Temple of Olympian Zeus
The gigantic millennial-old Temple of Zeus, the Olympian God, once housed a gilded ivory sculpture of the most wrathful of all Greek deities. Demolished in the 4th Century, the evocative temple ruin still has its 104 Corinthian columns still erect. Formerly the largest temple in the entire country, more grand than the Parthenon itself, has been reduced to a regular must-see on every tourist's attractions checklist.
Its construction began in 515 BC under the tyrant Peisistratos, but the edifice started operating as late as 132 AD, under Emperor Hadrian. During both the Hellenistic and the Roman periods the structure often appeared in historic records as an example of the grandiose architecture of the Greeks. Each of the columns is 17 metres high and is made of Pentelic marble. Currently, only 15 of the 104 Corinthian columns are still standing, thus providing a very hint of the original size of the temple. Hadrian, having finished the construction of the temple, was honoured by the citizens of Athens with the construction of an arch in his name. The structure of Pentelic marble has two historically important inscriptions, hailing both the city and the Emperor.
Name: Temple of Olympian Zeus
Address: Vassilissis Olgas Avenue
Phone: +30 210 922 6330
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