Illustration
The temple of Poseidon was constructed in approx. 440 B.C., over the ruins of a temple dating from the Archaic Period. It is perched above the sea at a height of almost 70 m. The design of the temple is a typical hexastyle i.e. it had a front portico with 6 columns. Only some columns of the Sounion temple stand today, but intact it would have closely resembled the contemporary and well-preserved Temple of Hephaestus beneath the Acropolis, which may have been designed by the same architect.
As with many Greek temples, the Poseidon building was rectangular, with a colonnade on all four sides. The total number of original columns was 36: 18 columns still stand today. The columns are of the Doric Order. They were made of locally-quarried white marble. They were 6.10 m (20 ft) high, with a diameter of 1 m (3.1 ft) at the base and 79cm (31 inches) at the top.
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Related Images
Temple of Poseidon, Sounion, Greece
Columns, Sounion Temple of Poseidon
The Temple of Poseidon, Sounion
The Landscape of Sounion, Attica
Poseidon Mosaic, Amphipolis
Zeus or Poseidon from Cape Artemisium
Cite This Work
APA Style
Mierlo, F. v. (2012, April 26). Temple of Poseidon at Sounion. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/250/temple-of-poseidon-at-sounion/
Chicago Style
Mierlo, Frank van. "Temple of Poseidon at Sounion." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified April 26, 2012. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/250/temple-of-poseidon-at-sounion/.
MLA Style
Mierlo, Frank van. "Temple of Poseidon at Sounion." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 26 Apr 2012. Web. 22 Feb 2025.
