One of the sites included in a standard Greece tour package is Epidaurus. Less than 2 hours from Athens, near the Saronic Gulf coast of the Peloponnese, Epidaurus makes an easy day-trip from the capital and is also included in most 3 or 4 day bus tours from Athens.
In mythology, Epidaurus was the birthplace of Asclepius, son of Apollo and god of healing. The Asclepion sanctuary there was an active healing center from the 6th-century BCE to the 4th-century CE and then continued as a Christian healing center for another century. The area thrived on the popularity of the sanctuary and the spectacular theater at Epidaurus is one indication of that prosperity. The theater seats 15,000 and the acoustics are so perfect that normal voices on the stage can be heard clearly from every seat. The theater is still used for performances today.
Visitors seeking treatment at an Asclepion would start with ritual purification and offerings to the god. Then they would sleep overnight in the temple. The next day, their dreams would be interpreted by a priest and treatment prescribed accordingly. Sometimes the dreams would include visitations from the god, who might appear as a man or as a dog or a snake. Diagnosis and treatments were holistic. A patient’s environment, diet and mental and emotional state were considered along with any physical symptoms. Treatments could include time in nature, change in diet, art therapy, a personalized prayer, mantra or affirmation, as well as surgery and medications.
If you’re planning to book a visit to Greece for yourself or for a client during the summer, please book early! Space in Greece fills up early.
For a Greece tour package which includes a visit to Epidaurus, check out these published programs on our website:
Sirocco, 10 nights/11 days
Aegean Highlights, 12 nights/13 days
Ultimate Greece (fully private tour), 12 nights/13 days
Aeolos, 14 nights/15 days
As always, we will happily help you design a custom Greece tour package, if none of our published tours works for you.
Phone 800.644.1595 or email information@yallatours.com.
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