The Asklepion, named after the Greek deity of medicine, was Pergamum’s medical center, and offered treatments that today sound more like something out of a spa vacation: mud baths, massages, sacred drinking water, and rubs made of herbs, oils, and ointments. Galen, who made much progress in our understanding of the circulatory and nervous systems, was born in Pergamum in 131 AD and lived here much of his life, adding to its fame as a significant center of learning. Today the Asklepion is not as impressive as it once must have been, but you’ll still have a good opportunity for a healthful stroll through one of the most important medical centers of antiquity.