Patches of original stucco or plaster stand out against pitted stonework in bright Mediterranean sunshine warming fluted Doric columns of the reconstructed colonnade of the Temple of Hera or Temple E in the ruins of the ancient Greek city and port of Selinus or Selinous at Selinunte in southwest Sicily, Italy. Although the temple probably collapsed in earthquakes after Selinus was abandoned, it was reconstructed in 1958 using the original materials.
Selinunte, Sicily, Italy: patches of original stucco or plaster stand out against pitted stonework in bright Mediterranean sunshine warming the fluted Doric columns and capitals of the reconstructed colonnade of the Temple of Hera or Aphrodite in the ruins of the ancient Greek city and port of Selinus or Selinous on Sicily’s southwestern coast. The structure, officially known as Temple E, stands with two other ruined temples east of the acropolis in the 570-hectare Selinunte Archaeological Park, the largest of its kind in Europe. Temple E, probably once dedicated to the goddess Hera, dates from around 460 to 450 BC. It measured by (222 x 77 ft) and had multiple staircases leading to successive levels. Like other temples at Selinunte, Temple E is believed to have collapsed in earthquakes long after Silenus was captured and sacked by the Cathaginians in 409 BC. However, unlike the others, it was partly reconstructed in 1958 by Italian archaeologist Jole Bovio Marconi, using the original materials. Silenus was founded in 651 or 628 BC by Greek colonists from Megara Hyblaea (modern Augusta in western Sicily), perhaps taking its name from wild celery (Greek: selinon) flourishing on the clifftop site. The city had become very prosperous by the 5th century BC, when most of its temples were built, but it then became embroiled in border disputes with the rival city of Segesta. Its end came after it formed an alliance with Syracuse against Carthage. In 409 BC, a 10-day siege of Silenus by a 100,000-strong Carthaginian army ended with its defensive walls being razed, many buildings destroyed,16,000 of its citizens dead and 5,000 more taken prisoner. Only 2,600 people escaped. Although Silenus was later revived, the site was abandoned after Carthage moved its citizens to Lilybaeum (modern Marsala) in 250 BC.
Size: 2832px × 4256px
Location: Selinunte, Sicily, Italy
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1897-1986, 1950s, 450, 460, 5th, anastylosis, ancient, aphrodite, archaeological, archaeologist, archaeology, architecture, bc, bce, bovio, bright, built, capitals, castelvetrano, century, city, classical, colony, columns, , damage, destruction, doric, earthquake, east, eastern, europe, european, fluted, graecia, greece, greek, greeks, hera, hill, italian, italy, jole, kerr, magna, marconi, mediterranean, order, original, park, patches, pitted, plaster, province, rebuilt, reconstructed, ruined, sculpted, sea, selinous, selinunte, selinus, sicilian, sicily, southwest, stonework, strong, stucco, sunlight, sunshine, temple, temples, terence, trapani
