from where many cults of Asclepius originated (Pausanias 2.26.8–9; for Athens see
alsoIGii^2 4960a), as well as elsewhere, the celebrations of public festivals in honor of
the god were smoothly integrated into the religious calendar and in no way differed
from those of other cults. Visitors to Epidaurus gathered in the civic center and made
their way in a formal procession to the sanctuary, chanting hymns in praise of the god;
upon entering the precinct they purified themselves and offered sacrifices that con-
cluded in a formal banquet. Athletic and musical contests took place. During the
fourth century, extensive building took place in a number of Asclepiea, which reflects
the popularity of the cult. Detailed building accounts from Epidaurus illustrate the
workmanship and expenses involved as well as the public organization and adminis-
tration of the cult (Burford 1969; Tomlinson 1983; for Corinth see Lang 1977;
for Athens see Aleshire 1989, 1991; for Kos see Sherwin-White 1978). Sanctuaries
of Asclepius are therefore the ideal focus of this chapter and allow us to be a fly on
the wall.
If Walls Could Speak...
Establishing what ‘‘went on’’ in a sanctuary requires knowledge of certain features.
Naturally, a sanctuary’s location and physical layout are among the most important
indicators. Sanctuaries placed in the landscape or at the edge of a polis’ territory may
mark the religious significance of natural phenomena at this location or symbolize the
boundary of civic territory. We can thus expect activities related to these functions,
such as rituals expressive of the origin of worship in the place or the facilitation of
exchange with neighbors. In contrast, urban sanctuaries placed in the center of the
polis or just outside the city walls were focal points illustrating the close link between
the civic community and its pantheon. Sometimes the historical evolution of cults
places the sanctuary of a city’s patron deity miles away from the urban center; in these
cases polis and sanctuary are often visually, symbolically, and functionally linked by a
sacred way, which forms an important part of the physical infrastructure of both and
determines activities inside and outside thetemenos. To some extent, the deity or
deities worshiped in the sacred area determined its location and physical features
(Alcock and Osborne 1994; Cole 2004; Malkin 1996; Schachter 1992). This also
applies to Asclepius. Many of his sanctuaries were situated in extra-urban locations
and very few were located in the political center, which may reflect a tense relationship
between god and polis (Graf 1992a), but which ancient authors explained with
reference to the need for a natural and ‘‘healthy’’ setting (Aelius Aristides,Oration
39.4; Vitruvius,On Architecture1.2.7; Plutarch,Roman Questions,Moralia286d).
Asclepiea required abundant water supplies for various purposes to do with healing
and purification, and thus were often placed close to natural springs. This prerequisite
also applied to the worship of Apollo, which often preceded that of Asclepius in these
locations. At Corinth, to give an example, the Asclepieum was located within the city
walls but at some distance from the agora. Here, several draw-basins fed by long
reservoirs cut back into the hill formed part of the main structures and created a man-
made grotto (Figure 10.1). We see that the large rectangular precinct was defined by
walls on the south and east sides, whereas on the west and east a large building and a
colonnade respectively marked the boundaries. Purification by washing was required
166 Beate Dignas