A remedy for all ills or diseases; a cure-all; a universal medicine.
In Greek mythology, Panacea was a goddess of healing. She was the daughter of Asclepius and Epione. Panacea and her five sisters each performed a facet of Apollo’s art: Panacea was the goddess of cures, Iaso was the goddess of recuperation, Hygieia was the goddess of disease prevention, Aceso was the goddess of recovery, and Aglaea was the goddess of natural beauty.
Panacea was said to have a poultice or potion with which she healed the sick. This brought about the concept of the panacea in medicine, a substance meant to cure all diseases. The term is also used figuratively as something intended to completely solve a large, multi-faceted problem.
A river in Thrace – also known as the historical region Moesia – was named after the goddess, and is still known as the river Panega – known in Greece as the Panakeia.
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