Two years ago the Ministry of Culture and Sport announced the discovery of large part of a public building, in the form of a theatre or parliament, at the archaeological site of Lissos between Sougia and Palaiochora on the south coast. The excavations, the first in 62 years, had been carried out as part of the work of enhancement and protection of the site, and the find was provisionally dated to the 1st century AD.
The complex includes an Asclepion, which came to light in 1959, together with the architectural relics of public buildings, a necropolis from Greco-Roman times and two single-roomed Byzantine churches.
The role of the Asclepion
The Asclepion was a healing temple dedicated to Asclepius, a god of medicine in ancient Greek religion and mythology. There are known to have been some 320 of these centres in Ancient Greece, which were what in modern terms might be described as a holistic health centre, a concept lost in modern conventional medicine despite its roots in the practices of ancient Greek healers such as Hippocrates.
A paper published in the journal Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine, on research related to the Asclepion at Epidavros (“Asclepion of Epidaurus: the application of a historical perspective in medical education”), describes the centre’s function as follows:
“From ancient written accounts as well as excavated remains, it is known today that the sacred spaces named ‘Asclepions’ were equipped with mythological, ideological and philosophical perceptions of the well-being of our ancestors, [and] offered holistic health care to their patients. A person (patient and supplicant) was treated with solemn respect, as a complete entity with inseparable spiritual, mental, emotional, social, moral and natural characteristics. Illness was viewed as the outcome of complex, negative interactions of environmental, social, psychological, spiritual, emotional and natural factors, and health care seemed to aim at resolving these conflicts and restoring balance among the above-mentioned by having as supplementary aid medical intervention, either surgical or pharmaceutical.”
The process was initiated by cleansing and purification rituals following which the patient would sleep in the hope of receiving a dream visit from the god, who would either cure them directly or give advice on medicaments or treatment.
The Archaeological Museum of Chania in Halepa has a display of votive figures found at the Asclepion of Lissos. There is a statue of Asclepios himself, slightly smaller than life size, which is described by the museum as “probably the cult statue of the god.” An inscription on its base reads:
“Thymilos first had this [statue of] Asclepios set up;
Tharsytas, his son, dedicated this to the god.
Whoever wishes may sacrifice.
Meat shall not be carried away.
The skin [goes to] the god.”
The much smaller accompanying figures include sculptures of Aphrodite and Eros, and especially statuettes of small children and pre-pubescent boys, set on bases bearing the dedicator’s name.
Further excavations
The Culture ministry’s announcement in October 2022 that the first exploratory excavations had uncovered a large section of a public building, also referred to a planned second phase of exploration which would involve the completion of excavations in order to establish whether the monument is surrounded by a perimeter wall. In October 2023 Haniotika Nea reported that the Regional Council of Crete had approved the drawing up of a contract for further excavations at the site with a budget of €60,000, to be funded entirely by the Municipality of Kandanos-Selino. Now, at the end of August of this year, the Culture minister Lina Medoni has signed a decision for further excavations at the site as part of a Cultural Development Programme Agreement in which the Region of Crete and the Municipality of Kandanos-Selino are joint contracting parties.
The works to be carried out include the following:
– earth removal by hand and machine, and other works to investigate the area of the ancient Odeon of Lissos;
– organisation of the work site;
– topographic, design and photographic documentation of finds;
– photogrammetric surveying;
– execution of all the necessary archaeological works (cleaning, recording, preservation, organisation of finds, etc) involved in the excavation and for as long as required after its conclusion;
– provision and allocation of services for the execution of the work (personal protection, earthworks, etc).
The works, which are to be completed by 2nd June 2025, will be audited and supervised by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Chania.
Ancient Lissos
As described by a ministry of Culture press release, Lissos was “an ancient autonomous city, religious centre and seat of the Oreioi Confederacy around the 3rd century AD, which developed in the verdant valley of Aï-Kyrkou, which is surrounded by mountain peaks and opens out onto the southwest Cretan Sea.
“The Asclepion, which came to light in 1959, together with the architectural relics of public buildings, the impressive necropolis from Greco-Roman times and the two single-roomed Byzantine churches, make up a unique archaeological complex of exceptional natural beauty.”
(Haniotika Nea 22/08/24)