Amphiaraion: The sanctuary of a healing hero

The sanctuary was founded in the 5th century BC with open-air altars. In the 4th century BC, near these altars, a six-column Doric temple was built, along with a large altar. Close to the temple are the sacred spring and the baths.

The great stoa (110 m long) was another significant structure, which provided shelter to the visitors and the sick. It was here that the incubation ritual took place: those seeking Amphiaraos’ aid would sleep inside the stoa and, in their dreams, receive the god’s counsel or even be cured. Along the length of the stoa stood bases for marble or bronze statues of priests and dedicators, as evidenced by the inscriptions carved upon them.

The sanctuary also included other buildings, additional stoas and baths, and a theater. The stage building of the theater, whose colonnade in front of the stage has now been restored, dates back to the 2nd century BC, while the five marble thrones around the orchestra date to the 1st century BC.

On the opposite bank of the Charadros stretched the settlement, with houses, shops, and inns, accommodating the many visitors who flocked to the sanctuary from various regions in search of healing or oracles. One of the site’s most impressive features is the clepsydra, a hydraulic clock.

The sanctuary experienced a revival in the 1st century BC under the Roman dictator Sulla. At the temple’s entrance, the pedestal once supported his statue, which replaced an earlier dedication, just like many other statues at this particular site.