<Otherwise Known As> Theseum, Theseion, Temple of Hepahistos and Athena
This Doric temple, standing at the top of the hill of the Agora (Kolonos Agoraios), was dedicated to Hephaistos and Athena. This is one of the best preserved Greek temples. The construction started around 460-450 BCE, and was not completed yet in around 420 BCE.
In ancient times, many artisans lived in this area. As Hephaistos is god of furnace, and Athena goddess of arts and craft, they were the patrons of the artisans.
The temple is almost entirely made of Pentelic marble, except the base made of limestone. It has pronaos, opisthodomos and one cella, and it is a peristyle with 34 columns (6 each in front and rear, and 13 each side).
The metope reliefs depict the hardships of Herakles, and the deed of Theseus. This temple was once called Theseion having been mistaken for a temple dedicated to Theseus, legendary king of Athens. The reliefs of Theseus must have contributed to this misunderstanding.The friese above the columns of opisthodomos shows the battle between the Centaurs and the Lapiths.
There are traces of trees intentionally planted around the temple; they must have been sacred grove.
In the seventh century, the temple was converted in to the church of St. Georgios; this is one of the reasons why this building has been so well preserved.
