Facing south we have the Asklepieion, (Ἀσκληπιεῖον) the hospital of Athens, on the southern slope of the Acropolis. Do you know something about the ancient hospitals? More than 300 hospitals/temples dedicated to Asclepius have been discovered, the biggest one being in Pergamum. The Pergamian Asclepieion is like a town. The second largest is on the island of Kos, from where Hippocrates came.
Remember, the figure of Asclepius among the pagans was one of mercy and compassion, a god who could raise people from death – which is a prefiguration of Jesus Christ.
Let me tell you about the walkway called Peripatós, where the philosopher Aristotle would walk, having discussions with his disciples. Once upon a time…Aristotle came to Athens from Macedonia after being trained by Alexander. Aristotle established his own school.
He would walk with his disciples, having complex discussions during the morning and simpler talks during the evening. The Greek word for a walk is ‘peripatós’ (περιπατός) and this path around the Acropolis became known as the Peripatos, Aristotle’s classroom.
Jesus Christ was also a peripatetic, meaning given to walking about (περιπατητικός.) He didn’t have a special building or classroom for teaching; he taught his disciples while walking in the fields or by the shore of Galilee.
The Peripatos of Athens inspired Herod the Great to build a path around the temple in Jerusalem. Part of the path has been discovered and is paved with marble, with shops on both sides. It’s a significant site related to the time of Jesus and is quite special. Now, let’s continue to see the theater.”
