Greece due to its geographical position and geological structure has a large number of Thermal springs. Natural hot vents and cold mineral water beside lakes and rivers, mountains, in beaches and plains, reveal rich aquatic resource in different thermal environments of Greek geography.
The use of this water for human physical and mental health is an undeniable and ancient fact. Many of these sources over time were associated with art, tradition, myths and beliefs.
Greek Mythology
Water is the Greek mythology primary element, which is connected to the vegetation, fertility of land, health and wellness. Many of the water sources known today were associated with the gods and attributed healing properties. Hercules used to, with the encouragement of the goddess Athena, be bathed in the hot springs of Thermopylae and Edipsos to heal from the hardships and recover his strength after each of the “Twelve Labours”. Thermia Artemis was the protector of the hot springs. She used to bathe in caves along the nymphs who accompanied her. The nymphs, who were the daughters of Zeus and called Naiads and Hydrias were river gods associated with the healing and prophetic qualities of the water element. Thermia Artemis worshiped in Lesvos at the Castalian Thermal spring, near Delphi. The pilgrims of the sanctuary were required before getting the answer, to drink water from the well and to wash their hands to purify themselves.
Ancient Greeks
The Homeric epics reflect the perceptions of the Achaeans for the purifying power of water and reflect the deep connection of rituals with water.
Every religious ceremony, presupposes cleansing with water. The cleansing with water is incumbent on all key moments of human life: birth, marriage, death. Washing is interwoven with prayer and sacrifice. In the Homeric epics we find evidence for cold and hot baths, which seemed to be a habit of both men and women. The spirit of water loving Achaeans is inherited from the Greeks. The ancient Greeks considered cold and hot baths, essential for the formation and maintaince of health. The cold baths were especially appreciated by the Macedonians and the Spartans. Due to their believes and social perceptions, they did not tolerate warm baths, which were linked to indulgence and corruption. Instead, the Athenians depending on the circumstances, they used hot and cold baths, which they considered a health and culture factor. As we learn from Aristophanes, people who were “in extreme poverty,” considered as unabathed (aloutoi), while based on the Athenians, they were considered barbarians who did not write and do not swim. The oldest bathing facilities we operated at Sybaris in the late 6th century BC.
The premises and the process of bathing in ancient Greece was called “Valanio.” The valania were public or private, and were always close to schools. In the 6th and 5th century BC the art of medicine was practiced in Asclepiea, which functioned as places of worship and treatment centers. The fact that most Asclepiea were built near hot springs and rivers, cold springs or near the sea, is no coincidence.
Asklepieion
The first medical treatment applied to visitors of Asclipiea was the bathing in various forms for the cleansing of the sick pilgrims. The famed Asklipieo of Epidaurus is believed to be the absolute sanctuary of hydro worship and hydrotherapy. The Asklepieion of Kos had baths for hydrotherapy and fountains with water. Except the Asclipiea during the same period the 6th and 5th centuries BC, there were physicians who knew the power of hot springs and used it for therapeutic purposes.
Hippocrates
The first to systematically study the therapeutic use of hot and cold baths and disconnected it from religion, was the father of medicine, Hippocrates (460-356 BC).
With its holistic and rational approach laid the foundations for the medical branches of climatology and clinical hydrotherapy. In his pioneering work he supported the effect of climate, geological and morphological conditions on human health. He related, speaking in modern terms, the eco-system with health. He was the first who attempted to classify waters in three categories: drinkable, salty and sea water. It is clear that bay salty water the father of medicine means mineral waters. Also clarifies that mineral water although useful, they do not produce the same effect in all patients. The entire project of Hippocrates for the water and climate is undoubtedly the first hydrotherapy clinic which he bequeathed to subsequent generations.
The perceptions of climate and healing properties of water and baths will be the fundamental principles upon which sciences of Climate-Therapy and Hydro-Therapy are being assembled and their influence will remain strong until today.
Roman Era
The ancient conquests in hydrotherapy continued into the Roman era. Romans were real bath lovers as bathing was for them a social obligation and non-bathers, were punished. The spas called «balnea» from the Greek word “valaneia.” Important role in the development of bath therapy played the progress made in the hydraulics systems of water. The Romans, at the site of hot springs built large and luxurious facilities, that besides therapy they were also used for recreation.
Thermes, a purely Roman idea was a larger social area with theaters, shops, libraries, gymnasiums, lecture halls etc. At the center of these sites were the baths, decorated with works of art.
Galen
In the aftermath of the Hippocratic effect, there were many Greek doctors who worked in Rome applying hydrotherapy and wrote rules for the use of the hot waters. Among them, the philosopher and physician Galen (130 * 200 AD), who was born in Pergamum and lived for many years in Rome. The great clinician and anatomist separated the shared baths from those of wild sources, while he classified the baths based on the temperature and the chemical composition of the water. Among the therapeutic baths he lists baths that use sea water and that are construed by adding salt to the water. Galen, recognizing the crucial influence of the work of Hippocrates gives us information on therapeutic indications of the use of common and mineral waters, He, indicating metallic water source near Lesvos refers to arthritis treatment.
Byzantium
During the Byzantine period, and despite the objections of some church fathers, the use of baths and hydrotherapy in Greece continues. The Byzantines used the valaneia until the end of the empire. During the Mid-Byzantine period, the monasteries had baths for monks which, when not used, they were opened to the public many times for a price. Presumably these smaller church baths gradually replaced large public valaneia. The use of spas was limited to the minimum and ceased by the end of the Byzantine period. Hydrotherapy baths were limited the shared baths of the Islamic world.
Renaissance Europe
The significant developments taken place in Europe in the long period from the Renaissance to modern times, were key to understanding hydrotherapy. With the help of physics and chemistry, hydrotherapy passed from empiricism to scientific documentation and of course new discoveries and prospects. The strong mobility in spa tourism, the construction climate-therapy centers, the explosion of related issues and the dynamic development of thermalism, changed the perception of hydrotherapy.
Modern Greece
Greece’s mainly argument base in contrast with the industrial Europe did not develop Thermalism based on the European Model. Despite all the difficulties, the first government of the newly established Greek state was involved in the operation of spas. In this context, in 1830, for the first time set up a scientific committee was established to analyze and evaluate the thermal springs. The first steps of thermalism started in Kythnos with the care of H. Hansen and L. Ross. In 1845 Queen Amalia expressed interest, while traveling to the island for hydrotherapy so a building of baths was created. Since then and until 1935 there were built and operated major Resorts in Greece (Loutraki Perachora, Methana, Edipsos Kyllene High, Caiaphas, Mandraki Nisyros. Smokovo, Nea Apollonia, Thermi Lesvos, Wilson, Lagadas, Platistomo, Eleftheres Kavala Thermia Ikaria, Thermopylae). In 1918 for the first time the state created a sector for thermal springs under the umbrella of the Ministry of National Economy. In 1920 a legal framework for the thermal springs and hydrotherapy as well as important research works from different disciplines. The director of the newly founded state of chemistry, M. Pertesis, studied from 1925 until 1937 the natural-chemical properties of the springs, giving a new dimension to the development of hydrotherapy in Greece. In 1936, jurisdiction of the thermal springs was transferred to the newly created Ministry of Tourism.
In 1938 the Department of Exhibitions and spas with director N. Lekkas, released a great research record known as “the 750 mineral springs of Greece.” The same year, at the University of Athens a Clinic of Hydrotherapy and Medical climate-therapy was created, which was abolished in 1952. In 1945 the springs jurisdiction was passed to the General Secretariat for Tourism, while in 1950 the responsibility passed to the Hellenic Association of Tourism. Finally, in 1983 the Association of Municipalities and Communities of Greek thermal springs was founded with initial goal the development, modernization and general improvement of the operating conditions of hot springs in the country and operation of these by the local government. Historical essays, buildings, artwork, etc., reach through the centuries and today is testimony to a civilization with a philosophy and principles for the care of human health. In each historical period, the ideas for the use of thermal water were similar to the perceptions of man and consistent with the organization of societies.
The loutrotopoi of Greece and thermalistiko environment of the Thermal Springs stood for centuries as places of meeting, communication, therapy, recreation, leisure, wellness and relaxation. They accommodated generations of people who looked after their personal health and experimented with pleasure in healthy habits, behaviors and attitudes. Today, as never before, the visitors of the spa centers should take advantage and enhance their individual skills and options with knowledge and awareness of the options relating to their own physical and mental health.
