‘God of healing’ found at Aspendos

ANKARA

The statue group represents the healing process as a whole, from treating an illness to full recovery. (AA photos)

An 1,800-year-old marble sculpture of Asklepios, the ancient Greek god of wellness, accompanied by his son and assistant Telesphoros, was pulled from the soil at the archaeological site of Aspendos, an ancient Greco-Roman city in the southern province of Antalya.

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced the discovery in a post on his social media account, saying the 2.2-meter-tall statue group was found as part of the ministry’s Heritage for the Future project.

The Roman Imperial-era artifact was discovered among the ruins of the northern wing of a Monumental Gate on the western side of the East Square along Theater Street.

Ersoy said the statue group dates to the final quarter of the second century A.D. and reflects the sculptural style of the period through the figures’ poses, the arrangement of the folds of Asklepios’ himation and the detailed treatment of his face, hair and beard.

In antiquity, Asklepios represented medicine, treatment and the preservation of health, while Telesphoros, depicted wearing a long hooded garment, symbolized the completion of treatment, recovery and convalescence.

The minister said the statue group therefore represents the healing process as a whole, from treating an illness to a person’s full recovery.

He added that the discovery provides new information about health cults, beliefs and social life in Aspendos.

According to a statement from the ministry, Asklepios is depicted as a mature, bearded man standing frontally, with long, thick hair. His weight rests on his left leg, while his right leg is slightly bent and extended forward and to the side.

His upper body is largely left bare, while his himation is draped over his left shoulder and arranged around his waist and legs in densely worked folds.

Telesphoros is depicted in a much smaller scale in front of Asklepios’ left foot.

The child-like figure is recognizable by his long, hooded garment, which completely covers his body and conceals most of its anatomical details, giving him a column-like appearance.

The discovery of the statue group among the ruins of the Monumental Gate connected to the East Square indicates that it was displayed in an area of Aspendos that held public and ceremonial importance.

The artifact has become an important archaeological piece of evidence documenting the presence of the cult of Asklepios and the role of beliefs surrounding health in urban life in Roman-era Aspendos.