Thursday, May 2
The importance of ancient Epidaurus was as a Sanctuary of
Asklepios, a center of healing for those who came from far and wide as early as
the 4th century BC. The ruins
of the sanctuary spread over a large field, with temples, a stadium, a small
theater, baths, dormitories for those seeking treatment, and a burial area. The flowers that covered the fields around
fallen columns and stones were every bit as attractive as the ruins
themselves. There is a small museum with
artifacts and exhibits that help put the site in context.
The big draw in Epidaurus for modern visitors is Greece’s finest and best-preserved theater, dating from the 4th century, BC and still in use today. It’s built into the side of a hill, seats 15,000 people, any of whom can hear whatever is being said from the stage or orchestra at ground level. Even from the top rows, we could hear what people below us were saying; if we’d been using Google Translate, we might also have understood them! The views of the forested hills surrounding the theater are just lovely and would certainly make passing the intermission intervals pleasant, indeed.
After leaving Epidaurus, we drove to Mycenae, where the fortress, palace and
community of 60,000 once dominated the ancient world between 1600 and 1200 BC –
a millennium before Athens’ golden age! The
entry to the complex is through the famous Lion Gate, and then the uphill climb
begins! The site sits atop a hill with a
commanding view in all directions, a cistern to store water piped in from a
nearby spring, a series of surrounding walls, burial sites, and even a backdoor
escape route. Again, the flowers and the
surrounding countryside, lined with rows of olive trees rivaled and enhanced
the ancient ruins.
A short distance down the road from the fortress, the
Treasury of Atreus is a beehive-shaped burial chamber, or tholos, for the
royalty of Mycenae. The enormous
3300-year-old space was once filled with the treasures, weapons, and personal possessions
of a king. The massive stones of the
entry and corbeled dome now give way to a dark and empty space, long-ago
looters having made off with tomb’s valuables.
As we made our way toward home, we stopped at Argos to take in its
mountain-top citadel, the Fortress of Larissa.
The castle shows the accretions of successive occupiers and their
additions to the fortifications. We were
delighted to be able to drive right up to the castle entrance; it is high
above the town below and the views of town, the green countryside, the blue
waters of the Argolic Gulf, and Nafplion in the distance were spectacular on
this glorious afternoon. The citadel was
unattended and sparsely visited, and we wandered around through the various
precincts as we pleased. The flowers we
have loved all day were truly remarkable at Argos. Clumps of purple blossoms
bursting from crevices in ancient stone walls, enormous lavender thistles in
full bloom, blood-red poppies with their jet black centers bursting forth from
green grasses; all the new life amid ancient ruins was all just extraordinary!
En route to our home base, we stopped for groceries in Nafplion,
enjoyed our R and R and another dinner on the patio.
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