1) The document discusses the river Litheos which flows through the city of Trikala in central Greece. 2) In ancient Greek mythology, the river Lethe was one of the five rivers of the underworld and those who drank from it experienced complete forgetfulness of their past lives. 3) The ancient Greek god of medicine, Asclepius, was said to have been born along the banks of the Litheos river in Trikala. He established an important healing temple and ritual center there.

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3. GYMNASIO VALTINOU
TRIKALA

4. Litheos is the river crossing Trikala…

5. Trikala is in…..

6. Thessaly, the central part of Greece.

7. Trikala due to Litheos river was one of the
most important cities in ancient Greece
and ancient Greek mythology

10. In Greek Mythology, Lethe (Λήθη), was
one of the five rivers of the underworld
of Hades. Also known as the Ameles
potamos (river of unmindfulness), the
Lethe flowed around the cave of Hypnos
(=sleep) and through the Underworld,
where all those who drank from it
experienced complete forgetfulness. Lethe
was also the name of the Greek spirit of
forgetfulness and oblivion, with whom the
river was often identified.

11. The dead are drinking water from Litheos
river, in order to forget their previous life.

12. The Myth of Er in Book X of Plato’s Republic tells of the
dead arriving at a barren waste called the "plain of Lethe",
through which the river Ameles ("careless") runs. "Of this
they were all obliged to drink a certain quantity," Plato
wrote, "and those who were not saved by wisdom drank
more than was necessary; and each one as he drank forgot
all things”
Πλάτων-Platon

13. Λήθη (Lethe)

14. In the Greek Mythology, according to Isiodos, Lethe was the
daughter of Eris, the goddess of discord. She was the
personification of oblivion and forgetfulness, she was
considered to be one of the Nymphs and the mother of the
three Graces.
Eris The three Graces

15. «Έτερος δ’ εστί Ληθαίος ποταμός ο περί Τρίκκην εφ’ω
ο Ασκληπιός γεννηθήναι λέγεται» (Στράβων, ΧΙV 647)
Litheos river….

16. ……by which Asclepios was born….
Asclepios…. The God of medicine in
ancient Greek religion and mythology

17. Asclepius represents the healing aspect of the medical arts.
His daughters are :

18. Hygeia:
The goddess and
personification of
health, cleanliness,
and sanitation.

19. Iaso:
The goddess of recuperation from illness

20. Akeso:
The goddess of the healing process

21. Aegle:
The goddess of the glow of good health

22. Panacea :
The goddess of universal remedy

23. Finding cure…….
• From the 5th century BC onwards, the cult of Asclepius grew
very popular and pilgrims flocked to his healing temples
(Asclepieia) to be cured. Ritual purification would be
followed by offerings or sacrifices to the god and the
supplicant would then spend the night in the holiest part of
the sanctuary – the abaton (or adyton). Any dreams or
visions would be reported to a priest who would prescribe
the appropriate therapy by a process of interpretation.
• Some healing temples also used sacred dogs to lick the
wounds of sick petitioners. In honor of Asclepius, a
particular type of non-venomous snake was often used in
healing rituals, and these snakes — the Aesculapean
snakes — slithered around freely on the floor in
dormitories where the sick and injured slept. These snakes
were introduced at the founding of each new temple of
Asclepius throughout the classical world.

24. Asclepios
accepted
payment only if
the patient was
pleased

25. The most ancient and the most prominent
“asclepeion” (healing temple) according to the geographer
of the 1st century BC, Strabo, was situated in Trikala.

26. • The new town of Trikala is built on
the ruins of the ancient Trikki,
founded in 3000 BC. It was named
after the daughter of Pinios river.
The town was an important center
of antiquity, as Asclepios lived here
(he was also the king of the town).
• The earliest reference to the town is
done by Homer, who says that the
town participated in the Troian war
with 30 ships. The leaders were the
two sons of Asclepios, Machaon and
Podaleirios.
• The town was the capital of the
kingdom during the Myceanean era.

27. Philip the II, father of Alexander the Great
• Being by the river Litheos, the
town soon developed.
• It was conquered by the Persians
in 480 BC and ten years later it
joined the Thessalian monetary
union.
• In 352 BC it joined Macedonia,
under the reign of Philip the 2nd.
It was the location for violent
fightings between the Romans
and Macedonians, when Philip
the 5th and his son Perseas tried
to keep Greece free but they did
not succeed to do so, as in 168
BC it was finally conquered.

28. The contemporary town of Trikala and its river…

29. About 80.000 people live in Trikala…

30. ..riding their bikes over its bridges…..

31. ….taking boat rides……

32. …or just bike rides…..

33. ….enjoying the million faces of their river…..

36. …and its bridges…….

39. …and making their river play its part in
their Orthodox Christian religion……

40. ...a gift from God for the plain and the
crops……

41. ….a blessed land for adventure
and exploring…….
The Matsopoulos
watermill becomes
the elves’ mill at
Christmas time….

42. ….explore the bridge of St. Vissarion in Pyli….

43. …or Porta Panagia, across it….

44. …explore the waterfall of Paleokarya…

45. Or the Church of the Holy Cross…

46. And if you visit in winter…..

47. …..Pertouli and Elati are worth a visit…

48. Go skiing……..

49. or horse riding….

50. Interesting encounters……

51. …on the mountains….

52. And do not forget to visit…..

53. ……Meteora……

54. UNESCO’s World Heritage Site……

55. Watch the sunset from the Holy Rocks....

56. Welcome to Greece……

57. Welcome to Thessaly…..

58. Welcome to our town……

59. Welcome to Trikala…..