Epidaurus: The Healing Center
- Ancient sanctuary to the healing god Asclepius
- Site of ancient theater recently restored in the 20th century
- Remains of 4th century church discovered at entrance to site
Located to the south of Athens in the northeastern part of the Peloponnese, Epidaurus was best known in the ancient world for its temple to the healing god Asclepius. Besides the sanctuary to the deity, Epidaurus also had a theater (which has been remodeled) and other buildings to serve ancient pilgrims to the site. Of interest to modern visitors of the site are the remains of a 4th century church at the entrance to the site, an example of a common trend in Greece of converting parts of ancient Greek sanctuaries to Christian places of worship.
The site of Epidaurus was first the location of a sanctuary founded c. 500BC to the god Apollo. By the fourth century BC, however, Epidaurus focused on the healing god Asclepius. At first described as a mortal in the works of Homer, Asclepius later was depicted as the son of Apollo. As a center of healing, the sick came to Epidaurus from all over the Greek world hoping to be healed. Each visitor would first leave a gift for the god (normally in the shape of the body part ailing him or her) and then would proceed to the temple of Asclepius, where the patient would sleep overnight and would wait for a visitation by the god in a dream. The site suffered greatly after being despoiled by the Roman general Sulla in 86BC. Although it continued to function under the Roman Empire, Epidaurus’ function as a sanctuary ended in the fourth century AD, when it was gradually shut down in the face of the spread of Christianity.
In addition to the temple, many other buildings were located on site. Because large amounts of people often visited the site at the same time, other structures (lodging, gymnasia, etc.) were needed for the pilgrims. Furthermore, Epidaurus was the location of the Asclepieia, an important athletic and music festival. A 14,000 seat theater was built in the fourth century BC for the musical contests and still is used for many modern performances. Acoustics are so good in the theater than a coin dropped in the center of the orchestra at the bottom of the theater can be heard in the very top seats. Also of interest are the remains of a fourth century AD church built at the very entrance of the site, signifying the change from the worship of Asclepius to Christianity.
Read about Mycenae >>
