Page 94 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Greek Islands

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TEMPLE OF APHAIA

NΑΌΣ ΤΗΣ AΦΑΊΑΣ

⌂ 12 km (7 miles) E of Égina Town § 22970 32398 # Apr– The east pediment
EXPERIENCE The Argo-Saronic Islands temples in Greece, and was the only place of worship for earlier set.
Oct: 8am–7:30pm daily; Nov–Mar: 9:30am–5:30pm daily
sculptures, with Athena
¢ Main public holidays
at the centre, were
The Temple of Aphaia is one of the best-preserved Doric
replacements for an
the cult of Aphaia, a goddess of hunting and agriculture.
On a hilltop above the resort of Agía Marína, the ruined
temple of Aphaia has a number of columns still
standing and its structure largely intact.
When it was built in around 490 BC, these
limestone columns would have been
covered in stucco and painted, as seen in
this reconstruction (right). This temple was
initially thought to be dedi cated to Athena,
but in 1901 the German archaeologist Adolf
Furtwängler found an inscription to the
goddess Aphaia. After Athens conquered
Égina, worship of Aphaia declined, and the
temple became an atmospheric ruin.

TEMPLE PEDIMENTS
The famous sculptures
from the pediments of
the Temple of Aphaia
are a mix of Archaic and
Classical styles dating These large columns Still in good condition, the
stonework above the
from the 5th century were made thicker columns consists of a
BC. They were found in for emphasis, and plain beam topped by a
April 1811 and sold at covered in stucco band of metopes, a type
auction to the Crown and painted. of sculpture, alternating
Prince of Bavaria. Now with ornate triglyphs.
housed in Munich at
the Glyptothek, these
sculptures por tray the
strug gles of various A reconstruction
mytho logical heroes. of the 490 BC
Temple of Aphaia
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