Accessibility of Ancient Healing Temples

[guy]

Disability is a fact of life throughout history. Asclepeions  were healing temples in the ancient world. They were dedicated to the Asclepius, the Greek healing god of medicine. Walking up the temple steps must have been a difficult task for many. I never considered ramps to help the physically challenged.

 

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The healing sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus, which was perhaps the most-important healing sanctuary in ancient Greece, has at least 11 ramps, on both temple and non-temple buildings. Similarly, the much-smaller and more-local healing sanctuary of Asclepius at Corinth was built with two ramps, despite its size, one of which runs the whole length of the sanctuary and would have required considerable investment.

By comparison, the contemporaneous Panhellenic Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia was built with only two ramps, despite being a very large and rich sanctuary.

 

https://www.world-archaeology.com/features/accessibility-at-ancient-greek-sanctuaries/

 

 

The academic article on the research:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/architecture-of-access-ramps-at-ancient-greek-healing-sanctuaries/3C28B200442E222601E3034170F275A6

 

Summary: I never thought about this aspect of ancient life. Despite personally having numerous hip and knee surgeries, I never considered the unique challenges of those with disabilities would have in the ancient world. It is not surprising, however, to see that there were accommodations for those with physical challenges at least at the healing temples of Asclepius. 

 

guy also known as gaius

 

 

Edited October 20, 2021 by guy

[caldrail]

The disabled would have been dependent on charity surely? Also, whilst there are many great temples of huge size and impressive colonnaded visual impact, the majority of temples were in fact quite small and easily accessible for those who found difficulty climbing steps. I also note the Romans don't dwell on incapacitation. Their ideas of male virility made disability something unmentionable? 

[guy]

Thank you for reading my post.

As you know, we cannot underestimate the influence and impact of Greek culture on ancient Rome. The practice of medicine was no exception. 

Galen, the famous and prolific physician in ancient Rome, was of Greek descent. The cult of Asclepius was still popular in the Roman Empire around 150 AD:

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Galen states that in around AD 145 his father had a dream in which the god Asclepius (Aesculapius) appeared and commanded Nicon to send his son to study medicine. Again, no expense was spared, and following his earlier liberal education, at 16 he began studies at the prestigious local sanctuary or Asclepieum dedicated to Asclepius, god of medicine, as a θεραπευτής (therapeutes, or attendant) for four years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galen

Similar to today, physical challenges and illness can be devastating. In an ancient world where orthopedic interventions were crude, medical treatments not effective, and pain relief was unreliable, people would have been desperate in their search for relief. Also, the number and extent of permanent disabilities of former legionnaires would have been unimaginable.

It would be little surprise that the cult of Asclepius would be popular in Ancient Rome. The Romans, being a practical people, would have adjusted their construction and buildings to meet the overwhelming needs of those who were physically challenged, especially those veterans who were injured in service to the Empire.

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by guy

[Crispina]

A very interesting read, enjoyed the video also.

[caldrail]

@Guy, yes, legion medics were pretty much Greeks. But Roman medicine wasn't that scientific on the whole. They were as likely to prescribe prayers rather than strange substances, and some of those weren't too healthy.

Edited January 29, 2021 by caldrail

[guy]

21 hours ago, caldrail said:

@Guy, yes, legion medics were pretty much Greeks. But Roman medicine wasn't that scientific on the whole. They were as likely to prescribe prayers rather than strange substances, and some of those weren't too healthy.

Thank you, again, for reading my response.

Below is an excellent lecture on medicine in ancient Rome. It deals at the 21:00 mark exceptionally well with medicines used in ancient Rome: various herbs and minerals, including clay from the Greek island of Lemnos (to treat dysentery), ginger (to treat nausea), iron dissolved in wine (to treat anemia), ephedra (to treat a cold, asthma, hay fever), myrrh (to treat infection), aloe vera (for skin conditions and burns), and cinnamic acid from cinnamon oil and other plants (to treat infections), castoreum from beaver secretions (see below), etc.

Recommend highly:

 

 

 

guy also known as gaius

 

 

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Castoreum: A source of wealth and health 

The testicles of the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) played an important part in Roman, and ancient, culture. Or at least that’s what they thought. This creature’s loins were believed to be the source of castoreum. (Castor is the Latin word for beaver). This musky, vanilla-scented substance formed an integral element in ancient medicine and was also used as a perfume.  

There were few things more effective as a medical cure than beaver testicles in Pliny’s day. In fact, the Romans borrowed this fad from the Greeks. The Hippocratic Corpus, dating from around the 4^th century BC, and based on the teachings of the renowned Greek physician Hippocrates, cites beaver testicles for a number of ailments.  

Beaver testicles were against nervous disorders, scorpion stings and toothaches. They also appeared in ancient painkillers and mouthwash. These ‘pills’ included tears of the poppy, galbandum (a resin from a plant found in Iran), myrrh, castoreum and a touch of pepper. Roman women, meanwhile, burned the stuff and inhaled the resulting fumes. They believed it would induce an abortion.  

https://seanmowbray.com/2019/09/18/rome-and-the-age-of-the-self-castrating-beaver/

Edited January 29, 2021 by guy