The first cult site was established here in the 7th century BC, dedicated to the worship of Apollo Maleatas.
From the 5th century BC onwards Asclepius came to stand alongside his mythological divine father, Apollo. As the people of Epidaurus succeeded in promoting their "asclepieion" as Asclepius´ birthplace, it developed into the god's most important sanctuary and amassed great wealth. It was the healing god Asclepius who drew pilgrims and those seeking cures to Epidaurus.
During the Roman period, the complex was supplemented by cisterns, wells, thermae and a building with a courtyard.

In 87 BC, the sanctuary was looted by the Roman general Sulla, who handed over numerous votive offerings and cult objects to his soldiers as pay. However, the sanctuary was rebuilt during the later Roman period. In 395 AD the Goths under Alarich I raided the sanctuary. With the rise of Christianity, the ancient cult sites increasingly lost their significance. The site was "officially" closed in 426 AD.
Epidaurus has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.

The Ancient Theatre is the best conserved part of the sanctuary. According to Pausanias, the ancient theatre was constructed at the end of the 4th century BC by the architect Polykleitos. At a maximum capacity of 13,000 to 14,000 spectators, the theatre hosted music, singing and dramatic games that were included in the worship of Asclepius. It was also used as a means to heal patients, since there was a belief that the observation of dramatic shows had positive effects on mental and physical health.
The theater boasts excellent acoustics, allowing every word to be understood even from the uppermost rows. A cylindrical stone slab is set into the floor at the center of the stage; the sound of a coin dropped onto this slab can be heard even from the back rows.

The first excavation of the theatre began in 1881. With the work meanwhile done, the theatre has been recovered (except the stage building) almost entirely in its original form.