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The Temple of Olympian Zeus, or the Olympieion, was the largest temple ever built in Greece. It’s located just east of Plaka and south of the Zappeion in Athens
Visiting the Temple of Olympian Zeus
From April 1 through October 31, admission is at the full rate of €8, and from November 1 through March 31, admission is at a 50% reduced rate of €4 (as of July 2024). Upon presentation of a passport or valid travel document: all visitors up to the age of 5 and EU citizens from age 6-25 are admitted free of charge; EU seniors over age 65 and non-EU citizens from age 6-25 are admitted at the 50% reduced rate (summer months only). Visit the official website for more info. You can also visit on a €30 combo ticket that allows access to several other archaeological sites in Athens, including the Acropolis (as of July 2024). The combo ticket is only worth buying from April through October.
The temple can easily be seen for free without entering the grounds, but getting up close gives you an idea of its colossal size and some great views of the Acropolis. There are also a few minor structures to the north of the temple.
Temple of Olympian Zeus
The Temple of Olympian Zeus dominates the archaeological site.
Origins of the Temple
The Temple of Olympian Zeus was built atop the foundations of an older temple dedicated to Zeus that was built around 550 BC by the tyrant Peisistratos (c. 600 – 527 BC). After Peisistratos’ death, his sons Hippias (c. 570 – 490 BC) and Hipparchus (d. 514 BC) began construction on the Temple of Olympian Zeus around 520 BC. Their goal was to surpass the greatness of the Heraion of Samos and the second Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.
The temple was designed in the Doric style by architects Antistates, Callaeschrus, Antimachides and Phormos. It was meant to be built on a colossal platform measuring 41 meters (135 feet) by 108 meters (354 feet) with a double colonnade of eight columns across the front and back and 21 on the sides. Construction was abandoned when the Athenians overthrew Hippias in 510 BC and installed democracy. Only the platform and some parts of the columns were complete at that point, and it sat in that state for 336 years.
Redesign
In 174 BC, Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes (c. 215 – 164 BC), who presented himself as the earthly embodiment of Zeus, revived the project. Roman architect Decimus Cossutius redesigned the temple to have three rows of eight columns across the front and back and two rows of 20 on the sides, for a total of 104 columns. The columns were designed to stand 17 meters (56 feet) high and 2 meters (6 feet 7 inches) in diameter. The style was changed from Doric to Corinthian, marking the first time the Corinthian order was used on the exterior of a major temple. The material was also changed to Pentelic marble. When Antiochus IV died in 164 BC, the temple was only half finished and construction was halted again.
The Temple of Olympian Zeus sustained serious damage during the Siege of Athens under Roman general Sulla (138-78 BC) in 86 BC. He transported some of the incomplete columns to Rome for use in the Temple of Jupiter on Capitoline Hill.
Later, an attempt was made to complete the temple during the reign of Augustus in the late 1st century BC or early 1st century AD, but it never took hold.
Completion
The Temple of Olympian Zeus wasn’t completed until the 2nd century AD, when Roman emperor Hadrian visited Athens in 124-125 and included the temple in his colossal building program. A few adjustments were made to Decimus Cossutius’ design. The temple was completed in 132 and formally dedicated by Hadrian himself. The final version of the temple was 96 meters long by 40 meters wide.
The temple was enclosed in a walled precinct paved with marble slabs. The precinct was decorated with statues of Hadrian, gods, and personifications of the Roman provinces. The Athenians added a colossal statue of Hadrian behind the temple, and a chryselephantine statue of Zeus was placed inside. In all, it took about 638 years to complete the original project initiated by Hippias and Hipparchus.
Demise of the Temple of Olympian Zeus
The Temple of Olympian Zeus was heavily damaged during the Sack of Athens by the Heruli in 267. It was probably never repaired and fell into ruins. For several centuries after, it was used as a quarry for building materials. During the Ottoman period, the temple was known to the Greeks as the Palace of Hadrian. The Ottomans referred to it as the Palace of Belkis based on a Turkish legend that it was the residence of the Queen of Sheba.
In 1436, Italian antiquarian Ciriaco de’ Pizzicolli (1391-1453) reported 21 columns standing. A Greek inscription on one of the surviving columns indicates that on April 27, 1759, Ottoman governor Dizdar Mustafa Ağa pulled down a column using gunpowder to make plaster for the Tzistarakis Mosque on Monastiraki Square. Today, only 15 columns of the original 104 remain standing. The fallen column was toppled in a storm in 1852.
Excavation of the Temple of Olympian Zeus
The Temple of Olympian Zeus was excavated from 1889 to 1896 by English archaeologist Francis Penrose (1817-1903) of the British School at Athens. Further excavations took place in 1922 under German archaeologist Gabriel Welter (1890-1954) and in the 1960s under Greek architect Ioannis Travlos (1908-1985).
Minor Structures
A handful of minor structures are part of the archaeological site at the Temple of Olympian Zeus. There’s not much information listed about all of them, but they’re interesting to see nonetheless.
Propylon
The first structure encountered is the propylon, which was the monumental entrance to the precinct of the Temple of Olympian Zeus.
Themistoclean Wall
To the right of the propylon are parts of the Themistoclean Wall, which was completed in 479 BC. This includes a set of gates on the wall.
Basilica of Olympieion
North of the propylon and Themistoclean Wall are the remains of the Basilica of the Olympieion. It was built around 450 using material from the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Very little is left today.
Roman Bath
Further west are the ruins of a Roman bath built under Hadrian between 124 and 131. It covered an area of around 450 square meters and was arranged in two wings. The north wing included the entrance, a waiting room, and changing rooms. The south wing contained the bathing facilities. The floors were decorated with mosaics or marble slabs. The bath was in use until the second half of the 7th century.
Houses
Finally, west of the bath are the remains of houses. They date from between the 5th century BC to 2nd century.
