4 Incredibly Well Preserved Ancient Greek Buildings

The ancient Greeks created some of the most well-known buildings in all of history. Admired for their harmonious proportions and excellent craftsmanship, they've continued to influence architects for well over 2,000 years. Over the course of that time, however, many of their greatest works have succumbed to either natural or man-made disasters, and are only partially left standing, if at all. For example, successive earthquakes destroyed the mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the Parthenon was badly damaged by an explosion in the 1600s. But there are a few rare cases where ancient Greek buildings have been left in remarkably good condition, and here I've put together a selection of four of them, featuring structures of different sizes and functions. The buildings that remain can of course tell us a lot about the ones we've lost. This is especially the case with the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. Located in the same sanctuary on the Peloponnese where the ancient Olympic Games were held, this building was famous for its gigantic seated sculpture of Zeus. Sadly, it has long been reduced to rubble, but another temple that strongly resembles it is still standing across the sea in Italy. South of Naples, along the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, lies the remnants of the Greek colony of Poseidonia. Better known by its Latin name, Paestum, the site contains the ruins of a number of Greek temples, and the one left most intact is known as the Second Temple of Hera. Because it's the grandest structure on the site, it was originally assumed to have been dedicated to its namesake, Poseidon. It is now believed that apart from being a temple to Hera, goddess of women and marriage, it may also have been dedicated to her husband, Zeus. It was constructed around 450 BC, just a few years after the temple in Olympia, and lies stylistically in the period of transition between the archaic and classical Greek styles. The archaic character can be seen in its wide dork columns, and their unusually strong entasis, or curve, as well as in the echinus at the upper end of the column, which is a lot wider and more cushion-like than on later buildings. Since this part of Italy lacked the shining white marble used in mainland Greece, the material of choice for the Poseidonians was local travertine, covered in stucco to give it a similar effect. Today, all of the temple's outer columns remain standing, with the only parts missing being its long-lost wooden roof, as well as the stone walls of the naos, or inner chamber, which were quarried in the Middle Ages. The two-storied row of columns enclosed within it, is another feature which it shared with the temple at Olympia, and would have led you to a statue of a deity at the end of the room. Because the town was abandoned in the 9th century due to pyrotreats and the spread of malaria, the building has been left largely untouched ever since. Another important building type was the open-air theatre, constructed into the slope of a hill. Among the ones that still remain, the theatre at the Sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus is one of the grandest and best preserved. It was constructed at the end of the 4th century BC to host music, singing and dramatic games in honour of the god of healing. As such, it was not only meant for entertainment, but was also seen as a means of healing patients, since there was a belief that the observation of dramatic shows could have positive effects on mental and even physical health. Designed by the sculptor Polykleitos the Younger, it can accommodate between 13 to 14 thousand spectators, and is known for its excellent acoustics and beautiful symmetry. Unlike many other theatres, this one only underwent minor alterations in the Roman period, and still maintains its original Greek form. It was excavated in the late 19th century, and subsequent restorations have preserved its seating area, the circular orchestra in the middle, as well as its two gates. But, although these structures remain in excellent condition, there is one missing. Only the foundations remain of the building known as the Skene, or backdrop, and no other Greek one remains intact. This particular Skene would have stood two stories tall, and may have been the very first of its kind to incorporate a proscenion, which in late Greek theatre would become the area where the main actors generally performed. Nonetheless, in 1938, the Theatre of Epidaurus began hosting performances of ancient dramas once again, and continues to serve its original purpose to this day. In ancient Athens, the production of theatrical performances at festivals were paid for by wealthy citizens, known as coragi. Sometimes, if their entry into a competition at the festival won, they would erect a monument to commemorate this. As a result, the road running from the Athenian Agora to the Theatre of Dionysus gradually became lined with memorials, and gained the name Tripodon Street after the bronze tripods that were awarded to the winners. Tripodon Street still exists today, although only one lonely monument is still standing. This is the Coragic Monument of Lysicrates, erected in 334 BC. Lysicrates had sponsored the winning entry into the Dithrambic Contest of the Great Dionysia Festival, in which singers competed over who could perform the best hymn in honor of the god Dionysus. The circular structure is made of pentelic marble, the same material as the nearby Parthenon, and has, over time, been heavily weathered, losing much of its fine detail. That being said, it still retains its general shape, with the exception of the tripod, which would have been placed on top of the floral ornament on the roof. The structure is a milestone in the development of classical architecture, because it's the first known case where the Corinthian order was used on the exterior of a building. Between its capitals, you can see carvings of the lost tripod, and above is a scene from mythology, showing the Tyrrhenian pirates being turned into dolphins by Dionysus. In the 1600s, a French Capuchin monastery was constructed nearby, and the monument was actually built into one of its walls. In the 18th century, detailed engravings of the structure were published in Western Europe, and it soon became a popular model for the Greek Revival style. It was freed from the walls in 1821, when the convent burned down, and because of its fame, Lord Elgin allegedly tried unsuccessfully to buy it and bring it home to England, like he had done with a number of sculptures from the Parthenon, known as the Elgin Marbles. Instead, it was allowed to stand on its original location, and was eventually given a restoration at the end of the 19th century. Because of its popularity, a number of buildings have been inspired by it. For example, the Merchants' Exchange building in Philadelphia incorporates a cupola that heavily resembles it, and an almost exact copy can be found in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. What is generally considered to be the best preserve of all Greek temples is also located in Athens. The Hephaistion stood completed in 415 BC, after roughly 30 years of construction, and overlooks the city's Agora. The building is fairly small, being less than half as wide as the Parthenon, but its position at the edge of a steep bank, and its solemn Doric columns, give it a sense of monumentality. Made mostly out of pentelic marble, the Hephaistion is richly decorated with sculptures, and on its long sides, you can find depictions of the Athenian hero Theseus. This gave rise to the building's popular name, the Theseion, and to the belief that this was his final resting place. In fact, it was dedicated jointly to Hephaistos, god of the forge, and to Athena, goddess of arts and crafts. We know from the 2nd century geographer Pausanias that it would have contained two bronze statues of these deities, although we don't know the name of the sculptor, nor the architect who designed the building. Excavations have shown that a small garden was planted around the temple in the 3rd century BC, containing pomegranate, myrtle, and laurel trees.