The Temple of Hera at Olympia is one of the earliest examples of monumental temple architecture in ancient Greece, constructed around 600 BC during the Archaic period. Situated north of the Temple of Zeus at the southern foothills of Mount Kronios, this Doric structure was dedicated to Hera, queen of the gods, and served various roles throughout antiquity. Its long architectural history provides valuable insight into the development of Greek sacred buildings.
Dedicated by the inhabitants of Skillous in Triphylia, allies of the Pisatans, the temple combined both conservative and innovative features. Its stylobate, measuring 18.76 × 50.01 m, places it among the largest temples of its time. The surviving lower portions and the orthostates of the cella were built of shelly limestone, while the upper wall sections were made of unbaked mudbrick. The entablature and columns were originally of wood, and its roof was covered with clay tiles bearing disk-shaped acroteria.
Over the centuries, the wooden columns were gradually replaced with stone, resulting in variations in diameter, fluting, and capital shape. This process unintentionally preserved a chronological record of stylistic changes. Inside, the cella was divided into three aisles by two rows of columns, and the base that survives today once supported stone statues of Hera and Zeus.
The temple also safeguarded important votive objects, including the disk of Iphitos inscribed with the Sacred Truce that ensured safe conduct for Olympic participants.
In the Roman period, it functioned as a display space for notable artworks, among them the celebrated Hermes with the infant Dionysus by Praxiteles—now housed in the Archaeological Museum of Olympia
The temple also hosted the Heraia, a festival organized by sixteen noblewomen from Elis and other cities of the ancient Eleian state.
These games featured foot races for young women in the Olympic stadium, with winners receiving an olive wreath—paralleling the men’s Olympic Games from which women were excluded.
This tradition demonstrates that while ancient Greek athletics were predominantly male-focused, women’s athletic competitions did exist within the sacred space of Olympia.
The Temple of Hera gained renewed significance in the modern era when it was chosen as the site for lighting the Olympic flame.
Today, the ceremony performed by professional dancers acting as priestesses and dressed in ancient garments takes place in front of the altar of the temple some weeks before each Olympic Games, both summer and winter.
Using a parabolic mirror to focus the sun’s rays, the flame is ignited in a ritual that creates a direct link between ancient and modern Olympic Games, making the temple once again a living part of Olympic history.
Nevertheless, it should be more than clear that such a ceremony didn’t exist in antiquity in frame of the Olympic festival. On the contrary, an eternal flame representing goddess Hestia was kept in an altar in the Prytaneion of the Eleians, next to the Temple of Hera
