Assignment 10

              When we arrived in the city of Bergama, we first visited the Asclepieion or the Sanctuary of Asclepius, the god of healing. The people of the ancient Pergamon would go there to receive a holistic healing process. The natural spring would flow into the Aslepieion and the doctors used these natural resources to cure their patients. The hot and cold water would flow separately into two areas and were utilized for hydrotherapy, where the patient switches between the two temperatures of water for pain relief. This technique is still used today in advanced treatment rooms for athletes. After long workouts and weight lifting sessions, the Baylor Track and Field team alternate between the hot and cold jet tubs every two minutes to flush out the lactic acid. How this works is the hot water relaxes your muscles and then when you switch to the cold water it constricts the muscles and releases the lactic acid into your blood vessels like squeezing toothpaste from a tube. For this reason, it is so important to drink plenty of fluids before and after workouts to excrete the lactic acid waste. 

               This is just another great reminder of how people back then were not so different then people today. This idea makes learning history a better experience because you can relate to the figures you are studying versus them just being some random person in time. Soon we will be part of the history books and future space living, car flying, teleporting people will read about what we did during this century. Isn't that cool to think about how people might look at buildings we see on a daily basis and study them and try to uncover our culture. This relates back to our discussion about the Hagia Sophia and how it is hard to imagine worshiping in such a grand church and to share fellowship with people in the community there. However during those times maybe the church was just a church and not a magnificent architectural masterpiece filled with cultural history. 

               Back to to the Asclepieion, the holistic nature of the healing process that it encompasses was the most fascinating to me. The idea of health as the mind, body, and soul was very prevalent during these times. In order to increase morale, the Asclepieion had a Roman theater, temple, and a library. There was an underground tunnel that the patient would slowly walk through and steam would rise within the dark walls with opium while the doctor would walk along the outside of the tunnel and speak encouraging words. Positive affirmation is so powerful that successful athletes go to sports psychologists to practice it. Every Monday, the Baylor track team has a devotion for the week and I firmly believe that it impacts not only our morale but our performance. 

               I hope that western medicine soon adopts a more holistic style, not only for our own personal health to improve, but our lifestyle. I feel that we rely to much on prescription drugs and for doctors to just cure us instantly. Often we worry to much about our physical health, but neglect our mental or spiritual health. I believe that all three are connected and if one is lacking, then all three will decline. When all three of these things are actively working together, then our lifestyles changes dramatically for the better and our overall health skyrockets. 

               After visiting the Asclepieion, we took a cable car up to the Acropolis. The view was once again stunning and the ruins were amazing to visualize the life the citizens must of enjoyed here. The structure of the Temple for the Emperor Trajan was astonishing, especially the base that can withstand up to a 9 richter scale earthquake. The bible writes, "To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live- where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who has put to death in your city, where Satan lives (Revelations 2:12-13)." During this time the Christians were a minority in a pagan society and persecuted for their beliefs. Being physically present on top of the acropolis and imagining the majesty that it must of exuded from the top of this mountain, made this passage in the bible come to life to me. Satan's throne, what powerful words, but meaningless when you are just reading the text. Actually seeing the ruins and understanding the grandeur of the acropolis gives the words significance. As a Christian, it made me grasp the difficulty it must of been to be a minority in a vast empire. It's admirable to think about how the Christians could be so firm in their belief and faith while being persecuted and surrounded by awe-inspiring temples, but still not question their own God.