Temple of Zeus Olympius, Olympieion, Athens

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John Decopoulos (was created by)

Description

Peisistratos the Younger began the construction of a monumental temple in this sanctuary site in ca. 515 B.C.E. but it was not finished. Much later in 174 B.C.E., Antiochos IV Epiphanes, the king of Syria, attempted to continue the erection of the temple, which was finally completed by the Roman emperor Hadrian, in ca. 124-125 C.E. The Temple of Zeus Olympios was tripteral octastyle on the two narrow sides, and dipteral eikosastyle on the long sides, making 104 Corinthian columns in total. Inside the building, along the north and south walls, there was an additional Ionic colonnade. The columns are 57 feet tall and the ground plan dimensions are 135 feet by 354 feet. Keywords: Greece, Perifereia Protevousis, Athens, ceremonial and/or religious structures. Submitted by Diane Dagefoerde.

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