Epidaurus. Detailed history

The Greek city of Epidaurus lies on the Argolid Peninsula. Although influenced by nearby Argos, it was not controlled by it. Epidaurus had a small territory and was bordered on the east by the Saronic Gulf, on the north by Corinth, on the west by Argos, and on the south by Troezen.

It was well placed and easily defended because it was on a small peninsula jutting from a narrow plain, with mountains surrounding its landward side. It had a well-protected harbor north of its peninsula, while to the south there was an open roadstead. Ultimately, the town covered both the north and south shores of the peninsula, with its small promontory on the southern side of the northern harbor.

The ancient author Strabo indicated that Epidaurus lay in the recess of the Saronic Gulf, shut in by high mountains and looking to the northeast. A road led from the west at Argos, which provided the city with its chief link to the Saronic Gulf and which Epidaurus controlled. The city also lay near the island of Aegina, which it colonized, and the other islands of the Saronic Gulf, as well as being opposite the harbors of Athens.

Temple of Asklepios at Epidaurus. (Sergii Figurnyi/Dreamstime.com)

The land was settled by the Ionians, and in this conjunction, several traditions indicate that the non-Dorian Pityreus (Ionians) had surrendered the region of Epidaurus to Deiphontes, the son-in-law of Temenos, king of Argos, during the third migration or invasion of the Dorians into the Peloponnese. Pityreus and his fellow citizens then moved to Athens. The city of Epidaurus was then ruled by kings, supposedly descendants from Deiphontes. Afterward, the city was governed by oligarchs, a common successor to monarchs.

The city was then ruled by tyrants who seized control. One of these was Prokles, whose daughter Melissa was married to Periander, the tyrant of Corinth. Periander murdered his wife Melissa, and her father Prokles, who later may have roused the anger of his grandsons against him. The tyrant of Corinth attacked his father-in-law, defeating him, taking him captive, and conquering Epidaurus. Afterward, the city reverted to an oligarchy that governed it throughout the Classical Age. Due to its oligarchic form of government, Epidaurus became an ally of Sparta in opposition to its mother city Argos, which had become a democracy. There were magistrates called Arytnae and a council of 180 members.

Ancient theater at Epidaurus. (Stockbksts/Dreamstime.com)

The city had been a member of the Amphictyony of Calauria, based on the island of Poros. This league was comprised by maritime city-states on the Saronic and Argive gulfs, which included such cities as Aegina and Orchomenus in Boeotia. During the rule of the tyrant Pheidon of Argos, Epidaurus, like Sikyon, Torizen and Aegina, briefly came under its control. Later, during the Peloponnesian War, Argos attempted to take the city but was defeated.

What is most famous about Epidaurus was its devotion to Asclepius, the god of healing, with many facilities dedicated to him. Asclepius, the son of Apollo, was renowned for being a healer. His sanctuary, the Ascelpeion, was five miles away from Epidaurus and became the most celebrated healing center or hospital in antiquity. The idea behind the curing process was holistic, including religion.

The Asclepion was located in a healthy environment to ensure that the human body was well cared for. In addition, patients’ emotional and psychological well-being was crucial, to allow them to help heal themselves. Patients undertook a purification process of bathing and purging, eating an appropriate diet for several days and purging their emotions through contemplation and art. This process was called the Katharsis, and its derivative, catharsis.

The next stage was dream therapy, where patients slept in the Enkoimeterion, a dormitory, where they were often given drugs and put into a deep hypnotic state, where they were probably open to suggestion and were supposed to be visited by Asclepius. The idea was that the god would prescribe a regimen of treatment for the patient to undergo. Upon waking, the patient would describe what was revealed to the priest, who then gave the treatment. The site at Epidaurus had mineral springs nearby, which were probably used for healing as well.

Epidaurus was also famous for its ancient theater, located near the Asclepion. It was built into the mountainside and looked toward the sea. It was constructed at the end of the fourth century and designed by Polykleitos the Younger. It had an auditorium with a lower and upper seating area that accommodated about 14,000 spectators. The lower section was reserved for important people, and its design afforded excellent acoustics (anyone sitting in any seat could hear the smallest whisper).

The circular orchestra created the center of the theater. It was sixty feet in diameter and allowed clear viewing by all spectators. Behind the orchestra was the staging building, which was probably two stories high.