Das Asklepieion in Pergamon zwischen Religion und Medizin

Abstract

The paper has the task of analyzing the relationship between religion and medicine in the ancient city of Pergamon, primarily in the early days of the Roman emperors, analyzing the cult of Asklepios, one of the central cults, also known for its widely visited pagan sanctuary, located in the seat of this ancient center. In Greek mythology and religion, Asclepius was the god of medicine, descended from Apollo and Koronis. He got his name because of his birth, as his mother had to undergo an opening of the uterus in order to give birth, which is known today as a cesarean section. Asklepios actually means “open”. According to Greek mythology, he was taught in the art of medicine by the centaur Chiron. Through his studies, he was so skilled in the art of medicine that he could raise the dead and bring them back to life. His famous symbol is a snake wrapped around a stick, which can be seen in all medical institutions in modern times. This is reminiscent of the staff that Asclepius was always carrying. In ancient Greece and Rome, an Asklepieion (Ἀσκληπιεῖον) was a healing temple dedicated to the god Asklepios, the Greek god of medicine. These healing temples were places where patients went to receive healing or any other kind of treatment, whether mental or physical. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to examine the main features of the Asklepieion, especially the contemporary cultural and religious history and ancient medicine associated with it, in the context of new archaeological findings at this site.

Keywords

• pergamon
• asklepios
• asklepieion
• galen
• aelius aristides