{"id":4467,"date":"2016-12-22T12:15:46","date_gmt":"2016-12-22T12:15:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.visionpubl.com\/en\/?p=4467"},"modified":"2016-12-22T12:19:41","modified_gmt":"2016-12-22T12:19:41","slug":"temple-olympian-zeus-olympieion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visionpubl.com\/en\/cities\/athens\/temple-olympian-zeus-olympieion\/","title":{"rendered":"Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0Olympieion<\/b>\u00a0is a temple<\/strong> in the center of\u00a0Athens<\/a> that was dedicated to\u00a0the king of all Gods, Zeus<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Along the valley of the Ilissos stands the Arch of Hadrian, a single-arched gateway with a facade consisting of two lateral pilaster strips and two Corinthian columns and surmounted by a small pediment, through which one reaches the area where the colossal Temple of Zeus Olympios<\/em><\/strong> (Olympieion) must have stood.<\/p>\n


\nPhoto credits by George Rex<\/a> under CC-BY-SA-2.0.<\/p>\n

The construction of this building<\/strong>, the original plan of which was developed in the VIth<\/sup> century BC by the family of Peisistratos, was never completed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Antiochos IV of Syria<\/strong> undertook the construction of a new building a little before the middle of the IInd century BC, which was entrusted to the famous architect Cossutius<\/strong>, but this too was left unfinished.<\/p>\n

The surviving temple dates to the reign of Hadrian<\/strong> (124-132 AD) and stands in the centre of an imposing temenos<\/em><\/strong> (sacred precinct).<\/p>\n

44 metres wide and 110 metres long, it is a Corinthian temple<\/strong>, surrounded by a triple colonnade originally consisting of 104 columns, with a long, narrow naos<\/em> (cell) which contained the chryselephantine statue of the god.<\/p>\n

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\"Athens<\/div>\n

Do you want to know more about the Olympieion<\/strong> and the history of\u00a0Athens?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Check out our guidebook to Athens<\/a>, with detailed history and Past & Present images of the Acropolis<\/strong>, the Parthenon<\/strong>, the Propylaea<\/strong> and all the greatest historical and archaeological sites of the greek city.<\/p>\n

Check out our Athens Guide Book now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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How to get to the Olympieion<\/h2>\n