Asclepieion of Kos: The Healing Sanctuary of Hippocrates's Island

The Story of the Asclepieion of Kos

The island of Kos holds a special place in the history of medicine. It was the birthplace of Hippocrates, born around 460 BC, who is often called the father of medicine. He and his followers taught that illnesses had natural causes and should be treated by careful observation, diet and rest, rather than explained only as punishments from the gods. The Hippocratic Oath, still echoed in medical ethics today, is linked to his name.

Not long after the death of Hippocrates, the people of Kos built a great sanctuary of Asclepius, the god of medicine. It stood on a hillside a few kilometers from the town, among springs and woods, with views across the sea to the coast of Asia Minor. Here worship of the healing god and the medical tradition of Kos met. Patients came to pray and make offerings, and they could also be treated by doctors trained in the school of Kos. Fresh water, clean air, rest and a calm setting were all part of the cure, ideas that would sound familiar to anyone visiting a spa or a clinic today.

The sanctuary was built on three great terraces linked by monumental stairways. On the lowest terrace were colonnades, rooms and later Roman baths, fed by the springs that flowed from the hillside. The middle terrace held the great altar and an Ionic temple of Asclepius built around 300 BC. On the highest terrace, the Koans built a larger Doric temple of Asclepius in the 2nd century BC, surrounded on three sides by colonnades.

Asclepius was the son of Apollo, and his daughter Hygieia personified health. The god was honored with festivals and contests, and the sanctuary received gifts from rulers and wealthy visitors. One famous treasure was a painting of Aphrodite rising from the sea by Apelles, the most celebrated painter of the ancient world. According to the geographer Strabo, it was kept at the Asclepieion until the emperor Augustus took it to Rome.

The Asclepieion remained in use into Roman times, when new baths and buildings were added. Like much of Kos, it suffered from powerful earthquakes in late antiquity and was eventually abandoned. Its stones were reused in other buildings, including the castle of the Knights of Saint John in Kos town, and the site was forgotten for centuries.

In 1902 the German archaeologist Rudolf Herzog, working with the local scholar Iakovos Zarraftis, rediscovered the sanctuary and began excavations. During the Italian rule of the Dodecanese, further work and restoration were carried out, including the reconstruction of parts of the terraces and columns. Today the stairways and terraces give a clear sense of the sanctuary's grand design.

The Asclepieion is about 4 kilometers southwest of Kos town and is easy to reach by car, bike or bus. Climb from terrace to terrace, past the baths, the altar and the temples, and enjoy the panoramic views over the town and the sea to Turkey. Back in Kos town, look for the old plane tree in the square near the castle, where by local tradition Hippocrates is said to have taught his students.