Where was the European medicine born?

In Epidaurus since prehistoric era (2800-1800 π.Χ.)

• There a small sanctuary of a goddess developed out to a cult of Apollo (Maleatas),

• And finally during the 6th century BC to a cult of Asklepios, the god of medicine

What are the principal monuments of the site?

Tholosthe Stadium

• the temple of Asklepios, the Tholos and the Theatre. The vast site, with its temples and hospital buildings devoted to its healing gods Apollo, Asclepios, and Hygeia , provides valuable insight into the healing cults of Greek and Roman times

What was the cure process like?

•

• The healing center was a spring/φρέαρ nearby the god’s altar in Tholos where the supposedly incurable patients were purified. Then they spent several days having a special diet,, exercising to the nearby stadium and sleeping at the Enkoimeterion, where the sick awaited their cure. The purification was resembling to the god’s and nature’s revitalization and the sleep was a kind of death- a returning into the mother Earth the origin of life and reborn.

• The temple

How long did the sanctuary prosper?

• Despite pillaging by Sulla in 87 BC and by Cilician pirates, the restored sanctuary prospered during the Roman period and even after the prohibition of the ancient religion by the Christians in 426.A.C.The large amount of visitors led to the building of a “hotel ” called katagogeion between the shrine and the theatre

katagogeion (dormitories for patients, their companion and pilgrims

But why Epidaurus is famous of its theatre?

• Because the theatre, rightfully is considered one of the purest masterpieces of Greek architecture for its unique acoustics

• and because of its famous festival .Thanks to this festival the Epidaurus theatre has seen the rebirth of ancient drama more than half a century ago. Performances are in Greek with English subtitles

• The theatre was built by the architect Polykleitos the Younger in 340-330 B.C. and restored in 1954. It can set up to about 13,000 people. The seating section consists of 55 rows of seats divided into two by a gangway or promenade / diazoma.

• Between the edge of this and the first row of seats is a shallow channel for rain water. Between the stage buildings and the supporting walls of the theatre seats are two impressive gateways.

• In front of the theatre is the central area, or orchestra. This is a circular area where the chorus performed.

• On the far side of the orchestra were the stage buildings, including a raised area where the actors performed. This was known as the proscenium.

Many stars have performed on

these proscenium as

Maria Callas,Katina

Paxinou, Peter Hall, Pina Bausch, Nureyev, Fonteyn, Martha Graham, Kevin Spacey and

Alicia Alonso.

Mycenae

Who was the femme fatale of Ancient Greece?

• Helen of Troy. She was who caused the Trojan war and the Ulysses’ adventures. So she inspired the Homeric epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, the influence of which upon European literature and the arts has been profound for more than three millennia.

• As for Mycenae was indissolubly linked with the Homeric epics

And why is Mycenae so important to the European civilization?

• Mycenae and Tiryns represent the peak of the Mycenaean civilization, which laid the foundations for the evolution of later European cultures and had a profound effect on the development of classical Greek architecture and urban design, and consequently also on contemporary cultural forms.

When did Mycenaean civilization flourished?

• In the late Bronze Age (16th century BC). The peak of the Mycenaean civilization came in1400-1120 BC when strong citadels and elaborate palaces were built. Towards the end of this period a script, known as Linear B, came into use; the language used has been shown to be an early form of Greek, confirming that the Mycenaeans were Greek speakers

Which is the secret of the wall?

The lion gate.

• The Palace was constructed on the summit of the hill and surrounded by massive cyclopean walls with an amazing main entrance the lion gate. The walls powerful secret was an underground reservoir fortified in case that the town was besieged. The structure is admirable and resembles to the modern water provider systems in a town.

The Palace

Do you like horror films?• Then pay a visit to the tombs you may meet a

horrible woman

• A series of behive tombs were built during the Mycenaean period: the so-called Tomb of Aegisthos (c. 1500 BC), the Lion Tholos Tomb (c. 1350 BC), the Tomb of Clytemnestra (c. 1220 BC), culminating in the Treasury of Atreus, at some distance from the others. Four large buildings, believed to have been royal workshops, were built in the 13th century BC in the vicinity of Grave Circle B

In which way can one gain an eternal life?

• The quantities of gold and carefully worked artefacts found in the graves indicate that their residents were of royal lineage . The custom of clothing leaders in gold masks was aimed to insure the everlasting life.

But come on! Do not waste much time in …graves! Enjoy a walk in the nearby castle town,

Nafplion

We wish you an enjoyable and edifying visit to Argolis

bibliography

• http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/3/gh351.jsp?obj_id=2374

• http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/491• http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/941• http://

www.greekfestival.gr/gr/venue12-arxaio-theatro-epidavroy.htm