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Olympeion, The Temple of Olympian Zeus
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Athens (12), Greece (255),
temple (135),
ruins (66),
column (25),
Attica (7),
Olympeion (4),
Zeus (4),
ruin (3).
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| Author or submitter: |
Inga
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| Comment: |
The Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympeion) was an enormous structure, the largest temple in Greece, exceeding even the Parthenon in size. Work began on this vast edifice in 515 BC during the reign of the tyrant Peisistratos, who initiated the building work to gain public favor. Although begun in the 6th century BC, it was not completed until the reign of the Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD (some 650 years after the project had begun). In the Hellenistic and Roman periods it was the largest temple in Greece.
The 104 columns, each 17 meters (56 feet) high, of the temple were made of Pentelic marble. Only 15 of the Corinthian columns remain standing to give a sense of the enormous size of the temple which would have been approximately 96 x 40 meters (315 x 130 feet) in size.
After the construction of the temple of Zeus, the Athenians honored Hadrian by building an arched gateway in the northwest corner of the sanctuary in 131 AD. The arch, also built of Pentelic marble, bears two inscriptions. The one on the side facing the Acropolis (west facade) reads "This is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus" while the other, on the side facing the sanctuary and the extension of the city by Hadrian, reads "This is the city of Hadrian and not of Theseus".
The temple's glory was short lived, as it fell into disuse after being pillaged in a barbarian invasion in the 3rd century AD. It was probably never repaired and was reduced to ruins thereafter. In the centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire, the temple was extensively quarried for building materials to supply building projects elsewhere in the city. Despite this, substantial remains remain visible today and it continues to be a major tourist attraction.
Note: at the time the photo was taken, a few stray dogs were living on the site and in the park nearby. They don't like other visitor dogs and may bite. It appears to be a general problem for Athens, and perhaps for Greece in general. |
| Date taken: |
1 August 2008 |
| Views: |
377 |
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[ August 3, 2008 ]
