In the hinterland of Epidaurus, in a temperate climate and abundant springs of healing waters, was the Asklepieion, the seat of the ancient healer and the most important healing center of the entire Greek and Roman world. It was the main sanctuary of the small seaside town of Epidaurus, but its reputation and recognition quickly surpassed Argolida and was considered by all Greeks to be the birthplace of medicine. More than two hundred medical centers throughout the eastern Mediterranean were considered institutions. Its monuments are today not only world-famous masterpieces of ancient Greek art, but also an excellent testimony to the practice of medicine in antiquity. These reflected the evolution of medicine from the phase in which healing depended solely on God to its conversion to science, with systematic recording of events and the gradual accumulation of knowledge and experience.
