Ancient Epidaurus in Greece is one of the most important archaeological sites of the country. It is famous for the Ancient Theatre with the amazing acoustics. In summer, this theatre hosts performances of ancient Greek drama. A few steps from the Ancient Theatre is the Sanctuary of Asklepios, a very popular healing center in the antiquity. The Archaeological Museum hosts many interesting exhibits from excavations on this site. Visitors go to Epidaurus Greece for a day tour from Athens, but this is also a nice region to enjoy relaxing family holidays and nice things to do.

The theatre was built in the 4th century BC, and has 55 rows of seats, capable of holding 14,000 people. The stage is 65 feet (20m) in diameter. It’s hard to believe that such a huge structure lay buried and undiscovered until excavations began in the late 19th century. It was finally restored in 1954 and it’s worth noting that the first 34 rows of the auditorium are all original. Imagine these very same seats being used by people living almost 2,500 years ago. The audience, especially those higher up, look out across the stage and the site of Epidavros to the mountains beyond. It’s a spectacular setting.

There was a temple dedicated to Asklepios at Epidavros and it contained a statue of the God made from gold and ivory. Little of the temple is visible today but there are ongoing excavations here and Epidavros may be revealed as an even more important site than we already know it to be.

People brought their health problems to Epidavros, where medical practitioners were based, and the museum on the site contains examples of the kinds of medical instruments used. Drama played a part as a kind of catharsis or purging in some of the healing processes recommended in those days.

The museum also contains records of cures alleged to have taken place here, as well as more conventional vases and statuary recovered during the excavation work.

Spread around the site of Epidavros are also the remains of the guesthouses where visitors stayed, a bath-house, and a gymnasium, showing that physical exercise was as important in some cures back then as it is today. The Greeks were firm believers in having a healthy mind in a healthy body. This small nation gave the word not only the greatest philosophers and dramatists but also the Olympic Games and the father of medicine, Hippocrates, who was from the island of Kos.