Temples of Paestum Italy

By Brian Freeman

Approximately fifty-five miles (ninety kilometers) south of Naples.

Legends tell of the city's founding by Jason and the Argonauts, but archaeologists attribute

Paestum's birth to Greeks from Sybaris 600BC.

Originally called Poseidonia in 273 BC the city became a Roman colony and renamed Paestum.

The people of Paestum never achieved renown in ancient times, its colonial farmers grew extremely rich. Their civic pride is reflected in the three standing temples which are the best

preserved in the entire Greek world.

Õ The temples were dedicated to Hera who was a goddess of fertility and creativity, and later Athena a goddess of art and spiritual wisdom.

Õ The two primary temples, the 550 BC Basilica (Temple of Hera 80 x 178 ft) and the 450 BC temple of Poseidon, were originally dedicated to the fertility goddess Hera.

Õ They were meant to serve as homes for the individual god or goddess who protected and sustained the community.

Õ The building material throughout is the local limestone, which was originally coated with white stucco to smooth over imperfections in the stone and to lend the appearance of marble to the temple.

Õ This Doric temple, a style preferred in the western Greek colonies, still has the colonnades of the peristyle and part of the central interior colonnade.

Õ This structure is the earliest temple at the site and exhibits a

n early form of the Doric order of architecture, employing the system of post and lintel with stone.

Ground Plan of Poseidon Temple

A monumental temple

(about 196 x 80 feet)

Me at Paestum

Map of Paestum

For Futher Reading:

Dinsmoor, William. The Architecture of Ancient Greece, 3^rd edition. New York: W W Norton & Company,1975.

Scranton, Robert. Greek Architecture, 3^rd edition. New York: George Braziller, Inc. 1967.

Spawforth, Tony. The Complete Greek Temples.New York: Thames & Hudson, 2006.