DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4266#0129
44 PLAN OF THE THEATRE
precinct of iEsculapius near Epidaurus, which was supposed to be honoured with the more immediate
presence of that deity, who communicated to the Epidauriansa the knowledge of past and of future
events through the medium of his oracle. Although this god had many temples b sacred to his wor-
ship, yet this, as the parent of all, was the most venerated, and within its peribolus were celebrated,
with a splendor that eclipsed the secondary fanes, the fosyaXairzXriTSicc or great festivals of iEscula-
piusc. The mineral springs of the neighbourhood, favorable for the cure of many diseases, seconded
by the skill of the priests, equally versed in medicine and divinity, caused this spot to be much
frequented by those who relied on the healing powers of the presiding god.
Many edifices, important from their size as well as from the richness of their decorations, were
included within the sacred limits ; several of them are enumerated by Pausanias d in the following
words—" The sacred grove of iEsculapius is surrounded by mountains on all sides ; no one is permit-
ted to die within the peribolus, and even women are not allowed to be delivered therein, a law equally
in force at Delos. A little beyond the temple is the building in which are lodged the suppliants of
the god, and a circular edifice, called '^o'Kog, worthy of being seen. There is also in the sacred precinct,
a theatre, which, in my opinion, claims attention : the theatres of the Romans surpass in magnificence
those of all other nations in the world; in size, however, none can equal that of the Arcadians at
Megalopolis, but for beauty and harmony of proportion who can compare with Polycletus ?—Polycletus
who was the architect of this theatre and the circular edifice. In the Sacred Grove is the Temple of
Artemis0, the statue of Epione (wife of iEsculapius), and the Temple of Aphrodite (Venus), and
Themis ; and the stadium, as many are in Greece, formed by an earthen embankment (y« yZ^oC), and
a fountain, the roof and other ornaments of which are admirable. A Roman senator named Antoni-
nus f has a short time since decorated the sacred precinct with several edifices, such as the bath of
^Esculapius, the temple of the gods called Epidotae, that of Hygeia, and those of iEsculapius and
Apollo surnamed iEgyptii. Antoninus has also restored the roof of the portico, called that of Cotys,
which, with the rest of the edifice built of brick, was falling in ruins. The mountains, overhanging
the grove, are Titthion and Cynortion, on which latter is the temple of (Apollo) Maleatus, one of the
oldest edifices of the spot; but all that surrounds it, as well as the basin into which the water is col-
lected for their use, was built by Antoninus for the Epidaurians."
Ruins of these buildings still remain, on an elevated part of the plain at the foot of the moun-
tains which form a species of theatre : the Theatre itself is in very good preservation and merits
the admiration of the traveller. Polycletus s, to whose masterpiece in sculpture the distinguished title
of the " Rule " was given, and esteemed by the ancients second only to Phidias, appears to have ex-
celled no less in architecture, and well merits the eulogy of the ancient traveller. As this eminent
artist, who was a Sicyonian by birth, flourished about 232* years B.C., the erection of this theatre may
be attributed to that period. The extreme walls, that once bounded the coilon, have disappeared,
their destruction having most probably been caused by the failure of the rock ; the diverging direction
of the outer stairs indicated that the area of the coilon exceeded the semicircle, and therefore under
that impression this part has been thus restored with dotted lines. A few indications of the walls of
the parascene, and the colonnade behind, afforded a clue to a general restoration of the scene and its
dependencies, although no traces of the columns are to be discovered'1.
a Plato, lone. « Quintil. Lib. XII., Cap. x.
b As at Sicyon, Athens, Pergamus, Smyrna, and numberless * According to Milizia 420 b. c. " Memorie degli Architctti.
other cities recorded by Pausanias. —Policlete."
c " Inscript. Vet. Potter's Archseologia Graeca, ed. Londini, h Chandler says " the whole neighbourhood has for ages plun-
J /22," p. 372. dered the grove. The Ligurians remembered the removal of a
^orinthiaca, Cap. xxvii. marble chair from the theatre, and of statues and inscriptions
I he Greek name of Diana, whence the 'Agrsplo-ia or festi- which, among other materials, were used in repairing the fortit.-
vals celebrated in her honour at Delphi, Syracuse, and several cations of Nauplia now called Napoli, or in building a n_,/
other places in Greece. Athen. 7- Mosque at Argos." Travels in Greece, Vol. II. Cap. liii.
f Titus Antoninus Pius, who afterwards succeeded to the
Roman Empire through the adoption of Hadrian.
precinct of iEsculapius near Epidaurus, which was supposed to be honoured with the more immediate
presence of that deity, who communicated to the Epidauriansa the knowledge of past and of future
events through the medium of his oracle. Although this god had many temples b sacred to his wor-
ship, yet this, as the parent of all, was the most venerated, and within its peribolus were celebrated,
with a splendor that eclipsed the secondary fanes, the fosyaXairzXriTSicc or great festivals of iEscula-
piusc. The mineral springs of the neighbourhood, favorable for the cure of many diseases, seconded
by the skill of the priests, equally versed in medicine and divinity, caused this spot to be much
frequented by those who relied on the healing powers of the presiding god.
Many edifices, important from their size as well as from the richness of their decorations, were
included within the sacred limits ; several of them are enumerated by Pausanias d in the following
words—" The sacred grove of iEsculapius is surrounded by mountains on all sides ; no one is permit-
ted to die within the peribolus, and even women are not allowed to be delivered therein, a law equally
in force at Delos. A little beyond the temple is the building in which are lodged the suppliants of
the god, and a circular edifice, called '^o'Kog, worthy of being seen. There is also in the sacred precinct,
a theatre, which, in my opinion, claims attention : the theatres of the Romans surpass in magnificence
those of all other nations in the world; in size, however, none can equal that of the Arcadians at
Megalopolis, but for beauty and harmony of proportion who can compare with Polycletus ?—Polycletus
who was the architect of this theatre and the circular edifice. In the Sacred Grove is the Temple of
Artemis0, the statue of Epione (wife of iEsculapius), and the Temple of Aphrodite (Venus), and
Themis ; and the stadium, as many are in Greece, formed by an earthen embankment (y« yZ^oC), and
a fountain, the roof and other ornaments of which are admirable. A Roman senator named Antoni-
nus f has a short time since decorated the sacred precinct with several edifices, such as the bath of
^Esculapius, the temple of the gods called Epidotae, that of Hygeia, and those of iEsculapius and
Apollo surnamed iEgyptii. Antoninus has also restored the roof of the portico, called that of Cotys,
which, with the rest of the edifice built of brick, was falling in ruins. The mountains, overhanging
the grove, are Titthion and Cynortion, on which latter is the temple of (Apollo) Maleatus, one of the
oldest edifices of the spot; but all that surrounds it, as well as the basin into which the water is col-
lected for their use, was built by Antoninus for the Epidaurians."
Ruins of these buildings still remain, on an elevated part of the plain at the foot of the moun-
tains which form a species of theatre : the Theatre itself is in very good preservation and merits
the admiration of the traveller. Polycletus s, to whose masterpiece in sculpture the distinguished title
of the " Rule " was given, and esteemed by the ancients second only to Phidias, appears to have ex-
celled no less in architecture, and well merits the eulogy of the ancient traveller. As this eminent
artist, who was a Sicyonian by birth, flourished about 232* years B.C., the erection of this theatre may
be attributed to that period. The extreme walls, that once bounded the coilon, have disappeared,
their destruction having most probably been caused by the failure of the rock ; the diverging direction
of the outer stairs indicated that the area of the coilon exceeded the semicircle, and therefore under
that impression this part has been thus restored with dotted lines. A few indications of the walls of
the parascene, and the colonnade behind, afforded a clue to a general restoration of the scene and its
dependencies, although no traces of the columns are to be discovered'1.
a Plato, lone. « Quintil. Lib. XII., Cap. x.
b As at Sicyon, Athens, Pergamus, Smyrna, and numberless * According to Milizia 420 b. c. " Memorie degli Architctti.
other cities recorded by Pausanias. —Policlete."
c " Inscript. Vet. Potter's Archseologia Graeca, ed. Londini, h Chandler says " the whole neighbourhood has for ages plun-
J /22," p. 372. dered the grove. The Ligurians remembered the removal of a
^orinthiaca, Cap. xxvii. marble chair from the theatre, and of statues and inscriptions
I he Greek name of Diana, whence the 'Agrsplo-ia or festi- which, among other materials, were used in repairing the fortit.-
vals celebrated in her honour at Delphi, Syracuse, and several cations of Nauplia now called Napoli, or in building a n_,/
other places in Greece. Athen. 7- Mosque at Argos." Travels in Greece, Vol. II. Cap. liii.
f Titus Antoninus Pius, who afterwards succeeded to the
Roman Empire through the adoption of Hadrian.