{"id":3223,"date":"2025-11-06T14:20:59","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T11:20:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ancientolympiamuseum.com\/?p=3223"},"modified":"2026-02-26T10:56:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T07:56:09","slug":"the-temple-of-hera-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ancientolympiamuseum.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/06\/the-temple-of-hera-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The Heraion Temple"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\tTemple of Hera<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Constructed around 600 BC during the Archaic period, the Heraion of Olympia is one of the earliest examples of monumental stone temple architecture in ancient Greece<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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from wood to stone architecture\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Situated north of the Temple of Zeus at the southern foothills of Mount Kronios, this Doric structure was dedicated to <\/span>Hera, queen of the gods<\/b>, and served various roles throughout antiquity. Its long architectural history provides valuable insight into the development of Greek sacred buildings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dedicated by the inhabitants of Skillous in Triphylia, allies of the Pisatans, the temple combined both conservative and innovative<\/b> features. Its stylobate, measuring 18.76 \u00d7 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<\/b>, and its roof was covered with clay tiles<\/b> bearing disk-shaped acroteria<\/b>.<\/p>\n

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<\/b>. 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<\/b>.<\/p>\n

The temple also safeguarded important votive objects, including the disk of Iphitos inscribed with the Sacred Truce<\/b> that ensured safe conduct for Olympic participants. <\/p>\n

In the Roman period, it functioned as a display space for notable artworks, among them the celebrated Hermes with the infant Dionysus by Praxiteles<\/b><\/a>\u2014now housed in the Archaeological Museum of Olympia<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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