Epidavros - Epidaurus
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Another famous site in the Argolis is Epidavros. In the hinterland of Epidavros, on a site enjoying a mild climate and plentiful water from healing springs, the Epidavrians founded the sanctuary of Asklepios, the most brilliant centre of healing in the ancient world, which flourished from the late 5th century B.C. until the end of Roman era. The towns magnificent theatre, still almost intact, stands in a wooded hollow of a hill not far from the Archaeological Museum. The theatre, which can accommodate14000 spectators, forms a section of a circle slightly larger than a semicircle. It consists of 55 rows of seats divided by a promenade (diazoma) into an upper and a lower section. |
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The seats of honor, reserved for the magistrates and the priests, were situated in the first row of the upper section and in the back and first row of the lower section, the spectators in the rest of the lower section have cushions to sit on. The performance could be heard and seen perfectly from every seat in the theatre as can be demonstrated today by whispering or rusting a piece of paper in the centre of the orchestra, the sound carries without distortion to the top back corner of the huge spread of terraces some 22.50m/74ft from the ground. |
The prestige and
reputation acquired by Asklepios
as the major god of healing led to great economic prosperity for his
sanctuary, which made it possible to implement a large building
programmed in the 4th and 3rd c. BB, to house his cult in monumental
buildings.
Tour
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having first been purified and having offered sacrifice, were required to go to sleep, so that the god could appear to them in a dream to cure them, or indicate to them the treatment to be followed. The discovery during the excavations of a large number of medical instruments affords evidence for the view that practical medical operations were also carried out in the sanctuary. Around the sacred precinct of Asklepios were erected temples to other deities (Artemis, Aphrodite and Themis), along with buildings to provide services for the hosts of pilgrims and installations for the athletic and music contests (stadium, palaestra, gymnasium, baths, Odeon and theatre). Set apart from the sanctuary (southwest) is the theatre, the most outstanding in the ancient world owing to the beauty of its setting, |
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its magnificent lines and harmonious proportions. It was built in the 4c by the Argive architect, Polykleitos and is set into the north slope of Mount Harani facing the valley sacred of Asklepios. In 1954 it was restored to take modern productions of the ancient repertory as well as musical recitals at which Dimitri Mitropoulos (1896-1960) and Maria Callas have performed. |
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Epidavros Festival
In summer (late June to late August at weekends) the plays of the Greek dramatics are performed in the theatre. |
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Tel: 0753 22026 Monday-Thursday 9.00-14.00 & 17.00-20.00, Friday- Saturday 9.30-21.30 Entrance Fee: from 20 to 90 Euro. |
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