol associated with medicine and her father, the Roman healing god Aesculapius.
Salus was the daughter of Aesculapius, the demigod son of Apollo and the human princess Coronis. Aesculapius was the god of medicine and Salus' role was to feed her father's sacred snakes.
Although she was considered to be a minor goddess, in 302BC, a temple was dedicated to Salus during the Samnite wars by the censor C Junius Bubulcus Brutus on the Quirinal Hill in Rome, which would come to be recognised as the Salus Publica Populi Romani. Centuries later, this concept of 'salvation' and 'wellbeing' was adopted into Christian tradition, famously associated with the Salus Populi Romani icon, a venerated image of the Virgin Mary held as the protector of the city.
The image accompanying this text is of the Salus statue featured in the Getty Villa museum in Los Angelas. It was constructed between 200 and 250 A.D.
We chose Salus because her devotion to good health and welfare reflects the philosophy we're built on.
