A Rambling Writer Memory of the Greek Islands: The Asklepion Healing Sanctuary of Kos

The ancient healing Sanctuary of Asklepios on the Greek island of Kos is an oasis of beauty and tranquility.

NOTE: As you read this, I’ll be recovering from another neurosurgery to finally give me relief from severe cervical stenosis. So a repeat of the healing sanctuary of Kos seems appropriate. This was part of a 2018 research trip to Greece to research more settings for my novel-in-progress, THE ARIADNE DISCONNECT. My first entry in this blog series posted here on Saturday, 10/20/2018. It gives an overview of our rambles from Athens to seven islands in the Dodecanese and Cyclades groups, ending our ferry-hopping pilgrimage on the anciently sacred island of Delos.

“There are places benign and places baleful; and I seem to remember that in the treatise on Soils, Airs, Waters attributed to Hippocrates himself, the doctor-saint of Kos makes some attempt to describe the often fortuitous combination of the three elements necessary to create a site with natural healing properties.” (Lawrence Durrel, The Greek Islands) The Sanctuary of Asklepios on Kos certainly fulfills these requirements. Like the equally renowned ancient sanctuary of Epidauros in the Pelopponese, this site of healing exudes a nurturing sense of tranquility that welcomed Thor and me as we stepped into its morning quiet.

Asklepios, son of Apollo and the mortal Koronis, was worshipped as a healer-god from at least the 6th century BC. His staff, the caduceus, wrapped by either one or two sacred serpents, became a symbol of healing still used today in the medical professions.

I’m posting my complete blog entries on my own author website at www.sarastamey.com, where you can finish this episode and enjoy all the accompanying photos. You can also view the complete Italy series there, as well as many other Rambles. Please continue reading by clicking on the link below, then you can return here (use “go back” arrow above) to comment, ask questions, or join a conversation. We love your responses!

https://sarastamey.com/the-rambling-writer-explores-more-greek-islands-part-23-the-asklepion-healing-sanctuary-of-kos/

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You will find The Rambling Writer’s blog posts here every Saturday. Sara’s Greek islands novel from Book View Cafe is available in print and ebook: The Ariadne Connection.  It’s a near-future thriller: “Technology triggers a deadly new plague. Can a healer find the cure?”  The novel has received the Chanticleer Global Thriller Grand Prize and the Cygnus Award for Speculative Fiction.  Sign up for her quarterly email newsletter at www.sarastamey.com