Epidauros was founded by the Karians, settled by the lonians and Dorians, and the mother city of the colony of Aigina. Known throughout the world as a symbol of ancient tragedy, the site at Epidavros plays host each summer (late June-early September) to a festival of ancient drama.
ln this place, which was sacred to the worship of Asklepios, the god of medicine, Polykleitos the Younger built a theatre in the 4th century B.C. lt can seat 14,000 spectators and has perfect acoustics. Thanks to its good condition, the theatre forms a living link between the ancient cultural heritage añd the moderñ Greek intellect.
The rest of the archaeological site is rich in monuments, of which the most important are: the Tholos or Rotunda, a place of worship designed again by Polykleitos the Younger; the Doric Temple of Asklepios; the Abaton or Enkoimeterion, where the patients were treated; the Temple of Arfemis; the Temple of Themis; the Gymnasion and the Stadium. ln the 2nd century A.D., Pausanias marvelled at the gold añd ivory statue of Asklepios, a work of t)e sculptor Thrasymedes.
You, on the other hand, will get a dearer picture of the site from the models and architectural fragments from the Tholos and temples on display in the museum, which also contains Roman statues, plaster casts, inscriptions, surgical instru- ments, votive offerings, etc,