  Ladies and Gentlemen, You are aware that during the last twenty-five years the energy and enthusiasm in archÆological research of such men as Dr. Schliemann have not merely thrown light on historic and prehistoric Greece, but have also awakened a keener enthusiasm among classical scholars and in those Societies which in various countries are devoted to archÆological investigation. Even Governments have been influenced and induced to help on the progress of these highly interesting studies. The Germans have spent large sums in the excavation of Olympia and Pergamos. The French government has wisely and liberally incurred a considerable expenditure in the excavation of Delphi and on other important works. The Greek Government, aided by members of the Greek ArchÆological Society, has devoted money and an infinitude of labour to investigations of the classic wealth of Greece and the Greek colonies. In these three instances, although the amount paid may be trivial when viewed in the national balance-sheet, its archÆological equivalent is great. These three countries have not only made the whole world their debtor by the liberality they have displayed, but each has quickened and stimulated a taste for learning and for art among its own people. One or two other nationalities have had a share in the progress made, though of a more private and individual kind. The American School has explored the Argive HerÆon and certain other classical sites, and our own British School in Athens, whose chief wealth has been the enthusiasm of its Although considerable interest is felt by the English public in regard to much of the work just referred to, one important field of investigation has remained comparatively unknown in this country—I mean the exploration of the shrines of Asklepios, the god of healing, at Epidauros and Athens, about which I am to have the honour of speaking to you. As the time allotted is brief, it is needful to avoid all prefatory remarks, and to restrict this paper almost entirely to a consideration of the new discoveries and to inferences from them. As a matter of fact, apart from the Hippocratic writings there is but scant information as to the sanitary and medical aspects of Greek life in ancient literature. Homer and Pindar have brief references to Epidauros and other sanctuaries of the god; so also have Plato, Hippys of Regium, Strabo, and some of the dramatists, as Aristophanes, and certain of the late Greek writers, especially Pausanias. Under these circumstances most precious are the researches made by the spade. The pioneer in this inquiry was M. Cavvadias, the eminent archÆologist, Ephor of Antiquities and late Minister of Education in the Greek government. To him more than to any one else we owe the important additions lately made to this branch of archÆology. He worked in conjunction with the Greek ArchÆological Society, and was aided by M. StaÏs, the Conservator of the National Museum. Herr Baunack and others helped to restore and decipher the hundreds of inscriptions which were found—a work of no small difficulty. Various authorities more or less associated with the French School, such as M. GÉrard, MM. Defrasse and Lechat, and Prof. Reinach; Dr. DÖrpfeld, Prof. FurtwÄngler, Herr Baunack, Dr. KÖchler, and others associated with the German School, have had a share in the work or in recording its results. Comparatively little has been done by the English, and only a limited amount of description has been published in our language. An interesting paper by Professor Percy Gardner, in his New Chapters in Greek History, some valuable references by Miss Jane Harrison and Mrs. Verrall in their Mythology and Monuments of Ancient Athens, the admirable notes in Mr. Frazer’s new edition of Pausanias, and one or two articles in American journals, such as the American Antiquarian and Cornell Studies, are among the chief. PLATE I—Outline Restoration of a part of the Hieron of Epidauros (R.C.)
For details of the work of the various writers see appended list of authorities consulted. I have to express my acknowledgment to the authorities I have named, but chiefly to M. Cavvadias for his kindness in giving me special facilities in Greece, and for allowing me the use of some of his plates; also to MM. Defrasse and Lechat, and to their publishers, who permit me to show you some of their beautiful restorations. Apart from these the lantern slides I shall show you are from photographs or sketches taken by myself on the scene of the various excavations or in museums. I. The Hieron of EpidaurosAccording to tradition, Asklepios, the son of Apollo and Koronis, was born in the Hieron valley, in the Argolic peninsula; the place names still preserve the legend; the hamlet of Koroni commemorates his mother, the hill Titthion owes its name to his having been there suckled by a goat, while on the opposite hill, Kynortion, stood the temple of the Maleatean Apollo. The Hieron six miles from the town of Epidauros was the chief seat of the worship of Asklepios, though minor ones existed in Athens, at Delphi, Pergamos, Troizen, Kos, Trikke, and other places. Plate I is an outline restoration, representing some of the principal buildings in the Hieron. I must warn the reader that this plan does not profess to be accurate. The structural detail of the buildings is always more or less conjectural, even their relative size and their distances from one another are only approximately correct. The object of the plan is to give a general idea of the arrangement of the chief buildings hitherto discovered, exclusive of the theatre. (It should be stated here that the numbers which follow refer to the illustrations, while the capital letters correspond with those on Plate I). A represents the gateway or PropylÆa (or perhaps temple of Hygieia) on the south of the precinct. Its close relation to the quadrangle B has caused some observers to suppose it was the entrance to B alone, but to the writer this seems improbable. B is a large quadrangle about 250 feet square, reminding one of the PalÆstra at Olympia. The central space was surrounded by small rooms and a colonnade; some of the columns of the latter remain, embedded in the later Roman brickwork of a music hall or Odeon, constructed within the quadrangle. Nine rows of seats and part of the stage of the Odeon still remain. The building has been supposed to be a gymnasium; but if so, must have ceased to be the scene of gymnastic exercises after the quadrangle was built upon in Roman times. Was it a hostel? PLATE II—Restoration of East End of Temple of Asklepios (Defrasse) C represents the temple of Asklepios, the central shrine, a richly decorated and coloured doric building, erected in the fourth century B.C., the east end of which is shown in the accompanying restoration by Defrasse, Plate II. At the west and east gables were pediment groups representing a battle with Centaurs and a combat of Greeks and Amazons: one of the latter is shown in Plate III; together with acroteria, as in Plate IV, which shows one of the two Nereids alighting from horseback; these stood on the two sides, while a central winged victory occupied the apex of the gable. PLATE III—Remains of Amazon from Pediment PLATE IV—Remains of a Nereid, one of the Acroteria A beautiful ivory door, which cost 3,000 drachmÆ, closed the sanctuary; within, the cella was a single chamber; there was no opisthodomus. Plate V, a restoration by M. Defrasse, represents the south side of the temple, and also, towards the left, a part of the Abaton. PLATE V—Restoration of part of Abaton and of Temple of Asklepios (Defrasse) Within the temple stood, as shown in Defrasse’s drawing, Plate VI, the great chryselephantine statue of Asklepios made by Thrasymedes of Paros, a work somewhat resembling the Parthenon figure, or the vast Zeus of Olympia, or the Hera at the Argive HerÆon; the flesh was ivory, the rest gold splendidly enamelled in colours. So many small replicas of The god was sitting on a throne, a large golden serpent rising up to his left hand; on his right lay a dog, and in front was an altar. PLATE VI—Restoration of chryselephantine figure of Asklepios (Defrasse) Gold and ivory were beautiful materials for the sculptor, though involving much difficulty when combined. The disappearance of all attempts at chryselephantine sculpture in modern times is perhaps due to this difficulty in production and to the cost, but probably more to the fact that the ivory usually tended to crack. The great figure of Athena in the Parthenon needed, we know, to be frequently moistened on its ivory surface with water. At Olympia, oil was applied to the great figure of Zeus, but curiously enough the Asklepios at On the throne were representations, doubtless in relief, of Bellerophon killing the ChimÆra, and of Perseus with the head of the Medusa. PLATE VII—Base of Temple of Asklepios Plate VII. represents the remains of the temple as they exist to-day. Fragments of column, capital, pediment, &c., with pavements and bases of walls, render the hypothetical reconstruction of the building fairly easy. D D in my first illustration is the Ionic portico or Abaton, a part of which is seen in Plates V. and X.; the western part is in two stories, the lower one being in the PLATE VIII—Remains of East Abaton The back or north wall of the Abaton, the front or south line of Ionic columns and the central line of columns can be clearly made out from the remaining fragments. Plate VIII shows these remains of the eastern part of the Abaton. The photograph unfortunately is defective, and it gives the idea that the remains are less considerable and important than they really are. In Plate IX the remains of the lower story of the western part are shown. This photograph was taken from the top of the stairs leading down to the area-like court from which access was obtained to the lower story. PLATE IX—Remains of lower story of West Abaton The Tholos or Thymele, shown at E in Plate I and in the annexed restoration by Defrasse, Plate X, was probably the most beautiful circular temple that the Greeks ever built, far surpassing the Philippeion at Olympia. It was built in the fourth century B.C., by Polykleitos the younger, and took twenty-one years to build; externally it presented a beautiful doric colonnade, with peculiarly rich cornice, coloured. Within was a circle of sixteen graceful Corinthian columns of marble; the wall and floor were also decorated with variously coloured marbles. Here were two celebrated paintings by Pausias, the PLATE X—Restoration of Tholos (Defrasse) What was the purpose of the Tholos? Defrasse and Lechat believe it was a drinking-fountain, a sort of pump-room, in which in old times a healing spring arose; if so, we can imagine the gouty Athenian being sent here to drink large draughts from the holy spring, he envying meanwhile Methe and her occupation on the wall before him. The foundations are curious, consisting of a series of circular walls forming a labyrinth, every part of which must necessarily be traversed by the explorer seeking the central space, Plate XI. PLATE XI—Foundation of Tholos MM. Defrasse and Lechat think this singularly constructed basement was a water cistern from which the ‘pump-room’ above was supplied. The difficulties attending this rather attractive hypothesis are—(a) that the word ‘Thymele’ means a sacrificing place; (b) Pausanias speaks of the Tholos and of the sacred well as though they were entirely distinct places; (c) after careful search I can find no trace of a water conduit; (d) the basement space, I may say confidently, was not cemented, either on wall or floor, as in all probability it would have been if to hold water. Not improbably the Tholos was employed for minor sacrifices, and perhaps the labyrinth below may have been associated with some mysterious Asklepian rite of which we are now ignorant; e.g., the labyrinth may have been the home of the sacred serpents. We do not know what were the domestic economics of these creatures; they, in an especial degree, were the incarnation of the god. They were treated by the sick with the utmost veneration; perhaps this curious basement structure was their retreat, and conceivably PLATE XII—Restoration of Temple of Artemis (R.C.) Plate I, Letter F. The Temple of Artemis is smaller than that of Asklepios (see Plate XII); the eaves were decorated by a rich cornice of sculptured heads of dogs, the attribute of Artemis-Hekate. She, the sister of Apollo, was a divinity of healing and succour, the chaste moon goddess, who healed Æneas. Acroteria of Victories decorated the eastern gable; Letter G in Plate I shows the position of the grove, which probably extended also in the direction of the Tholos. H in the same plate shows the position of an altar which may have been sacred either to Asklepios or to Artemis. The letter I shows a foundation on which probably a much larger altar formerly stood; it may have been that of Asklepios, on which possibly holocausts were offered. J represents the southern boundary of the precinct. is thought to have been the shrine of the ?p?d?ta? or bountiful gods. K in Plate I represents the square building which has occasioned much discussion. It contains the base of an altar surrounded by many bones of sacrificial animals and much ash, also fragments of bronze and earthenware, many of them bearing dedications to Apollo or Asklepios. Its period of erection seems to have been not later than the beginning of the fifth century B.C. It contained great numbers of statues and inscriptions. It may have been a house for priests or officials, or even a hostel, or possibly was the Prytaneion, on the altar of which burnt the perpetual fire; no mention is, however, made of a Prytaneion in the inscriptions. L in Plate I represents a large building, irregular, and of various date; believed to have been the baths of Asklepios; this building perhaps may have also contained the library, dedicated to the Maleatean Apollo and Asklepios, which one would think is likely to have been in some central position. M in Plate I is intended to represent a rectangular building of which only small traces remain. Whether or not it was a definitely constructed quadrangle, such as I have drawn, may be uncertain. If it was, perhaps we have here the remains of one of the two gymnasia which the inscriptions tell us existed at the Hieron, or it may have contained baths. N in the same plate is a restoration of the building with the four quadrangles, only lately excavated. It is the largest building yet discovered at the Hieron, being nearly 90 yards square. Each of the four quadrangles is surrounded by a number of rooms. In all there were between seventy and eighty of these apartments, each of which opened into its own quadrangle, so far as I could judge. A colonnade ran round the interior of each quadrangle. Query, what is it?—a PLATE XIII—North-Eastern Colonnade The remains of this curious structure are shown as seen from a distance in Plate XVII below. O in Plate I is a Roman building. Cavvadias thinks that a is the temple of Asklepios and the Egyptian Apollo. P is a building also of the Roman Period, and evidently contained baths. There are traces of a hypocaust. The remains of hot air or hot water pipes are abundant, and certain curious apse-like recesses in the walls, containing a seat and terminating below in a bath or deep basin, were evidently a form of sitzbath. When we remember that the French have lately discovered at Delphi no less than three extensive bathing establishments, adjacent to the walls of the precinct on the east, west, and south sides respectively, it is not surprising that we should find at least two such buildings at Epidauros. A part of this Roman bath-house is seen in the distance in Plate XIII. PLATE XIV—Figure of Aphrodite Q in Plate I is a quadrangular building between the Temple of Artemis and the South Portal. Round three if not four of its sides were rooms, as in the case of the great four-quadrangle building; many remains of columns are seen. Its purpose is This Colonnade of Kotys we know was originally built of sun-dried brick, and may perhaps originally have had wooden columns. Sun-dried brick, so common in many parts of Greece to-day, was often used in ancient times for important purposes, as, for example, in the building of the HerÆon at Olympia. When this somewhat perishable material was covered with a fine hard cement, which resisted the heaviest rain, walls so constructed became wonderfully durable. The Colonnade of Kotys was rebuilt during Roman times. Some of the roof tiles discovered lately bear the name of Antoninus. Cavvadias suggests that the small temple ? is that of Themis. R in Plate I is a colonnade which extended east and west nearly at right angles with the Roman Baths P described above. Plate XIII shows the remains of this colonnade, also a small open aqueduct with basins in its course about eleven yards apart. This small water channel reminds the visitor of a similar one existing in front of the Echo Colonnade at Olympia, the latter contains one or two basins like those shown in the plate. This view shows in the distance the Roman baths (P). Adjoining this colonnade on the north-east is a large quadrangle S, formerly bordered on its four sides by columns. Its length east and west was about double its breadth north and south. Was this another hostel? T is believed by M. Cavvadias to be the Temple of Aphrodite, a Doric structure only excavated in 1892. An inscription discovered on the spot speaks of the sanctuary of Aphrodite; not far from it was found a statue of the goddess in Parian marble, a most beautiful figure now preserved in the Museum at Athens. Plate XIV is an attempt to represent this figure as it now exists. The ancient cemetery of the Hieron was near the point marked e in Plate I. U in Plate I is an Ionic building, the present condition of which is shown in Plate XV. It may be a temple external to the precinct, or it may, as others suggest, be the Northern PropylÆa or Ceremonial Gateway. The latter appears the more probable explanation; by this entrance the pilgrims who came from the port of Epidaurus would approach the Sanctuary. Note the small well in the foreground. V is a Roman building of unknown purpose, and W Plate XVI represents a side view of the theatre (which is not shown in the outline plan Plate I). PLATE XV—Northern PropylÆa and Well The Great Theatre situated to the south of the precinct was built about the year 450 B.C. by Polykleitos, the architect of the Tholos. Pausanias, who was a great traveller, tells us it was the most interesting of all the theatres existing in his time, and to-day any one who is familiar with the theatres of Greece and the Greek colonies will say that this is more impressive than any of the others. The Koilon or auditorium consisted of fifty-five rows of marble seats, with twenty-four lines of stairs. The space for the chorus is, according to the ancient system, PLATE XVI—Theatre Plate XVII represents the view taken from the top row of seats. Note the circular chorus space, the remains of the “four quadrangle building,” and glimpses of the Hieron beyond. While witnessing here the sublime tragedies of Æschylus or Sophocles, or such a comedy as the Plutus of Aristophanes (in which, as you will remember, great fun is made at the expense of Asklepios and his priests), the contrast afforded by glancing from the stage to the blues and purples of the mountains, the PLATE XVII—View of Theatre from top row of seats, ruins of the “four quadrangle building” in the distance Before quitting this theatre it may be remarked that Dr. DÖrpfeld’s interesting and attractive theory of the occupancy of orchestra and stage equally by the players in a Greek drama, is difficult of application in this individual case, in consequence of the great difference in level—eleven or twelve feet—between the two. So great a disparity of surface would, as most people X in Plate I represents part of the Stadium, which is about six hundred feet long. Here are remains of at least fifteen rows of marble seats. Probably foot races took place here as well as other forms of athletic exercise. All the maps of the Hieron represent the eastern end of the Stadium as semicircular, but so far as one can judge, the latest excavations indicate that it was square, and therefore I have so represented it. PLATE XVIII—East end of Stadium Assuming that the fifteen rows of seats extended from end to end on each side, and allowing a foot and a half for each person, the Stadium would seat twelve thousand spectators on its two sides, without computing the seats at the ends. Plate XVIII represents the excavation at the end adjacent to the Hieron. Y in Plate I (shown also in Plate XVIII) is either the starting place or the goal. Z is a subterranean passage probably communicating with the precinct. An inscription (found in 1896) mentioned by Mr. Frazer, shows that a hippodrome also existed at the Hieron. On Mount Kynortion, some distance south of the great theatre, stood the temple of the Maleatean Apollo. The remains are so fragmentary that it is difficult to devise a conjectural restoration. II. The Asklepieion at AthensBefore saying anything about the ritual and the treatment of the sick at the Hieron, it will be well to turn to the Asklepieion at Athens, and examine briefly the structural arrangements there. Situated on the south side of the Acropolis, at an elevation of perhaps eighty feet above the plain, adjoining on the east the theatre of Dionysus, the locality was probably as healthy as any the immediate neighbourhood of Athens could supply. The heat no doubt was great in summer, but we may conclude that a grove of large trees afforded grateful shade to the sick. PLATE XIX—Portico of Eumenes and Acropolis PLATE XX—Attempt at an Outline Restoration of the Asklepieion at Athens (R.C.) PLATE XXI—Remains of Asklepieion from the West Plate XIX represents the remains of the Stoa or Portico of Eumenes (so called) lying to the south of the Acropolis. To the extreme left is seen the temple of the Nike Apteros, and on PLATE XXII—Remains of Asklepieion from the East Plate XXI represents the Asklepieion as seen from the western end, and plate XXII from the east. The building On an elevation above and close to the abaton is a curious well-like structure, surrounded by marble columns, which perhaps was the serpent pit. PLATE XXIII—Supposed Serpent Pit and remains of Marbled Columns round it Plate No. XXIII represents the remains of this curious and mysterious structure. I examined the masonry carefully to see if a direct communication between this supposed snake pit and the abaton could be traced, but failed to find it. If the purpose of the Tholos at Epidauros is that suggested above, viz., a place of sacrifice to the sacred serpents, may we not have here also the remains of a Tholos or Thymele on a small scale? Possibly the four marble bases are those of columns surrounding an altar to which the serpents ascended from their pit beneath, The grove contained great numbers of statues, busts, ex-votos, and inscriptions. The theatre of Dionysos close at hand was doubtless frequented by the sick as a diversion. The stall occupied by the priest of Asklepios, with his name on it, is still in excellent preservation, as seen in plate XXIV. He sat in the first rank, in a most honoured position, with his back to the setting sun, next to the priest of the Muses. The Panathenaic stadium, three-quarters of a mile away, doubtless was also frequently visited by the convalescents from the Asklepieion. PLATE XXIV—Seats of Priests of Asklepios and of the Muses in the Theatre |
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