Page:Travels & discoveries in the Levant (1865) Vol. 1.djvu/53

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IN THE LEVANT.
31

lying down on its skin, awaited the revelations made to liim in the dreams.

The cure, however, of the patient did not wholly depend on these miraculous communications, for there were medical baths in the temenos, which was agreeably situated in the midst of fountains and brooks.

In the British Museum is an inscription from the Amphiaraïon which was brought from Kalamo some years ago. It contains a decree ordering that some of the silver vessels belonging to the Amphiaraïon be repaired, and other vessels made by melting down old votive offerings, consisting of plate and coined money. A curious inventory of the objects melted down is annexed to the decree.

Among those metallic offerings are enumerated hands, breasts, and other parts of the human body, dedicated by those who had been cured of diseases by means of the oracle; just such offerings as may be seen executed in marble in the Sculpture-gallery of the British Museum.

The inventory also mentions a number of tetradrachms and other coins which appear to have been fastened to the anathemata.

Pausanias mentions that near the temple was a spring called the Fountain of Amphiaraos, into which persons relieved from disease by consulting the oracle threw gold and silver coins by way of a thank-offering or fee to Amphiaraos.

These pieces of money were doubtless collected by the priests and placed in the treasury of the temple as anathemata.

Following the course of the brook, I found near