Amphiareion of Oropos
The sanctuary Amphiareion or Amphiaraion of Oropus (Greek Ἀμφιαρεῖον or Ἀμφιαράϊον Ὠρωποῦ in Modern Greek, Αμφιάρειο or Αμφιαράειο Ωρωπού, transcription from the Modern Greek Amfiario or Amfiaraio ) is in the area of the ancient polis Oropus, between Attica and Boeotia.
History
That the worship and the cult of the sanctuary dedicated hero Amphiaraus was in ancient times an important health resort and an oracle. It can be compared with the asclepieion in Epidauros.
His reputation as a sanatorium was revived during in Athens late 5th century BC rampant plague. According to Herodotus, the oracle should have been one of only two oracles who have answered a question put by King Croesus of Lydia question correctly. The sanctuary, which was founded at the end of the fifth century BC, has already been described by Livy and Pausanias. The ancient city Oropus that lay in the border area, was battlefield between forces of Athens and Thebes. Since the Battle of Chaeronea was Oropus including the 6.5 km outside of the actual town located Amphiaraosheiligtum in the hands of the Athenians, later followed by a period of independence before Oropus finally fell to Athens in the first century AD. As a result of this political situation is to find out Oropus Athenian names in many inscriptions. Latest in Hellenistic-Roman period developed a real spa and bathing with longer stays. As a special conveyor did in the early 1st century BC, the Roman dictator Sulla out, in whose time the expansion of the theater falls. Since the God of the sanctuary had once been a man, denied in Roman times the tax collector in the usual temples tax exemption on the grounds that even an apotheosis does not create any tax exemption. As a medicinal plant, the Amphiareion was operated until the 5th century AD.
The Amphiareion is the subject of an antique painting described by Flavius Philostratus. It shows the city Oropus as a young man in the midst of Thalattai, the allegories of the seas, and the Gate of Dreams ( Pyle oneiron ), next to the white-robed Aletheia, the goddess of truth, is, indicating that in this place the sleeper the truth place in a dream. The Dream ( Oneiros ) is also depicted carrying a horn in his hands. According to Homer, there are namely two gates of dreams that occurs from ivory, from which only illusion and dream dream, the other made of smooth horn that come true dreams of.
1884 Amphiareion was rediscovered and excavated in decades, repeatedly interrupted work.
The Sanctuary
The sanctuary is located 37.2 km north of Athens between rolling hills in the valley of a mountain stream. The center was the holy spring between the high altar and the torrent. Here, the decision taken by Zeus ' lightning hero Amphiaraus to be resurfaced. The healing power of source justified the development of the town to the spa facility.
Built at the beginning of the 4th century BC temple of Amphiaraus, whose north side is in contrast to the washed away from the creek south side still preserved at a height of up to 3 m was divided by two rows unkannelierter columns into three aisles. Grid between columns separated the nave with the cult image of Amphiaraus, a Akrolith statue as " Holy of Holies " from. A pronaos was set on the input side with six Doric columns and two half columns to the antenna, so that the front apparently consisted of eight columns. 15 m in front of the temple stands an altar, which is disproportionately large with dimensions of 8.6 x 4 m in contrast to only 26.6 x 12.9 m large temple. According to the description of Pausanias, the altar was divided into five zones, which were dedicated to each different groups of gods: the average of the Amphiaraus together with Hestia, Hermes and Amphilochus, the other Heracles, Zeus and Apollo, Aphrodite, Jason, Hygieia and Athena, Pan, the nymphs and river gods Achelous and Kephissos and heroes.
North of the temple is a 70 m long series of statue bases from the Hellenistic- Roman period, on which statues were that the Oropier powerful patrons of the shrine donated thanks. One of the inscriptions from the year 42 BC, Marcus Junius Brutus honored as tyrannicide. Furthermore, the plant baths, a theater, a stadium and building had to house and tasting of visitors. The inscribed retrieved, only partially preserved cult law shows that at an inlet money was raised by the pilgrims, whose height was initially a drachma and was soon increased to one and a half drachms. The choice of the sacrificial animal from which the priest received the scapula was exempted even if Pausanias, the pilgrims would ram sacrificed and laid down to sleep on their fur to receive the oracle in a dream.
The Stoa from the mid-4th century BC extends with 39 Doric columns on a length of 110 m. Inside, the roof was supported by 17 Ionic columns divided the hall into two parts. All around ran a sophisticated marble bench. As in Epidaurus there was a sun room, a Koimeterion in which the patients after they had physically and mentally cleansed and fasted, lay down the so-called temple sleep and entrusted the Atonement of the healing of God. At the end of the hall, a space was divided, where the women stayed. Again as in Epidaurus already left Healed votive offerings and inscriptions. The inscription on the Moschos is the oldest evidence for a Jew in Greece at all.
The theater dates according to inscriptions from the 2nd century BC. , It offered only about 300 spectators. The seats were probably made of wood elements on the rock-hewn seats. Five honorary chair of marble are placed in the first row of seats around the Orchestra with a diameter of 12.4 m. The 1960 re- erected proscenium ( stage area ) is well preserved. Eight petite monoliths are designed as Doric half-columns of 1.90 m in height and bear an architrave with a dedicatory inscription.
Compared to the holy spring on the other side of the riverbed are the remains of a well preserved clepsydra ( Κλεψυδρα, water clock ). It consisted of a rectangular water tank in the middle, with a steep staircase for access to the bung closure of bronze.
The Amphiaraien
Each autumn found a cult festival, the Amphiaraien instead (Greek Ἀμφιάαρεια ), every four years, on a larger scale. The musical competitions were in the theater, in the athletic - not excavated - discharged Stadium. The inscriptions from the 4th century BC testify that mainly took part in the competitions Athens. After a Roman Senate resolution of 77 BC, called the cult festivals " Amphiaraien and Rhomaien ".