Circa 3rd century BCE
Æ 2.03g, 12mm, 7h
Laureate and bearded head of Asklepios to right
E within laurel wreath, Π below
SNG Copenhagen 120
Today, Epidauros is flooded with legions of tourists eager to see the famous theater. Most visit on day trips from Athens and combine it with Mycenae.
While the theater is excellently preserved, in ancient times Epidauros was far more famous for its Sanctuary of Asklepios, part of which still stands. It was one of the first “destination resorts” and could house hundreds of people who probably wished to be cured. This sanctuary and a similar one on Kos were the two most important in Greece.
Supposedly, to be cured of your ailments, you only had to sleep in a large hall, where you would have a dream on what was necessary to cure you. The sanctuary was built roughly around the time this coin was minted. It depicts Asklepios on the obverse, and a laurel wreath with the city name on the reverse. I prioritized it with the planned visit of the ruins.
I of course included Epidauros on my tour of ancient Greece. Here are a few of my photos.
