The Temple of the Delians is the largest of the three Greek temples dedicated to Apollo within the temenos of the Sanctuary of Apollo on the Greek island of Delos. This was one of slightly more than a dozen Panhellenic sanctuaries in Ancient Greek religion and attracted visitors from across the Hellenic world. It is also known as the Great Temple or the Delian Temple of Apollo.

History

Construction was funded by the Delian League and began in 476 BC. Construction was interrupted in 454 BC when the Delian Treasury was transferred to Athens. Work resumed during Delos's period of independence after 314 BC. The finishing touches and decorative embellishments were never completed. The temple was principally destroyed during the Mithridatic Wars and only the lower foundations, stylobate, and fragmented columns remain today.

Description

The Temple of the Delians is a peripteral temple in the Doric order, with 6 columns on each short side and 13 columns along each length. The cella is aligned opening to the west with a pronaos and an opisthodomos, both distyle in antis. The temple foundations measure ca. 30 x 13 meters overall. Because construction was suspended, remaining columns display how the ancient Greeks made their fluting. The round stone drums making up the shaft of the column were rather roughly shaped on the ground, with the fluting only done for a few inches on the top and bottom drums, as a guide for the masons. The column was then assembled in place. Normally the masons then used scaffolds to complete the fluting for the rest of the shaft, but in this temple this final stage was never done. The temple contained the cult statue of Apollo and centuries of precious offerings. One of the treasures of the temple was a statue of Apollo made by "Angelion and Tektaos, sons of Dionysiodotos", who depicted the god with three Charites (Graces) in his hand. The famous Colossus of the Naxians stood in the adjacent courtyard.

Ancient descriptions

Strabo describes the myth behind the ancient worship of Apollo and Artemis in Delos: According to Strabo, Apollo and his twin Artemis were both worshipped as gods of healing and as such also identified with Helios and Selene respectively: Strabo described the festival of Delos as an occasion of both religious worship as well as commercial opportunities, but also the destruction of the temple: Pausanias describes the destruction and sacrilege of the temple by Mithridates: