Saturnalia Give away: Funny ancient trivia facts + Trajan's Treasure: 2 T-rages for $22 a piece

You’re a good man @Ryro . In honor of your excellent generosity I’ll close out this thread with another true(ish), perplexing and funny story... well at least it was apparently funny to the Ancient Greek gods with their trickery and pranks.

In the ancient city of Epidaurus there was a healing sanctuary to the god Asclepius. On the entrance to the sanctuary the priests erected several stone stele with stories (more like testimonials) of the people who had been healed there.

One story was of a woman named Ithmonike from a city called Pellene in the Peloponnesus. She was having trouble getting pregnant and so went to ask Asclepius for help. The god heard her prayer and came to her in a dream and promised to help her. She soon after became pregnant.

Happy ever after story right?... well not quite. Three years later Ithmonike returned to the sanctuary, still pregnant, to ask the god what had gone wrong. Asclepius came to her again in a dream and explained that she had asked him to become pregnant... not to give birth and that she should be more specific this time. Apparently Asclepius thought himself a bit of a comedian. In the end though Ithmonike gave birth and ended up with her happy ever after story. Though I imagine she was secretly a little annoyed at Asclepius.

I don’t have any Asclepius coins but here is a photo I took the last time I was in Epidaurus.

 

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"careful what you wish for"... seems to have been a theme for many millennia.