DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9184#0393
37°
New Chapters in Greek History. [Chap. XII.
wrought in the temple. To a modern physician these
accounts would scarcely be of interest; but to those
interested in Greek religion and antiquities this wreckage
from the life of ancient Hellas has an importance of
its own.
They are headed Cttres by Apollo and Asclepius.
Some of these cures we will detail, not quite in the order
in which they are entered on the stones. We will begin
with the least injured record.
Line 72. " Case of a man, who came to the god as a
patient; he had but one eye ; of the other only the
empty eyelids remained. And some of those in the
precinct said it was sheer folly for him to suppose that
he could see, when he had no vestige of an eye, but only
an empty socket. While he slept he saw a vision ; it
seemed to him that the god mixed a salve, and opening
his eyelids poured it in. And when day broke he de-
parted seeing with both eyes."
Line 120. " Case of Alcetas of Halica. He was blind,
and saw a vision : he thought the god approached him,
and with his fingers opened his eyes, so that he could see
the trees in the precinct. And when day broke he de-
parted cured."
Line 125. " Case of Thy son of Hermione, a blind boy.
He being licked while awake by one of the temple-dogs
on the eyes departed cured."
These temple-dogs were no less an institution at
Epidaurus than the snakes of which Aristophanes speaks,
and their tongue had as great healing power as the drugs
of the god himself. We pass on from blindness to other
diseases:
Line 68. " Case of Euphanes, a boy of Epidaurus. He
went to sleep suffering from stone. And it seemed to
him that the god stood by him and asked, 'What will
you give me if I make you well ?' And he answered
New Chapters in Greek History. [Chap. XII.
wrought in the temple. To a modern physician these
accounts would scarcely be of interest; but to those
interested in Greek religion and antiquities this wreckage
from the life of ancient Hellas has an importance of
its own.
They are headed Cttres by Apollo and Asclepius.
Some of these cures we will detail, not quite in the order
in which they are entered on the stones. We will begin
with the least injured record.
Line 72. " Case of a man, who came to the god as a
patient; he had but one eye ; of the other only the
empty eyelids remained. And some of those in the
precinct said it was sheer folly for him to suppose that
he could see, when he had no vestige of an eye, but only
an empty socket. While he slept he saw a vision ; it
seemed to him that the god mixed a salve, and opening
his eyelids poured it in. And when day broke he de-
parted seeing with both eyes."
Line 120. " Case of Alcetas of Halica. He was blind,
and saw a vision : he thought the god approached him,
and with his fingers opened his eyes, so that he could see
the trees in the precinct. And when day broke he de-
parted cured."
Line 125. " Case of Thy son of Hermione, a blind boy.
He being licked while awake by one of the temple-dogs
on the eyes departed cured."
These temple-dogs were no less an institution at
Epidaurus than the snakes of which Aristophanes speaks,
and their tongue had as great healing power as the drugs
of the god himself. We pass on from blindness to other
diseases:
Line 68. " Case of Euphanes, a boy of Epidaurus. He
went to sleep suffering from stone. And it seemed to
him that the god stood by him and asked, 'What will
you give me if I make you well ?' And he answered