Asclepieion (?)

GENEREAL

Two hot water sources spring at Loutra (Figs 1-2). Here some possible Roman tombs were reported in the 19th century. A relief depicting the healing god Asclepios meeting a local hero, today in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens (NAM no. 1387, Fig. 3), could indicate that there was a cult of the healing god on the island from Classical times onwards. The fact that the hot springs are located at Loutra, and the presence of human activity here at least in Roman times, could favour the idea that there would have existed in the area a sanctuary of a healling god.

REFERENCES

Secondary Publications:

• Landerer X. von. 1835. Περί των εν Κύθνω θερμών υδάτων, Athens (concerning the Roman burials)
• Mazarakis Ainian, A. 1998. Αρχαία Κύθνος. Ιστοριογραφία και αρχαιολογικές έρευνες, in Kea-Kythnos. History and Archaeology, Acts of an International Symposium, 22-25 June 1994, L. Mendoni & A. Mazarakis Ainian (eds) (MELETHMATA 27, ΚΕRΑ-ΕΙΕ), Αthens, 49-63