Day 6-7: Nafplion

Καλημέρα! (Good morning!)

    

Ah Nafplio, the closest to city vibes that I have gotten back to since Athens. This is a beautiful city in Greece. We visited Epidaurus Ancient Theatre while in Nafplio and it was amazing. I kept thinking to myself how amazing this theater would be to play in. It was so large and so beautiful. It also peaked my interest in that this was one of the first places of healing. Many would travel very far just to healed of their ailments. This is the first medicine that transitioned from the belief of Devine healing to the science of medicine. I mean how cool is that!

    This got me thinking about how in Ancient Greek and even modern Greek culture where healing is important. They believed that nature and peace was the best way to heal one self physically. They believed that the serenity of nature, healed ones mind which could in turn heal ones physical being. Asclepius is the Ancient Greek god of medicine, who is the son of Apollo. Asclepius represents the healing aspect of medicine. He was also the personification of the ideal doctor, while he also had the power to raise people from the dead. Eventually other gods noticed this, and many of them did not approve of this. 

    This ties into the theme of nature, and that life and death should not be tampered with. This goes against the laws of nature that are known today. Once Zeus learned that Asclepius was resurrecting those from the dead, he shot down Asclepius with a lightning bolt. This made Apollo, Asclepius' father, so angry that he killed the cyclops that made thunderbolts for Zeus. Asclepius punishment showed that there was a distinction between mortals and gods. Natural order is a major theme and that mortal men can only live for a certain amount of time and that after that time it exceeds that natural limit.