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Day 11: Epidavros
Day 11: Epidavros
Επίδαυρος
Επίδαυρος
After a short drive, we found ourselves in Epidavros on our way to Hydra, the site of one of the most famous healing centers of the ancient world. Like many sacred places on the Peloponnese, it began in the Mycenaean era as a sanctuary dedicated to Apollo and later to his son Asklepios, the god of medicine. For centuries, this was the Lourdes of ancient Greece, drawing pilgrims seeking cures for every imaginable ailment.
The complex once included medical facilities, mineral baths, housing for patients, athletic fields, and even a stadium. But its crown jewel—and the part that truly left us slack-jawed—is the ancient theater, the best-preserved in all of Greece. I was surprised to see that the elite seats actually had backs on them…quite the upgrade compared to the stone benches everywhere else!
We once again met our local guide, Patty Stikou, who demonstrated the theater’s famous acoustics (click to watch and hear a demonstration). She showed us how a person standing in the precise center can project their voice all the way to the top rows without amplification and that clapping would result in a reverberation as sound bounced between the surfaces of the theater. We scrambled up the stadium steps with childlike glee, taking in the sweeping view and imagining the crowds that once gathered here. It is incredible to realize that performances still take place in this very spot—thousands of years later, the theater is still living out its ethos.
Pro Tip: Climb to the top of the lower section for a great picture down to the theater floor.
The stadium once held about 15,000 spectators, all looking down onto the 70 foot-wide circular orchestra. At its center, a single stone marks the spot where a Dionysian altar once stood.
Above: The entrance to the theater
Right: At the top of the original Greek structure. The Romans added 21 additional rows above around 50 BC
Day 11: Archaeological Museum of the Asklepieion of Epidaurus
Day 11: Archaeological Museum of the Asklepieion of Epidaurus
Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Ασκληπιείου Επιδαύρου
Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Ασκληπιείου Επιδαύρου
Next, we wandered through the Archaeological Museum of Asklepieion Epidaurus. What began as a temple to Apollo evolved into one of the ancient world’s most famous healing centers. Devotees came seeking cures from the priests of Asklepios, the god of medicine. You will recognize him by the staff entwined with a serpent, a symbol still used throughout the world to indicate a medical facility. The sanctuary thrived in the 4th-3rd centuries BC, and walking through the museum, you can still see the tools doctors used that are surprisingly familiar today. Even ancient prescriptions have survived, offering a fascinating glimpse into how the Greeks treated everything from aches to ailments.
Ancient medical instruments
A sign for those who could not read to know that this was the location for healing of the ears and hearing.
And of course, what would ancient Greek medicine be without a prescription for wine? One tablet even spells out, in surprising detail, which ailments were treated with this tasty “cure.” Exploring the museum, you can almost imagine patients following these remedies as faithfully as we might today—though hopefully with a bit less drama!
The tour group learning more about the various statues discovered during this site's excavation
Above: Statues of deities that Greeks prayed to for healing
Right: The marble on this Corinthian capital is striking—not just for the remarkably well-preserved carvings, but for a surprising translucence. Hold a light to it, and you can see it glow ever so slightly, adding an almost magical quality to the stonework.
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