What I can see

It was believed that the temple of Hephaestus was dedicated to Theseus, Hercules or Ares because of the decoration, which represented the labours of the – first two– mythological heroes. The former hero gave Thission its name. Research -based on Pausanias- has concluded that it was dedicated to Hephaestus and Athena Ergani. It is located on the Agoraios Kolonos hill and is the best preserved ancient temple in Greece. It is of Doric order, peripteros (i.e. surrounded by porticos or columns), with six columns on the shorter sides and 13 on the longer ones. It is made from Pentelic marble, apart from the sculptures which were made with marble from Paros and the lower step of the platform with poros stone. It also had a pronaos (vestibule) and an opisthonaos, where the sole frieze was found. In fact, the frieze is an element of the Ionian order (not of the Doric order), but it is found as a decorative practice in both the Parthenon and the Temple of Poseidon in Sounio. Inside, a double Π-shaped colonnade has columns engraved with historical events and names of visitors, who left an epigraph of their visit in stone.

What I can't see

Inside the temple there were two large bronze statues, one of Hephaestus and another of Athena Ergani. The former was the patron of metalsmiths and the latter of potters and handicraft makers. Their worship is associated with the large number of workshops that existed in the area. It is said that from this hill, the sculptor Pheidias saw the procession of the Panathenaia and got his inspiration for the Parthenon’s frieze. During the Ottoman period when it was a Christian church –already since the Byzantine period– it was given many nicknames and came close to being demolished and converted into a mosque, which was eventually prevented by special order. It was also used as a cemetery for Christians. Most of the monument’s destruction, especially of the metopes and the frieze, was at the hands of the Christians around the 7th century. During the country’s more recent history, it was associated with major events such as the declaration of King Otto in 1833, the surrender of the city to the Greeks by the Turks, the designation of Athens as the new capital of Greece and the major celebrations hosted here. Later on, the surrounding area was filled with refugee shelters and during the December events and Greek Civil War, became the site of violent conflict. It has also been used as an archaeological museum until the start of excavations in the Ancient Agora.

Bibliography