Temple of Hephaestus - Athens, Greece
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Raven
N 37° 58.536 E 023° 43.290
34S E 739041 N 4206602
The Temple of Hephaestus is an extremely well-preserved Greek temple located in the Ancient Agora of Athens (next to the Acropolis).
Waymark Code: WMGFHN
Location: Greece
Date Posted: 02/27/2013
Views: 26
The Temple of Hephaestus (a.k.a. "Hephaisteion", or "Thissio" as it is called by the Athenians) is an extremely well-preserved Greek temple within the area of the Ancient Agora of Athens, having withstood the passage of time much better than the Parthenon -- its nearby companion on top of the Acropolis.
Built around 450 BC, probably by the Architect of Parthenon Iktinos, the temple took 3 decades to fully complete. It was constructed in Ancient Greek Doric style, mostly out of marble from the nearby Mt. Penteli -- with the sculptures themselves made from both Pentelic and Parian marble. It was dedicated to Hephaestus and the Goddess Ergani of Athens, although some scholars now believe it was dedicated to Theseus, the mythical founder-king of Athens and son of Aegeus and Poseidon (hence the temple's current local name).
The temple contains 6 columns on each front and 13 on each side, with a well-preserved roof structure. The pediment sculptures (i.e. those in the triangular area above the front columns) probably represent the battle of Theseus and the Lapiths against the Centaurs in Mount Pelion. The sculptures on the frieze of the Eastern front (towards to the Ancient Agora) depict the Labors of Hercules. A sculpture on the West side reflects the fall of Troy, while an Eastern frieze depicts yet another battle scene.
Around 700 AD, the temple was turned into a Greek Orthodox Church dedicated to St. George Akamates. It remained so until 1834 when Otto I, the first King of Greece, ordered the building to be used as a museum. The structure was ultimately reverted to an ancient monument and National Archaeological site in 1934.
Sources:
* Wikipedia - (
visit link)
* Athens Online Guide - (
visit link)