The Stunning Ancient Greek Temple of Aphaea on Aegina Island

The ancient Greek Temple of Aphaea connected the land of Aegina. credit: Eustaquio Santimano / Flickr CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

The past Greek Temple of Aphaea connected the Greek land of Aegina is 1 of the astir awesome archaeological sites successful the country.

The goddess Aphaea, who was associated with agriculture and fertility, is thought to beryllium a section deity, due to the fact that the sanctuary analyzable connected Aegina is the lone spot wherever the goddess was worshiped.

Aegina is located successful the Saronic Gulf conscionable 27 kilometers (16 miles) distant from the Greek superior of Athens.

The awesome temple, which was built successful the Doric style, is located atop a elevation that is covered successful conifer trees. The elevation is astir 160 meters (524 feet) precocious and is recovered connected the eastbound broadside of the land conscionable 13 kilometers (8 miles) distant from the main municipality and its port.

The Temple of Aphaea was a salient sanctuary tract successful the sixth period BC, but, erstwhile Athens took power of Aegina successful the 5th century, its value began to decline, and it was abandoned successful the 2nd period BC.

Ancient Greek Temple of Aphaea connected Aegina

The tract itself is thought to person archetypal been utilized for worship in the Mycenaean period, which ran from c. 1750 BC to 1050 BC. A ample fig of Bronze Age figurines person been recovered astatine the site, immoderate of which may beryllium Minoan successful origin.

Archaeologists person discovered the remnants of an older temple, built astir 570 BC, underneath the existent structure, which was constructed astir 500 BC.

The archetypal temple operation apt burned down successful a fire, but the newer, extant temple contains undamaged elements of the older temple successful its foundation, which kept them well-preserved.

Analysis of the tract archetypal began successful the aboriginal 20th period by German archaeologists from the German schoolhouse successful Athens, but excavations could not beryllium carried retired then, arsenic they risked damaging the temple itself.

Extensive excavations astatine the tract started successful the 1960s, erstwhile German archaeologists were capable to survey the tract without damaging the temple. During their digs astatine the Temple of Aphaea, they discovered the remains of the older temple astatine the monument’s foundations.

The stunning quality of the Temple of Aphaea, which is highlighted by its beauteous surroundings, has inspired travelers for centuries. The famed British scenery creator J.M.W. Turner was peculiarly fond of the tract and drew it galore times. The past Greek question writer Pausanias besides visited the tract during his sojourn crossed the past world.

The Temple of Aphaea connected Aegina is possibly astir celebrated for its unsocial pedimentary sculptures, which were erstwhile brightly painted.

Both sculptural arrangements picture scenes from the Trojan War successful which warriors from Aegina were said to person fought bravely.

One pediment shows the leader Herakles and different Greek soldiers warring against a Trojan king, Laomedon, portion the different depicts a conflict betwixt the Greek King Agamemnon against the Trojan ruler Priam successful which the famed fighters Ajax and Achilles took part.