Epidavros Sites of Interest: The Sanctum of Asklepios

 

In the picturesque valley with its magical environment, where there were natural and healing springs, the sanctum of Asklepios (or Asklipios or even Asclepius) was built in ancient times.  It developed, over the years, to become the most famous therapeutic center where many of the patients gathered, having come from everywhere, to be healed by the god "Deliverer", as they called him.  Symbols of the Asklepios were the snake, the stick, and the pot of therapeutic fluid.

 

In the valley, at first there existed a prehistoric settlement.  The king of Epidavros "Malo" built there the first sanctuary in honor of Apollo of Maleata.  According to the local tradition, Asklepios was the son of Apollo and Koronis, daughter of the king of Thessaly, Flegias.  It should be noted here that Apollo killed his beloved Koronis while she was pregnant with Asklepios, because he was told by a crow, white feathered so far, that she was unfaithful to him and planned to marry a mortal man.  The crow, bearer of bad news, was punished to have black feathers instead of the white ones and Koronis was killed by Apollo’s sister, Artemis, with her hunting arrows.  When the body was being cremated, according to the due procedure of the time, Apollo saved the boy out of his burning mother's womb and Asklepios survived to eventually become an expert therapist.

 

The influence of Asklepios, as the most important therapeutic god, brought huge economic power to the sanctuary during the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C., which made the immense construction project in the area possible.  The importance of the place was still considerable one thousand years later!