Last October, the archaeological site at Lissos, between Sougia and Palaiochora on the south coast, was excavated for the first time in 62 years. Dated to the first century AD, the site is best known for the Asclepieion – a healing temple dedicated to Asclepius, the first doctor-demigod in Greek mythology – which first came to light in 1959.
Last October further excavations revealed a large part of a public building, in the form of a theatre (Odeon) or parliament, with an eastern orientation. At the time it was announced that the aim of the next phase of excavations would be to establish whether the monument was surrounded by a perimeter wall, which would be necessary in order to draw up plans for the restoration and enhancement of the site.
According to a report in Haniotika Nea, the Regional Council of Crete has now unanimously approved the drawing up of a Programme Contract for further excavations at the site between the ministry of Culture, the Region of Crete and the Municipality of Kandanos-Selino. The budget of €60,000 will be funded entirely by the Municipality of Kandanos-Selino.
The aim of the project is to carry out urgent earth removal works and conduct further research. As the announcement says:
“In order to complete the plan of the monument in the area of the stage and around the perimeter of the concave site … it is necessary to complete the excavation of the Odeon and at the same time to remove earth and imported materials from the surrounding space and the slopes, the concave site, the stage and the lateral kiosks of the monument. Following that, a diagnosis of the reasons for the deterioration will be required, as well as urgent stabilising works to the ancient building materials where these are judged to be necessary.”
Asclepius was said to have been such a skilled doctor that he could even raise people from the dead, and pilgrims would flock to temples built in his honour in order to seek spiritual and physical healing.
The preliminary treatment for admission to an Asclepieion was catharsis, or purification, which lasted several days and consisted of a series of cleansing baths and purgations accompanied by a cleansing diet. Asclepieia included carefully controlled spaces conducive to healing, and treatment was largely centred around promoting healthy lifestyles, with a particular emphasis on a person’s spiritual needs.
Characteristic of the Asclepieion was the practice of incubatio, also known as “temple sleep”. Patients would go to sleep in the temple with the expectation that they would be visited by Asclepius himself in a dream. During this time, they would be told what they needed to do in order to cure their ailment; failing that, they would report their dream to a priest, who would then interpret the dream and prescribe a cure. (Wikipedia)