The Temple of Zeus at Olympia

was an ancient Greek temple in Olympia, Greece, dedicated to the chief of the gods. The temple,
built between 472 and 456 BC, was the very model of the fully developed classical Greek temple of
the Doric order.[1]
The temple stood in the most famous sanctuary of Greece, which had been dedicated to local and
Pan-Hellenic deities and had probably been established towards the end of the Mycenaean period.
The Altis, the enclosure with its sacred grove, open-air altars and the tumulus of Pelops, was first
formed during the tenth and ninth centuries BC[2] Greece's "Dark Age", when the cult of Zeus was
joined to the already established cult of Hera.[3]
It housed the renowned statue of Zeus, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The Chryselephantine statue was approximately 13m (43ft) high and was made by the sculptor
Phidias in his workshop on the site at Olympia. He took about twelve years to complete it. On his
head was a sculpted wreath of olive sprays. In his right hand he held a figure of Nike, the goddess
of victory, also made from ivory and gold, and in his left hand, a scepter made with many kinds of
metal, with an eagle perched on the top. His sandals were made of gold and so was his robe. His
garments were carved with animals and with lilies. The throne was decorated with gold, precious
stones, ebony, and ivory. The statue was the most famous artistic work in Greece.
The temple was constructed by the architect Libon, with carved metopes and triglyph friezes,
topped by pediments filled with sculptures in the Severe Style, now attributed to the "Olympia
Master" and his studio.
The main structure of the building was of a local limestone that was unattractive and of poor
quality, and so it was coated with a thin layer of stucco to give it an appearance of marble. All the
sculptural decoration on the temple was made of Parian marble, and the roof tiles were of the same
Pentelic marble used to build the Parthenon at Athens.
Heracles vanquishes the old order: metope with Heracles and the Cretan Bull (Muse du Louvre).
The unifying theme of iconography of the temple is the dike or justice based on custom, as
represented by Zeus, its upholder.[4]
The east pediment,[5] erroneously attributed to Paeonius by Pausanias, who gave a detailed account
of its sculptures in the late second century CE, depicted the myth of the chariot race between Pelops
and Oenomaus,[6] with Zeus standing in the centre, flanked by standing pairs of heroes and
heroines, and the two chariot groups, with recumbent figures in the corners. Hippodameia and her
maid stand to Zeus' left (north), and Pelops to Zeus' right. A great part of all fifteen figures has been
recovered, in carefully documented excavations; scholars still discuss the placement and
interrelationships of six seated or kneeling figures in the composition, and their specific
identifications.
The west pediment depicted the Centauromachy, the fight at the wedding of Peirithoos between the
Lapiths and the centaurs, who had violated xenia, the sacred rules of hospitality that support the
social norms. Apollo[7] stood in the centre, flanked by Peirithoos and Theseus.[8] Peirithoos, king of
the Lapiths has invited the centaurs to a wedding celebration. The centaurs get drunk and kidnap the
women. Perithoos succeeds in defeating them. The Lapiths have been taken to represent the
civilised Olympian order of the Greeks themselves, while the Centaurs represent primitive nature of
chthonic beings; the frieze also reminded fifth-century Greeks of their victory over the Persians,
"outsider" threateners of the Hellenic order. The statue of Apollo (currently in the Archaeological

Museum of Olympia) was depicted on the obverse of the Greek 1000 drachmas banknote of
1987-2001.[9]
The pronaos and opisthodomos, the entrance portico and the balancing false portico at the rear,
were constructed in antis, with six metopes at either end, carved with the 12labours of Heracles, in
which Heracles successfully defeats a series of creatures and monsters that threaten righteous order.

Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi

was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and
became a major site for the worship of the god Apollo after he slew Python, a dragon who lived
there and protected the navel of the Earth. Python (derived from the verb pythein, "to rot") is
claimed by some to be the original name of the site in recognition of Python which Apollo defeated.
[2] The Homeric Hymn to Delphic Apollo recalled that the ancient name of this site had been Krisa.
[3]

Apollo's sacred precinct in Delphi was a panhellenic sanctuary, where every four years, starting in
586 BC[4] athletes from all over the Greek world competed in the Pythian Games, one of the four
panhellenic (or stephanitic) games, precursors of the Modern Olympics. The victors at Delphi were
presented with a laurel crown (stephanos) which was ceremonially cut from a tree by a boy who reenacted the slaying of the Python.[4] Delphi was set apart from the other games sites because it
hosted the mousikos agon, musical competitions.[2]
These Pythian Games rank second among the four stephanitic games chronologically and based on
importance.[4] These games, though, were different from the games at Olympia in that they were
not of such vast importance to the city of Delphi as the games at Olympia were to the area
surrounding Olympia. Delphi would have been a renowned city whether or not it hosted these
games; it had other attractions that led to it being labeled the "omphalos" (navel) of the earth, in
other words, the center of the world.[5]
In the inner hestia ("hearth") of the Temple of Apollo, an eternal flame burned. After the battle of
Plataea, the Greek cities extinguished their fires and brought new fire from the hearth of Greece, at
Delphi; in the foundation stories of several Greek colonies, the founding colonists were first
dedicated at Delphi.[6]
The site of Delphi is located in lower central Greece, on multiple plateaux/terraces along the slope
of Mount Parnassus, and includes the Sanctuary of Apollo, the site of the ancient Oracle. This
semicircular spur is known as Phaedriades, and overlooks the Pleistos Valley.
Southwest of Delphi, about 15km (9.3mi) away, is the harbor-city of Kirrha on the Corinthian
Gulf. Delphi was thought of by the Greeks as the middle of the entire Earth.
The name Delphoi comes from the same root as delphys, "womb" and may indicate archaic
veneration of Gaia, Grandmother Earth, and the Earth Goddess at the site.[7][8] Apollo is connected
with the site by his epithet Delphinios, "the Delphinian". The epithet is connected with
dolphins (Greek ,-) in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo (line 400), recounting the legend of
how Apollo first came to Delphi in the shape of a dolphin, carrying Cretan priests on his back. The
Homeric name of the oracle is Pytho ().[9]
Another legend held that Apollo walked to Delphi from the north and stopped at Tempe, a city in
Thessaly, to pick laurel (also known as bay tree) which he considered to be a sacred plant. In
commemoration of this legend, the winners at the Pythian Games received a wreath of laurel picked
in the Temple.

Delphi became the site of a major temple to Phoebus Apollo, as well as the Pythian Games and the
famous prehistoric oracle. Even in Roman times, hundreds of votive statues remained, described by
Pliny the Younger and seen by Pausanias.
Carved into the temple were three phrases: (gnthi seautn = "know thyself") and
(mdn gan = "nothing in excess"), and ' (egga pra d'at =
"make a pledge and mischief is nigh"),[10] In ancient times, the origin of these phrases was
attributed to one or more of the Seven Sages of Greece.[11]
Additionally, according to Plutarch's essay on the meaning of the "E at Delphi"the only literary
source for the inscriptionthere was also inscribed at the temple a large letter E.[12] Among other
things epsilon signifies the number 5.
However, ancient as well as modern scholars have doubted the legitimacy of such inscriptions.[13]
According to one pair of scholars, "The actual authorship of the three maxims set up on the
Delphian temple may be left uncertain. Most likely they were popular proverbs, which tended later
to be attributed to particular sages."[14]
According to the Homeric-hymn to the Pythian, Apollo shot his first arrow as an infant which
effectively slew the serpent Pytho, the son of Gaia, who guarded the spot. To atone the murder of
Gaia's son, Apollo was forced to fly and spend eight years in menial service before he could return
forgiven. A festival, the Septerla, was held every year, at which the whole story was represented: the
slaying of the serpent, and the flight, atonement, and return of the god.[15]
The Pythian Games took place every four years to commemorate Apollo's victory.[15] Another
regular Delphi festival was the "Theophania" (), an annual festival in spring celebrating
the return of Apollo from his winter quarters in Hyperborea. The culmination of the festival was a
display of an image of the gods, usually hidden in the sanctuary, to worshippers.[16]
The "Theoxenia" was held each summer, centred on a feast for "gods and ambassadors from other
states". Myths indicate that Apollo killed the chthonic serpent Python, Pythia in older myths, but
according to some later accounts his wife, Pythia, who lived beside the Castalian Spring. Some
sources say it is because Python had attempted to rape Leto while she was pregnant with Apollo and
Artemis. The bodies of the pair were draped around his rod, which with the wings created the
caduceus symbolic of the god.[15]
This spring flowed toward the temple but disappeared beneath, creating a cleft which emitted
chemical vapors that caused the Oracle at Delphi to reveal her prophecies. Apollo killed Python but
had to be punished for it, since she was a child of Gaia. The shrine dedicated to Apollo was
originally dedicated to Gaia and shared with Poseidon.[15] The name Pythia remained as the title of
the Delphic Oracle.
Erwin Rohde wrote that the Python was an earth spirit, who was conquered by Apollo, and buried
under the Omphalos, and that it is a case of one deity setting up a temple on the grave of another.
[17] Another view holds that Apollo was a fairly recent addition to the Greek pantheon coming
originally from Lydia[citation needed]. The Etruscans coming from northern Anatolia also worshipped
Apollo[citation needed], and it may be that he was originally identical with Mesopotamian Aplu, an
Akkadian title meaning "son", originally given to the plague God Nergal, son of Enlil[citation needed].
Apollo Smintheus (Greek ), the mouse killer[18] eliminates mice, a primary
cause of disease, hence he promotes preventive medicine.
Delphi is perhaps best known for the oracle at the sanctuary that was dedicated to Apollo during the
classical period. According to Aeschylus in the prologue of the Eumenides, it had origins in

prehistoric times and the worship of Gaia. In the last quarter of the 8th century BC there is a steady
increase in artifacts found at the settlement site in Delphi, which was a new, post-Mycenaean
settlement of the late 9th century. Pottery and bronze work as well as tripod dedications continue in
a steady stream, in comparison to Olympia. Neither the range of objects nor the presence of
prestigious dedications proves that Delphi was a focus of attention for a wide range of worshippers,
but the large quantity of high value goods, found in no other mainland sanctuary, certainly
encourages that view.
Apollo spoke through his oracle: the sibyl or priestess of the oracle at Delphi was known as the
Pythia; she had to be an older woman of blameless life chosen from among the peasants of the area.
She sat on a tripod seat over an opening in the earth. When Apollo slew Python, its body fell into
this fissure, according to legend, and fumes arose from its decomposing body. Intoxicated by the
vapors, the sibyl would fall into a trance, allowing Apollo to possess her spirit. In this state she
prophesied. It has been speculated that a gas high in ethylene, known to produce violent trances,
came out of this opening, though this theory remains debatable.[19][20]
While in a trance the Pythia "raved" probably a form of ecstatic speech and her ravings were
"translated" by the priests of the temple into elegant hexameters. People consulted the Delphic
oracle on everything from important matters of public policy to personal affairs. The oracle could
not be consulted during the winter months, for this was traditionally the time when Apollo would
live among the Hyperboreans. Dionysus would inhabit the temple during his absence.[21]
H.W. Parke writes that the foundation of Delphi and its oracle took place before recorded history
and its origins are obscure, but dating to the worship of the Titan, Gaia.[22]
The Oracle exerted considerable influence throughout the Greek world, and she was consulted
before all major undertakings: wars, the founding of colonies, and so forth. She also was respected
by the semi-Hellenic countries around the Greek world, such as Lydia, Caria, and even Egypt. The
oracle was also known to the early Romans. Rome's seventh and last king, Lucius Tarquinius
Superbus, after witnessing a snake near his palace, sent a delegation including two of his sons to
consult the oracle.[23]
The Oracle benefited from the Macedonian Kings. Later it was placed under the protection of the
Aetolians. After a brief period the influence of the Romans started to emerge, and they protected the
Oracle from a dangerous barbarian invasion in 109 BC and 105 BC. A major reorganization was
initiated, but was interrupted by the Mithridatic Wars and the wars of Sulla who took many rich
offerings from the Oracle.
Barbarian invasions burned the Temple, which had been severely damaged by an earthquake in 83
BC. Thus the Oracle fell in decay and the surrounding area became impoverished. The sparse local
population led to difficulties in filling the posts required. The Oracle's credibility waned due to
doubtful predictions.
When Nero came to Greece in AD 66, he took away over 500 of the best statues from Delphi to
Rome. Subsequent Roman emperors of the Flavian dynasty contributed significantly towards its
restoration. Hadrian offered complete autonomy. Also Plutarch was a significant factor by his
presence as a chief priest.
However, barbarian raids during the reign of Marcus Aurelius and removal of statues and other
riches (in effect looting) by Constantine I caused it to decay. The short reign of Julian could not
improve matters. The Oracle continued until it was closed by emperor Theodosius I in AD 395. The
site was abandoned for almost 100 years, until Christians started to settle permanently in the area:
they established the small town of Kastri in about AD 600.

Occupation of the site at Delphi can be traced back to the Neolithic period with extensive
occupation and use beginning in the Mycenaean period (16001100 BC). Most of the ruins that
survive today date from the most intense period of activity at the site in the 6th century BC.[25]

Temple of Apollo
The ruins of the Temple of Delphi visible today date from the 4th century BC are of a peripteral
Doric building. It was erected on the remains of an earlier temple, dated to the 6th century BC
which itself was erected on the site of a 7th century BC construction attributed to the architects
Trophonios and Agamedes.[26]
The 6th century BC temple was named the "Temple of Alcmeonidae" in tribute to the Athenian
family who funded its reconstruction following a fire, which had destroyed the original structure.
The new building was a Doric hexastyle temple of 6 by 15 columns. This temple was destroyed in
373 BC by an earthquake. The pediment sculptures are a tribute to Praxias and Androsthenes of
Athens. Of a similar proportion to the second temple it retained the 6 by 15 column pattern around
the stylobate.[26] Inside was the adyton, the centre of the Delphic oracle and seat of Pythia. The
temple had the statement "Know thyself", one of the Delphic maxims, carved into it (and some
modern Greek writers say the rest were carved into it), and the maxims were attributed to Apollo
and given through the oracle and/or the Seven Sages of Greece ("know thyself" perhaps also being
attributed to other famous philosophers). The monument was partly restored during 1938(?)1300.
The temple survived until 390 AD, when the Christian emperor Theodosius I silenced the oracle by
destroying the temple and most of the statues and works of art in the name of Christianity.[27] The
site was completely destroyed by zealous Christians in an attempt to remove all traces of Paganism.
[27]

Treasuries
From the entrance of the site, continuing up the slope almost to the temple itself, are a large number
of votive statues, and numerous treasuries. These were built by the various Greek city states
those overseas as well as those on the mainland to commemorate victories and to thank the
oracle for her advice, which was thought to have contributed to those victories. They are called
"treasuries" because they held the offerings made to Apollo; these were frequently a "tithe" or tenth
of the spoils of a battle. The most impressive is the now-restored Athenian Treasury, built to
commemorate the Athenians' victory at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC.
In addition, Pausanias relates that at the time of the Persian invasion in 480 BC the Athenians were
advised by the oracle to put their faith in their "wooden walls" taking this advice to mean their
navy, they won the famous battle at Salamis. Several of the treasuries can be identified, among them
the Siphnian Treasury, dedicated by the city of Siphnos whose citizens gave a tithe of the yield from
their gold mines until the mines came to an abrupt end when the sea flooded the workings.
Other identifiable treasuries are those of the Sikyonians, the Boetians and the Thebans. One of the
largest of the treasuries was that of Argos. Built in the late Doric period, the Argives took great
pride in establishing their place amongst the other city states. Completed in 380, the treasury draws
inspiration mostly from the Temple of Hera located in the Argolis, the acropolis of the city.
However, recent analysis of the Archaic elements of the treasury suggest that its founding preceded
this.
As a result of these treasuries, through the protection of the Amphictyonic League, Delphi came to
function as the de facto Central Bank of Ancient Greece. It was the abuse of these treasuries by

Philip of Macedon and the later sacking of the Treasuries, first by the Celts, and later by Sulla, the
Roman Dictator, that led to the eclipse of Greek civilization and the eventual growth of Rome.

Altar of the Chians

Located in front of the Temple of Apollo, the main altar of the sanctuary was paid for and built by
the people of Chios. It is dated to the 5th century BC by the inscription on its cornice. Made entirely
of black marble, except for the base and cornice, the altar would have made a striking impression. It
was restored in 1920.[28]

Stoa of the Athenians

The stoa leads off north-east from the main sanctuary. It was built in the Ionic order and consists of
seven fluted columns, unusually carved from single pieces of stone (most columns were constructed
from a series of discs joined together). The inscription on the stylobate indicates that it was built by
the Athenians after their naval victory over the Persians in 478 BC, to house their war trophies.[28]
The rear wall of the stoa contains nearly a thousand inscriptions; supposedly any slave manumitted
in Athens was obliged to record a short biography here, explaining why he had deserved his
freedom.

Sibyl rock
The Sibyl rock is a pulpit-like outcrop of rock between the Athenian Treasury and the Stoa of the
Athenians upon the sacred way which leads up to the temple of Apollo in the archaeological area of
Delphi. It is claimed to be where the Sibyl sat to deliver her prophecies.

Theatre
The ancient theatre at Delphi was built further up the hill from the Temple of Apollo giving
spectators a view of the entire sanctuary and the valley below. It was originally built in the 4th
century BC but was remodeled on several occasions since. Its 35 rows can seat 5,000 spectators.[26]

Tholos
The Tholos (Ancient Rome) at the sanctuary of Athena Pronoia is a circular building that was
constructed between 380 and 360 BC. It consisted of 20 Doric columns arranged with an exterior
diameter of 14.76 meters, with 10 Corinthian columns in the interior.
The Tholos is located approximately a half a mile (800 m) from the main ruins at Delphi. Three of
the Doric columns have been restored, making it the most popular site at Delphi for tourists to take
photographs.
Vitruvius (vii, introduction) notes Theodorus of Samos as the architect of the Round Building which
is at Delphi.

Gymnasium
The gymnasium, which is half a mile away from the main sanctuary, was a series of buildings used
by the youth of Delphi. The building consisted of two levels: a stoa on the upper level providing
open space, and a palaestra, pool and baths on lower floor. These pools and baths were said to have
magical powers, and imparted the ability to communicate to Apollo himself.[28]

Stadium
The stadium is located further up the hill, beyond the via sacra and the theatre. It was originally
built in the 5th century BC but was altered in later centuries. The last major remodeling took place
in the 2nd century AD under the patronage of Herodes Atticus when the stone seating was built and
(arched) entrance. It could seat 6500 spectators and the track was 177 metres long and 25.5 metres
wide.[29]

Hippodrome
The hippodrome of Delphi was the location where the running events took place during the Pythian
Games. No trace of it has been found, but the location of the stadium and some remnants of
retaining walls lead to the conclusion that is was set on a plain apart from the main part of the city
and well away from the Peribolos of Apollo.[30]

Polygonal wall
The retaining wall was built to support the terrace housing the construction of the second temple of
Apollo in 548 BC. Its name is taken from the polygonal masonry of which it is constructed.[28]

Athletic statues
Delphi is famous for its many preserved athletic statues. It is known that Olympia originally housed
far more of these statues, but time brought ruin to many of them, leaving Delphi as the main site of
athletic statues.[31] Kleobis and Biton, two brothers renowned for their strength, are modeled in two
of the earliest known athletic statues at Delphi. The statues commemorate their feat of pulling their
mother's cart several miles to the Sanctuary of Hera in the absence of oxen. The neighbors were
most impressed and their mother asked Hera to grant them the greatest gift. When they entered
Hera's temple, they fell into a slumber and never woke, dying at the height of their admiration, the
perfect gift.[31]
The Charioteer of Delphi is another ancient relic that has withstood the centuries. It is one of the
best known statues from antiquity. The charioteer has lost many features, including his chariot and
his left arm, but he stands as a tribute to athletic art of antiquity.[31]

Olympia
(Greek: Olympa), a sanctuary of ancient Greece in Elis, is known for having been the
site of the Olympic Games in classical times, the most famous games in history.
The Olympic Games were held every four years throughout Classical Antiquity, from the 8th
century BC to the 4th century AD.[2] The first Olympic Games were in honor of Zeus.
The sanctuary, known as the Altis, consists of an unordered arrangement of various buildings.
Enclosed within the temenos (sacred enclosure) are the Temple of Hera (or Heraion/Heraeum) and
Temple of Zeus, the Pelopion and the area of the altar, where the sacrifices were made. The
hippodrome and later stadium were also to the east.

To the north of the sanctuary can be found the Prytaneion and the Philippeion, as well as the array
of treasuries representing the various city states. The Metroon lies to the south of these treasuries,
with the Echo Stoa to the East. To the south of the sanctuary is the South Stoa and the Bouleuterion,
whereas the West side houses the Palaestra, the workshop of Pheidias, the Gymnasion and the
Leonidaion.
Olympia is also known for the gigantic ivory and gold statue of Zeus that used to stand there,
sculpted by Pheidias, which was named one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by
Antipater of Sidon. Very close to the Temple of Zeus which housed this statue, the studio of
Pheidias was excavated in the 1950s. Evidence found there, such as sculptor's tools, corroborates
this opinion. The ancient ruins sit north of the Alfeios River and Mount Kronos (named after the
Greek deity Kronos). The Kladeos, a tributary of the Alfeios, flows around the area. Its located in
the part of Greece which is called Peloponesse. In Ancient Greece, Olympia was sacred ground to
the Greeks.

Site plan

1: North-East Propylon 2: Prytaneion 3: Philippeion 4: Temple of Hera 5: Pelopion 6:

Nymphaeum of Herodes Atticus 7: Metroon 8: Treasuries 9: Crypt (arched way to the
stadium) 10: Stadium 11: Echo stoa 12: Building of Ptolemy II and Arsinoe II 13: Hestia
stoa 14: Hellenistic building 15: Temple of Zeus 16: Altar of Zeus 17: Ex-voto of Achaeans
18: Ex-voto of Mikythos 19: Nike of Paeonius 20: Gymnasion 21: Palaestra 22:
Theokoleon 23: Heroon 24: Phidias' workshop and paleochristian basilica 25: Baths of
Kladeos 26: Greek baths 27 and 28: Hostels 29: Leonidaion 30: South baths 31:
Bouleuterion 32: South stoa 33: Villa of Nero
Treasuries. I: Sicyon II: Syracuse III: Epidamnus? IV: Byzantium? V: Sybaris? VI:
Cyrene? VII: Unindentified VIII: Altar? IX: Selinunte X: Metapontum XI: Megara XII:
Gela

Remains of food and burnt offerings dating back to the 10th century BC give evidence of a long
history of religious activity at the site. No buildings have survived from this earliest period of use.
[3] Also, the charred remains of a Homo Heidelbergensis body were found at Olympia.

Geometric and Archaic periods

The first Olympic festival was organized on the site by the authorities of Elis in the 8th century BC
with tradition dating the first games at 776 BC. Major changes were made to the site around 700
BC, including levelling land and digging new wells. Elis' power diminished and at the beginning of
the 7th century BC the sanctuary fell into the hands of the Pisatans in 676 BC. The Pisatans
organized the games until the late 7th century BC.[3]
The earliest evidence of building activity on the site dates from around 600 BC. At this time the
Skiloudians, allies of the Pistans, built the Temple of Hera. The Treasuries and the Pelopion were
built during the course of the 6th century BC. The secular structures and athletic arenas were also
under construction during this period including the Bouleuterion. The first stadium was constructed
around 560 BC, it consisted of just a simple track. The stadium was remodelled around 500 BC
with sloping sides for spectators and shifted slightly to the east. Over the course of the 6th century
BC a range of sports were added to the Olympic festival. In 580 BC, Elis, in alliance with Sparta,
occupied Pisa and regained the control over the sanctuary.[3]

Classical period
The classical period, between the 5th and 4th centuries BC, was the golden age of the site at
Olympia. A wide range of new religious and secular buildings and structures were constructed.[4]
The Temple of Zeus was built in the middle of the 5th century BC. Its size, scale and ornamentation
was beyond anything previously constructed on the site. Further sporting facilities, including the
final iteration of the stadium, and the hippodrome (for chariot-racing) were constructed. The
Prytaneion was built at the north west side of the site in 470 BC.[4]
In the late classical period, further structures were added to the site. The Metroon was constructed
near the Treasuries c.400 BC. The erection of the Echo Stoa, around 350, separated off the
sanctuary from the area of the games and stadium. The South Stoa was built BC at the southern
edge of the sanctuary at approximately the same time.

Hellenistic period
The late 4th century BC saw the erection of the Philippeion. Around 300 BC the largest building on
the site, the Leonidaion, was constructed to house important visitors. Due to the increasing
importance of the games, further athletic buildings were constructed including the Palaestra (3rd
century BC), Gymnasion (2nd century BC) and bath houses (c.300 BC). Finally, in 200 BC, a
vaulted archway was erected linking the entrance of the stadium to the sanctuary.[5]

Temple of Hera (also known as Heraion) is an ancient Doric Greek temple at Olympia, Greece.
The Temple of Hera was destroyed by an earthquake in the early 4th century AD, and never rebuilt.
In modern times, the temple is the location where the torch of the Olympic flame is lit, by focusing
the rays of the sun.
The temple was dedicated to Hera, the wife of Zeus and one of the most important female deities in
Greek religion. For other temples also dedicated to Hera, see the: Heraion (disambiguation).
The Heraion at Olympia, located in the north of the altis (the sacred precinct), is the oldest
peripteral temple at that site, and one of the earliest Doric temples in Greece. There may have been
an older cult place in the same location. The temple was erected circa 590 BC, probably as a
dedication by the Triphylian polis of Skillous. It is suggested that this dedication by a nearby city
was originally in honour of the main patron deity at Olympia, Zeus. In that case, the temple would
have rededicated to Hera at a later point, perhaps after 580 BC, when control of Olympia had
passed from Triphylia to Elis, or in the 5th century BC, when the famous Temple of Zeus was built.
The temple of Hera was destroyed by an earthquake in the early 4th century AD. No repairs took
place after that event.
The temple measures 50.01 by 18.76 m (164.1 by 61.5 ft) at the stylobate level; such elongated
proportions are a common feature of early Doric architecture. It has a peripteros of 6 by 16
columns. These were originally wooden and were only gradually replaced with stone ones. As the
replacements took place at widely differing periods between the Archaic and Roman periods and
were carved under the influence of their respective contemporary styles, they differ considerably in
proportions and detail. As late as the 2nd century AD, the travel writer Pausanias saw one wooden
column in the opisthodomos. The walls had a bottom course of stone with a mudbrick
superstructure, another feature typical of early Greek architecture. Holes in the protrusions at the
ends of the walls (the so-called antae indicate that a wooden cladding protected them from the
elements. The entablature above the columns must have been wooden, since no remains of it were
found. The temple had a Laconian-style roof; its pediments were decorated with disk acroteria of
2.5m (8.2ft) diameter, each made in one single piece (one is on display at the Archaeological
Museum of Olympia).
Pausanias reports two cult statues inside the cella or naos, of the temple: a seated Hera and a
standing Zeus. An Archaic stone head on display in Olympia museum may belong to the statue of
Hera. At the time of Pausanias, the building was also used to store numerous other objects,
including many further statues of deities and votive offerings. Among the few of these objects to
survive is the statue generally identified as the Hermes of Praxiteles, one of the most important
preserved examples of Greek sculpture. The temple also held the table on which the olive wreaths
for the victors were displayed during the Olympic Games. Today, the temple is the location at which
the Olympic flame is lit.

Lecture 6: Greek Temples

Early Greek Temple Architecture

Megaron becomes the Temple

Refinements in Structure

The Orders

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Map of Mediterranean
700 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Map of Greece
700 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Hairpin Megaron
2000 ~ 1500 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Megaron

Thursday, May 9, 2013

The Kings Megaron

1400 ~ 1300 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Early Greek Temple

Argos, Greece 8th BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Early Greek Temple

750 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Lecture 6: Greek Temples

The Orders of Greek Columns and Temples

Doric - Developed in Western Greece

Ionic - Developed in Eastern Greece

Corinthian - Developed 100 BC at the end of Greek

Empire

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Lecture 6: Greek Temples

Refinements

Entasis

Stylobate

Corner Detail

Golden Section in Plan and Elevation

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Lecture 6: Greek Temples

Entasis: a slight convex curve in the shaft of a column,

introduced to correct the visual illusion of concavity
produced by a straight shaft.

Stylobate: is the floor of the temple.

Corner Detail: is the a common problem even today.
Thursday, May 9, 2013

Lecture 6: Greek Temples

The columns lean

slightly inward to
appear straight.

The stylobate or base

has a curvature to
make the appearance
of a flat surface.
Thursday, May 9, 2013

Lecture 6: Greek Temples

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Lecture 6: Greek Temples

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Ziggurat of Ur-Nammu
Ur (Iraq) 2047-2030

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Doric Order was a simple design.

The column sits on the stylobate.
The top of the shaft is simple
connection to the roof structure
(entablature).

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Palace of Knossos
1400 ~ 1300 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Megaron

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Temple of Hera (Poseidon)

Paestum, Italy 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Temple of Hera (Poseidon)

Paestum, Italy 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Temple of Hera (Poseidon)

Paestum, Italy 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Temple of Hera (Poseidon)

Paestum, Italy 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Temple of Hera (Poseidon)

Paestum, Italy 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Temple of Hera (Poseidon)

Paestum, Italy 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Temple of Hera (Poseidon)

Paestum, Italy 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Plan of Olympia
Olympia, Greece

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Plan of Olympia
Olympia, Greece

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Reconstruction of Olympia
Olympia, Greece

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Olympia
Olympia, Greece

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Olympia
Olympia, Greece

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Temple of Zeus
Olympia, Greece

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Temple of Zeus West Pediment

Olympia, Greece 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Temple of Zeus
Olympia, Greece 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Temple of Zeus
Olympia, Greece 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Temple of Zeus
Olympia, Greece 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Scale of Doric Columns

Olympia, Greece

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Temple of Hera
Olympia, Greece 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Temple of Hera
Olympia, Greece 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Temple of Hera
Olympia, Greece 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Temple of Hera
Olympia, Greece 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

The Palaestra
Olympia, Greece 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

The Palaestra
Olympia, Greece 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

The Palaestra
Olympia, Greece 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Walkway to the Stadium

Olympia, Greece 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Track
Olympia, Greece 600 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Ionic Order
1 - entablature
2 - column
3 - cornice
4 - frieze
5 - architrave or epistyle,
6 - capital (abacus and volutes)
7 - shaft
8 - base
9 - stylobate
10 - krepis.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric Order

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Ionic Order

The Ionic columns stand on a base

which separates the shaft of the
column from the stylobate or
platform. The cap usually has volutes.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Ionic Orders

Ionic Column Detail

Adyton

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Ionic Orders

Ionic Column Detail

Adyton

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Ionic Orders

Ionic Column Detail

Adyton

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric/Ionic Orders

Stoa of Attalos
Athens, Greece 159 - 138 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric/Ionic Orders

Stoa of Attalos
Athens, Greece 159 - 138 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric/Ionic Orders

Stoa of Attalos
Athens, Greece 159 - 138 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric/Ionic Orders

Stoa of Attalos
Athens, Greece 159 - 138 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric/Ionic Orders

Stoa of Attalos
Athens, Greece 159 - 138 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric/Ionic Orders

Stoa of Attalos
Athens, Greece 159 - 138 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric/Ionic Orders

Stoa of Attalos
Athens, Greece 159 - 138 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric/Ionic Orders

Stoa of Attalos
Athens, Greece 159 - 138 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doric/Ionic Orders

Stoa of Attalos
Athens, Greece 159 - 138 BC

Thursday, May 9, 2013