Temple of Hera in Olympia

Ancient Greek Mythology, Religion, Art

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The Temple of Hera in Olympia, also called the Haraion, is one of the oldest temples in Greece and was built around 600 BCE. Some believe that this was the site of the very first temple in Olympia, maybe or maybe not dedicated to a goddess originally.

Measuring 50m x 18.75m x 7.8m, it was constructed in standard Doric fashion it has six columns on the face and sixteen along the side. Originally the columns were made of wood and gradually replaced with stone over time, resulting in small differences in each. As late as 160 CE one wooden column could still be seen in the opisthodromos.

The Temple of Zeus was built long after the Olympic games started (776 BCE) and the construction of the Temple of Hera (600 BCE). It is generally believed that the Temple of Hera was a site for worshipping both Zeus and Hera until the construction of a temple specifically for Zeus. There is evidence that statues of both Hera and Zeus stood in the naos of this temple.

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