Holiday.gr - ASKLIPIOS KOS DODECANESE

Asklipios is considered the god of medicine. His worship was broadly known in the ancient world as Asklipiia buildings, which operated as sanatoriums and places of worship, proved.
According to tradition, Asklipios was the son of Apollo and was initiated into medicine by Centaurs Hironas. The therapeutic way was based on the hypnosis of the patient. After the necessary sacrifices to gods, Asklipios made the patients sleep, went into their dreams and gave them the appropriate cure.
Asklipios also made surgeries and therapeutic cures with medicine of that time. It is said that it had such a will to beat illness that he asked Zeus to defeat death. But Zeus in order to punish him for his arrogance threw a thunder on him.
Asklipios set the bases of medicine, which were later established by Ippokratis.
Asklippiia buildings were structured on his honor and had a leading role in the development if medicine. Apart from places of worship, they also operated as sanatoriums and medicine schools.
They were built in spaces with healthy environment, because they thought it could effect patients. They followed therapeutic ways in combination to faith to god-healer. We understand why doctors had the role of a priest as heeling came along with faith to protector god.
It is a fact that Asklipia as places of worship, sanatoriums and medicine schools had an important role in the spread and evolution of medicine. Kos’ Asklippiio is considered one of the most important in the ancient world. Ippokratis, the father of medicine, was a teacher there.

KOS ASKLIPPIIO
Kos’ Asklippiio is located in the southwest part of the city, 4km from the capital.
It was built during the ^4th century and it is considered one of the most important sightseeings in the island. According to historic sources it was ruined in the middle of the 5^th century BC by a tremendous earthquake.
Today visitors can see the altar of Asklipios, built in the 4^th BC, the Ion style temple of Asklipios, built in the 3^rd BC and the doric style temple of Asklipios, built in the 2^nd BC.