The place where Epidaurus is located has always been dedicated to healing. Since the early Mycenaean times (16th century BC), it was revered as the domain of Maleatas, a god believed to possess healing powers. According to legend, his tomb is on Kinortion, a hill on whose slopes the famous theatre was later built.
Over the centuries, the old deities were replaced by the Olympian gods. The attributes and roles of the old gods were taken over by the new gods, and the healing power of Maleatas was transferred to Apollo, henceforth known as Apollo Maleatas. The remains of his sanctuary were discovered on Kinortion in 1948.
Later, in the valley at the foot of Kinortion, a new sanctuary dedicated to Asclepius was established. The exact timing of its establishment is unknown.
Founded. The 6th century BC is mentioned. The oldest inscriptions that can be seen in the museum today date back to the 4th century BC, but that was a period when the sanctuary was already at its peak. In the 1st century BC, it was plundered by Sulla and Sicilian pirates. A new flourishing in the 2nd century will be brought by the Roman senator Antoninus Pius, who restores old and builds new buildings. The sanctuary comes to an end when it was destroyed by the Goths in 395. Finally, in 426, Theodosius II prohibits pilgrimages, and earthquakes in 522 and 551 level the sanctuary to the ground.
The first excavations were carried out in 1829 by a French scientific expedition, and the Greek Archaeological Society, founded in 1837, continued the excavations so that from 1870 to 1926, all the most important buildings in Epidaurus were discovered. The Greek archaeologist Kavvadhias is credited as the most deserving.
Plan of the complex in Epidaurus: 1. Propylaea; 2. Temple of Aphrodite; 3. Cistern; 4. Stoa; 5. Baths; 6. Baths; 7. Temple of Asclepius; 8. Tholos; 9. Abaton; 10. Temple of Artemis; 11. Palestra; 1 2. High school; 13. Roman Odeon; 14. Bathrooms; 15. Stadium; 16. Inn; 17. Theater
Asclepius
There are many myths about his birth. One of these myths was recorded by Pausanias (2nd century). When the Thessalian king Phlegyas came to the Peloponnese, he was accompanied by his daughter Coronis, hiding from her father that she was carrying Apollo’s child. She secretly gave birth on Mount Titius, and the care of the child was taken over by a goat and a shepherd’s dog. The shepherd Arestanas noticed that one goat and a dog were missing, so he went in search of them. He found them with the child, but when he tried to take the child, he saw a light around him and stepped back out of fear that it was a divine matter. Soon it was rumored that the boy could find a cure for every illness.
He learned the art of medicine from his father Apollo, but also from the centaur Chiron, who revealed to him the medicinal properties of plants. Legends say that his skill was so great that he could not only heal from any illness but even bring back the dead. Therefore, Hades, the god of the underworld, Many people complained to Zeus that Asklepije was “stealing subjects” from them. Zeus decided to punish Asklepije, as a disruptor of the order reigning in the world, by killing him with a lightning bolt, but then revived him.
Propylaea
In ancient times, there were two roads leading to the sanctuary. One started in the old Epidaurus, a city on the coast, and passed between the Tition and Kinortion hills. It took a pedestrian three hours to cover that distance. The other road started in the city of Argos. Both roads merged in front of the sanctuary and led visitors towards the monumental entrance – the propylaea. The role of the propylaea was symbolic, as the sanctuary had no protective walls. A carriage could not pass through them, so one had to enter on foot. The sacred path that led from the propylaea to Asklepius’s temple was built by the architect Theodotus between 380 and 375 BC.
Asclepius inherited the power of prophecy from his father Apollo. One of his symbols was the prophetic snake. It revealed to him the secrets hidden in the land, as well as the mystery of life and death. The snake has always been Asclepius was a renowned figure in ancient Greek mythology and was considered the god of healing and medicine. He was often depicted with a snake wrapped around a staff, which symbolized his association with rejuvenation and shedding of old skin for new, youthful skin. It is said that the snakes associated with Asclepius were small and light red in color, and they lived only in the area of Epidaurus.
Asclepius had three sons and two daughters. His sons, Machaon and Podaleirius, were not only commanders in the Trojan War but also renowned physicians. Machaon treated the wounded Menelaus, while Telesphorus, the third son, had the power to speed up healing. Panacea, one of his daughters, possessed the ability to cure all diseases, and Hygieia bestowed health. Asclepius’ contributions to pain relief were complemented by his wife, Epione.
During Homer’s time, Asclepius was not considered a god, and Homer referred to him as a mortal who lived during the Trojan War and was the king of Thessaly. However, his reputation as a healer grew over time, eventually elevating him to the status of the god of medicine. The Athenians introduced his cult during the plague in 429 BC, while the Romans followed suit in 293 BC, also during a plague. Following the advice of the Delphi Oracle, the cult of Asclepius spread from Rome. Asklepios went to Epidaurus to seek help. Legend has it that Asklepios boarded their ship in the form of a snake. When the ship sailed into the Tiber River, the snake left the ship and went to an island. The Romans built a temple on that island in honor of Asklepios, and the disease suddenly disappeared.
The Temple of Asklepios
The Temple of Asklepios was just the heart of the sanctuary, with other buildings erected around it. Due to its beautiful decorations, it was considered one of the most remarkable ancient temples. It was built over a period of five years (380-375 BC), with Teodot as the architect and supervisor of the works. The dimensions of the temple were 24.5 x 13.2 m. The temple was surrounded by Doric columns, with six columns on the shorter sides and eleven columns on the longer sides. It stood elevated on a platform (krepidoma), and the entrance was on the eastern side – accessed via a ramp or stairs.
The interior facade of the temple was adorned with two propylaea columns that led to the main part of the temple – the cella. and ivory. It depicted him sitting on a throne with a gentle expression on his face, holding a scepter in one hand (like Zeus in Olympia), and the other hand resting on the head of a divine snake. Beside the throne lay a dog, the sacred animal of Asclepius. This statue no longer exists, but its appearance is known to us from coins found in excavations, from votive reliefs found in the sanctuary, and from descriptions by Pausanias.
A short paved road led from Asclepius’ temple to a sacred fountain whose waters were used for purification. Today, only its base remains.
The painting “A Sick Child Brought to Asclepius’ Temple” by John William Waterhouse, oil on canvas, 1877. The painting is currently owned by the Society for Visual Arts, London.
Enkoimesis – healing in sleep
Visitors would approach the sanctuary through the grand entrance – propylaea. The memorial plaque contained basic instructions for the faithful:
“When you enter the divine dwelling
fragrant with incense, you must “I will be pure,
and the thought is pure when you think piously.”
The sanctuary itself was surrounded by a wall, and an ancient law stated that no one should be born or die within the consecrated area. That is why the katagogion, the lodging where visitors stayed, was located outside of this wall.
From the propylaea, the holy path led to the Temple of Asclepius, where the magnificent statue of Asclepius was located. Next to the temple was a holy fountain, of which only its base remains today; it is assumed that its waters were used for symbolic cleansing of patients. Near the temple, there was also an altar; it was the duty of the pilgrims to offer sacrifices to Apollo and Asclepius.
Tolos (Timel)
To the west, slightly south of the Temple of Asclepius, lies the most beautiful and at the same time the most mysterious building of the sanctuary. Pausanias called it a tolos, and in ancient records, it is called a timel. Only the circular structure with a diameter of 13.36 meters remains from the tolos itself, consisting of three concentric circles of large stones. nih blocks. It represents a kind of labyrinth because to reach the center of the circle, one must pass through each of the circles. The purpose of this structure is unknown. Interestingly, during excavations of the Asclepion sanctuary in Pergamon, a circular structure of this type was also found. Legend has it that Asclepius’ symbol, the snakes, live in this underground labyrinth, which itself is shaped like a coiled snake.
The labyrinth is several centuries older than the entire building. It was located beneath the floor of the circular cella, and access to this underground sanctuary was closed off by a movable white stone in the center of the cella.
Tolos was built in the 4th century BC, during the peak of the sanctuary’s prosperity. The architect was Polyclitus, the nephew of the famous Argive sculptor of the same name, and it took thirty years to complete. Tolos also had two circular colonnades that surrounded the cella from the outside and inside. The outer colonnade was made up of 26 Doric columns, while the inner one had 14 Corinthian columns. Between them was a wall that was covered in black and white marble on both the inside and outside. Among the relief palms, vines, and wreaths, archaeologist Kavvadhias managed to assemble a part of the tolos from thousands of collected pieces.
Palestra – South of the Temple of Artemis, there was a covered building called palestra, where athletes would practice when the weather didn’t allow outdoor training.
Gymnasium – South of the palestra, there is another large building – the gymnasium (75.57 x 69.53 m). It served as a training ground where athletes trained under the supervision of special coaches, as well as patients for whom exercise was prescribed as therapy. In Roman times, the gymnasium apparently did not serve its purpose, as a small theatre – odeon, was built inside it, most likely at the end of the 3rd century.
Falling asleep in the abaton, a child suffering from kidney stones was approached by a deity who asked what they would give to the sanctuary once they were cured. The child replied that they would give their little stones for playing. The records say that the deity laughed and healed the child.
We learn most about Asclepius’ miracles from the The memorial plaque (stela), or votive inscriptions, tell stories of the healed about their healing. To this day, about seventy described miracles have been preserved.
Abaton
North of the temple and the tolos, along its entire length (75 x 9.5 m), there is an abaton, a place where the sick spent the night. Along the southern side is a stoa, a portico, with a double row of Ionic columns. The shorter, eastern part was built in the 4th century BC, while the longer, western part was built in the 3rd century BC. At the end of the eastern stoa, there was a deep well. The water was probably considered holy, as it had an important symbolic role in purifying the soul.
VOTIVE INSCRIPTIONS
A mute child came to the sanctuary to pray to the god for a voice. After performing all the preparatory sacrifices and rituals, the priest turned to the child’s father and asked him, “Do you promise, if your child is healed, to bring a gift for healing within a year?” “I promise,” the child suddenly replied.
Pandharos from Thessaly had stains on his forehead. While sleeping in the ab Aton had a vision: God wrapped a ribbon around his forehead and commanded him to leave the abaton, remove the ribbon, and dedicate it in the temple. When morning came, he got up from bed and took off the ribbon. His forehead was completely clean. Stains remained on the ribbon. He then donated it to the temple.
The temple of Artemis – South of the temple of Asclepius was the temple of Apollo’s sister, the goddess Artemis. With dimensions of 13.5 x 9.6 m, it was the second largest temple in the entire sanctuary. The facade with six Doric columns faced east, and twelve Ionic columns ran along the three inner sides of the cella.
Stadium
The sanctuary was not only a religious center. The palestra, gymnasium, baths, and stadium formed a complete athletic complex. The stadium, built in the 4th century BC, was quite destroyed. The track was one stadion long (181 meters). Stone benches lined both longitudinal sides. On the northern side, there was an arched passage through which the athletes entered the stadium, while the spectators entered from the southern side. On one of the shorter sides, Ana can be seen the starting line, the place where the runners stood before the race began. The position of each runner was marked by small pillars.
The Epidaurian Games, known as the Asclepia, were held every four years between April and June. Although they did not have a panhellenic character, they were highly respected. Competitions in running, as well as music and poetry competitions, were held here.
In ancient times, all healings were attributed solely to the deity, but over the centuries, the priests themselves became more involved in treatment. All cult customs were maintained, but before enkoimesis, the priests would examine the patient’s illness and give them basic instructions. In the morning, the patient would tell their dream, and the priests, using their medical knowledge, would interpret the divine instructions and prescribe therapy. Plants were introduced into the treatment, and one of the most common therapies became the one with hot and cold baths, which were built for that purpose in later times.
Theater
Due to With its elegance, proportion harmony, and acoustics, this is the best-constructed theater of the entire antiquity. From its higher rows, there is a beautiful view of the gentle landscape of Epidaurus.
The work of architect Polykleitos, it was created in the 4th century BC. After passing through the magnificent entrance, parodos, one comes to the orchestra, a circular stage with a diameter of 20m, in the center of which was an altar. The orchestra housed the choir. Acoustics always require very complex techniques, especially in the open air, and in this masterpiece of architecture, whispers in the orchestra can be heard even in the highest rows.
The Epidaurus theater never underwent the changes that other ancient theaters did during the Roman period. As the type of drama and performance methods changed, the stage was moved closer to the audience and the circle of the orchestra was inevitably cut in half. Therefore, the theater in Epidaurus represents a unique example of an ancient theater.
The auditorium was divided into two parts, higher and lower, by a paved passage; the lower part had two rows of seats while the higher… 1st row, and higher than 34th. Spectators entered the lower rows through the parados and then climbed to their rows using radial stairs. Experts believe that the higher section was added later to increase the seating capacity from 6200 to 12300.
Since 1954, this theater has been hosting a festival every summer, featuring ancient Greek tragedies and comedies.
The fame of Epidaurus, the most famous healing center in the Hellenic world, did not fade even during Roman times. Countless patients sought a cure for their illnesses here, and since the offerings they left were exclusively within the sanctuary, many buildings were erected in Epidaurus renowned for their beauty. However, only ruins remain of these magnificent buildings, as pale traces of the former grandeur and significance of this place.
Sanctuary of Apollo Maleatas
On the hill of Kinortion, about one kilometer from the theater, there are remains of the sanctuary of Apollo Maleatas. This sanctuary is very old, dating back to the Mycenaean period (4th and 3rd centuries). The healing sanctuary of Epidauros was built in the 4th century BC, and it lasted until Roman times. Maleatas, as a healer and physician, independent of Apollo, was worshipped in many parts of Greece.
On three terraces, there were altars and temples. The most famous buildings were the temple of Apollo, the temple dedicated to the Muses, the colonnade, and the houses where the priesthood resided. Excavations of this sanctuary are unfinished, and we still do not have a complete picture of it.
This ancient healing and cultural center, now most famous for its ancient theater and dramatic festival held in it every summer, was primarily a beneficial place for restoring lost harmony – health.