In Greek mythology, Asclepius, the son of Apollo, was the god of medicine and healing. From about 350BC, the cult of Asclepius became increasingly widespread in Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. Seeking cures, pilgrims flocked to the many shrines and sanctuaries that flourished across the classical world. This head comes from the Roman city of Bulla Regia in northwestern Tunisia which became part of the Roman Empire in the 1st century AD. Two of the five daughters of Asclepius were Hygieia, goddess of health, cleanliness and sanitation, and Panacea, the goddess of the Universal Remedy which could cure all ills.