What to See in Epidaurus and Mycenae: Classical Greece and LGBTQ+ History

Would you like to discover these places in good company without worrying about the organisation? Explore our LGBTQ+ group trip to Greece.

A three-stop route through the Argolid

The Corinth Canal: gateway to the Peloponnese

Before reaching Epidaurus, we stop to take in the impressive Corinth Canal. Excavated in the late nineteenth century, it connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf, creating a narrow maritime passage between the Peloponnese and mainland Greece.

Its almost vertical walls and vivid blue water create one of the route's most recognisable views. It is a short stop, but an ideal place to understand the geography of the journey and take a few photographs before continuing into the Argolid.

The Sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus

In a small valley of the Peloponnese lies the Sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus, one of the most important healing centres of the ancient world.

Asclepius was the Greek god of medicine. His cult, originally connected with that of Apollo Maleatas, developed at Epidaurus from at least the sixth century BC. Over time, the sanctuary became an important pilgrimage centre for people seeking healing.

The principal monuments visible today were built in the fourth century BC, including the Temple of Asclepius, the Tholos and the famous Theatre of Epidaurus.

UNESCO inscribed the site on the World Heritage List in 1988, recognising its exceptional architectural value and its importance as evidence of ancient healing cults. The sanctuary offers a fascinating insight into how religion, medicine, architecture and culture were closely connected in the ancient world.

The Theatre of Epidaurus

The Theatre of Epidaurus is probably the most spectacular monument in the sanctuary. Built in the fourth century BC, it is considered one of the masterpieces of ancient Greek architecture. Its proportions and remarkable acoustics continue to surprise visitors more than two thousand years later.

The theatre formed part of the religious complex and hosted performances connected with celebrations at the sanctuary. Most remarkably, it is still used during the summer, keeping alive a theatrical tradition that began more than two millennia ago.

Epidaurus and LGBTQ+ mythology

Epidaurus has a particularly interesting LGBTQ+ connection through Apollo, whose ancient cult lies at the origins of the sanctuary.

Greek mythology contains many stories of love and desire between people of the same sex. It is important, however, not to apply modern categories of sexual orientation and identity directly to a society with very different social codes and structures.

Apollo and Hyacinthus

One of the best-known stories is that of Apollo and Hyacinthus. According to mythology, Apollo fell in love with the exceptionally beautiful young man. During a discus-throwing game, Hyacinthus was accidentally killed and, devastated by the loss, Apollo caused a flower to grow from his blood: the hyacinth.

Apollo and Cyparissus

Another story concerns Apollo and Cyparissus. After accidentally killing his beloved stag, the young man was overcome with grief. Apollo transformed him into a cypress tree, which from then on became associated with mourning.

These stories belong to a mythological world in which affection and desire between men appear openly. Visiting Epidaurus from an LGBTQ+ perspective gives us an opportunity to recover these narratives and understand them within their historical and cultural context.

Mycenae: the city of Agamemnon

From Epidaurus, we continue to Mycenae, one of the most important centres of the Mycenaean civilisation. This culture dominated much of the eastern Mediterranean between the fifteenth and twelfth centuries BC and played a fundamental role in the later development of Greek civilisation.

Mycenae is closely linked to the tradition of Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey. According to epic tradition, Agamemnon, commander of the Greeks during the Trojan War, ruled here.

The archaeological sites of Mycenae and Tiryns were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999. UNESCO highlights their exceptional value as testimony to Mycenaean civilisation and their connection with the Homeric epics, whose influence on European literature and art has endured for around three thousand years.

The Lion Gate and the Treasury of Atreus

The monumental entrance to Mycenae

One of the great icons of Mycenae is the Lion Gate, the monumental entrance to the citadel, built around the thirteenth century BC.

Its enormous lintel is crowned by a relief showing two felines facing each other on either side of a column. Walking through it means entering the heart of a city that was already ancient when the Classical Greeks began building their own civilisation.

The Treasury of Atreus

Outside the walls stands the Treasury of Atreus, also known as the Tomb of Agamemnon. It is a spectacular monumental tholos tomb, formed by a long entrance passage and an enormous circular chamber covered by a corbelled dome.

Although tradition has associated it with Agamemnon, there is no archaeological evidence that identifies it as his tomb. What it does demonstrate is the extraordinary architectural achievement of Mycenaean civilisation more than three thousand years ago.

Mycenae and LGBTQ+ history: Achilles and Patroclus

The LGBTQ+ connection with Mycenae takes us directly into the world of Homer and one of the best-known relationships in Western literature: Achilles and Patroclus.

In the Iliad, they appear as inseparable companions. When Patroclus is killed by Hector, Achilles is utterly devastated, and his grief becomes one of the central moments of the epic.

Homer does not explicitly state that they were lovers. Later Greek authors, however, interpreted their relationship as romantic and sexual. Plato, in the Symposium, draws on the story of Achilles and Patroclus in a discussion of love between men.

Later traditions also tell of Agamemnon and Argynnus, a young man with whom the king of Mycenae was said to have fallen in love. As with many stories from Greek mythology, this is a literary tradition rather than historical evidence about Mycenaean society.

Tips for visiting Epidaurus and Mycenae

Frequently asked questions about Epidaurus and Mycenae

A journey through Classical Greece

A route through the Argolid combines some of Greece's greatest archaeological treasures with the stories and myths that have shaped European culture.

From the Corinth Canal to the Theatre of Epidaurus, and from the Lion Gate to the Treasury of Atreus, we travel through places that have been telling stories of gods, heroes, wars, tragedies and love for thousands of years.

We do so from an LGBTQ+ perspective, also recovering stories of same-sex affection and desire that form part of the extraordinary cultural heritage of ancient Greece.