- Asclepieion
In ancient
Greece , an asclepieion (or "asklepieion") was a healing temple, sacred to the godAsclepius .Starting around
300 BC , the cult ofAsclepius became increasingly popular. Pilgrims flocked to asclepieia to be healed. They slept overnight and reported their dreams to a priest the following day. He prescribed a cure, often a visit to the baths or a gymnasium. Since snakes were sacred to Asclepius, they were often used in healing rituals. Non-venomous snakes were left to crawl on the floor in dormitories where the sick and injured slept.Pausanias remarked that, at the asclepieion of
Titane inSikyonia (founded byAlexanor , Asclepius' grandson), statues ofHygieia were covered by women's hair and pieces of Babylonian clothes. According to inscriptions, the same sacrifices were offered atParos .Hippocrates is said to have received his medical training at an asclepieion on the isle ofKos . Prior to becoming the personal physician to the Roman EmperorMarcus Aurelius ,Galen treated and studied at the famed asclepieion atPergamon .The oldest known asclepieion was at Trikke (now known as
Trikala ) inThessaly . The asclepion at Epidaurus, traditionally regarded as the birthplace of Asclepius, is both extensive and well preserved. There is an asclepion located on the south slopes of theAcropolis of Athens which dates to around420 BC .ee also
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Dreamwork
*Dream yoga External links
* [http://users.otenet.gr/~altagr/english/main.htm Presentation of Tholos] - The Asclepieion at Epidaurus (click "Presentation")
* [http://www.pausenberger.com/asklepieion_kos.html photographs of the asklepieion of Kos]
* [http://www.kos3d.com/asklepieion-virtual-tour.html Asclepieion 3D Virtual Tour] Travel back in time
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