262 Dr. Richard Gaton [March 2, 



explanation of these buildings, but none can be said as yet to be 

 proven. 



To me the above explanation seems the most probable. I think 

 it likely that the temple on the west of the altar, after ceasing to be 

 the special shrine of Asklepios, continued to be the thymele, or 

 sacrificing place, for the sacred serpents, and this coffer in the floor 

 was the ophiseion, or snake house. Above or near it would stand a 

 stone or bronze tripod altar, on which the incense and other bloodless 

 sacrifices would be offered. Here the sick would come, accompanied 

 by a priest, to offer their sacrifice and feed the serpents with popana, 

 or sacrificial cakes. To the north of this temple stood a building 

 divided into rooms, reconstructed in Roman times, which is thought 

 to have been a house for the priests. Passing now to the east of the 

 great altar, we come to a Doric peripteral temple, the most ancient in 

 the precinct. It measures 16 metres in length by 10 in breadth, has 

 six columns at each end, and nine on either side ; it faces west. It 

 is known that there were shrines of Hygeia, Aphrodite, Helios, 

 Athena, the Fates, and Hemera in the precinct, perhaps it was 

 dedicated to one of these. To the north of this temple, adjacent to 

 the great flight of steps, a lofty supporting wall was built against the 

 face of the cliff. Between it and the peripteral temple is a large 

 exedra, or semicircular seat, where doubtless the convalescents sat to 

 enjoy the glorious view and the sweet sea and mountain breezes. On 

 the east of the peripteral temple there remains a series of irregular 

 foundations on which stood probably small temples and shelter 

 porches, the latter of which would serve the same purpose as the 

 exedra. No colonnades are found on this second terrace. 



Ascending the great flight of steps, and passing on the way a 

 large base which may have supported a colossal statue, we reach the 

 highest terrace, and find facing us the great temple of Asklepios. 

 This is a newer building, dating from the latter years of the third or 

 beginning of the second century before Christ. It is peripteral Doric, 

 and measures 33 metres by 18. Six columns stand at each end and 

 eleven on either side. The foundations are chiefly trachite, but the 

 temple and columns were marble. Each column was l\ metres in 

 diameter at the base. There remain traces of two groups of statuary. 

 After the fall of the temple (probably in the earthquake of 554 a.d.), 

 a Byzantine chapel was constructed in the remains of the pronaos. 



Little is known about the interior. A great figure of Asklepios 

 would stand in the naos, but it is not known what was its material. 

 It was probably marble, as remains of a large marble serpent have 

 been discovered. 



Great porticos surrounded the temple on the east, south, and 

 west, the whole structure measuring about 108 metres east and west, 

 and 70 north and south. It seems probable that the east and west 

 wings of the stoa were occupied as abatons, or sleeping places, for the 

 sick, like .those at Epidaurus, one for male, the other for female 



