Another incredible day on our tour! Epidavros contains the famous Theatre and a tour of the healing center dedicated to the demi-God Asklepios. The healing and religious centers dedicated to him were called Asklepions. The one in Epidavros is the largest, but there were many around Greece.
Asklepios was a mortal physican defied by Zeus after his death for bring a patient back to life. He is usually shown holding a staff with a snake coiled around the staff and with a dog at his side. The dog and the snake are signs of wisdom. The snake was seen as sacred because they could slough their skins and useful for poisions. The coiled snake is part of the symbol of medicine even today!
Our guide, Patty, told us that very ill people and pregnant women were not allowed at the Asklepions. The reason is they could die and this would give your healing center a bad reputation. Smart Greeks! She also told me that before Christainity, Hades was not a bad thing.
Hades is the God that ruled the underworld, but the term Hades is also associated as the underworld. Our guide, Patty told me the term Hades did not have a negative connotation as in burning in hell, until after Christianity took over. Before that Hades was just were souls went when they died. The God Hades wanted Asklepios dead because he could bring souls back to the mortal world, which lowered the number of people for Hades to rule over. So, Hades asked his brother Zeus to kill Askelpios.
Snakes were allowed to slither around the floor in all Askelpions. These snakes were non-poisionus and harmless. The therapy prescribed to most patients was fresh air, limited diet, lots of sleep, massages, etc. It sounds like a nice relaxing spa treatment. The patients brought gifts and payment to the Asklepions which helped build the great Theatre of Epidavros
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