Wikipedia Trail: From Callisto to Asclepius

The moon of Jupiter, Callisto, probably named for its celestial bod.

Callisto
Callisto was a nymph appearing in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. She was the daughter of Lycaon, legendary king of Arcadia. Callisto was a follower of Artemis until Zeus disguised himself to have sex with her. Artemis soon learned she was pregnant, however, and as punishment, Artemis turned her into a bear. Her son, Arcas, grew up without knowing his true parentage, but as fate would have it, he soon came face-to-face with his mother, the bear. He was poised to kill her when Zeus swept them both up into the sky, where they became the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.

Arcadia
A real place, but also a legendary place. As an ancient region, it was secluded and idyllic, home to herdsman living “unsophisticated yet happy lives.” This is why Arcadia came to refer to an idyllic paradise. Notable mythological Arcadians included Hermes, Atalanta, and Pan.

Pan
A non-Olympian Greek god of nature, shepherds and their flocks, and rustic music, which explains why he was said to live in the pastoral Arcadia. He is known for having the lower body and horns of a goat. His name became part of the modern lexicon in the word “panic,” as his shouts were said to cause mass terror. Pan is the only Greek god other than Asclepius who canonically died.

Asclepius
Asclepius was killed by Zeus for bringing a man back from the dead. A god (or demigod, depending) of healing and medicine, Asclepius was the son of Apollo and born from an ancient C-section. He became an incredibly proficient healer due to training by Chiron, surpassing both his mentor and his father (who was also a god of medicine). He was married to Epione, goddess of soothing pain, with whom he had five daughters, each representing a different facet of healing/health. Asclepius and his cult were famous for his temples, which functioned as early hospitals for those in need.

Image:
Callisto, photographed by NASA spacecraft. Web source.