The temple of Aphaia in Aegina, Greece

September 2, 10:18 PMSanta Barbara Cultural Travel ExaminerRachel de Carlos

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Temple of Aphaia, Aegina.  Copyright 2007 Rachel de Carlos

Aegina is an island just a 90 minute ferry ride from Piraeus Harbor in Athens.  It's the only place in Greece where the nymph Aphaia was worshiped.  She was considered to be a daughter of Zeus.  According to mythology, Aphaia was loved by Minos, king of Crete.  To avoid his attention, she jumped into the sea and emerged in Aegina.  She made herself invisible, which is what Aphaia means in Greek.  It's believed she hid in a cave where many terracotta figurines dating back to the Mycenaean era have been found. 

Another legend says that Aphaia escaped from sailors and disappeared while going up a hill on Aegina.  She was worshiped as a mountain and hunting goddess who protected sailors.  Aegina was an important shipping area and port in that region.

Temple of Aphaia, Aegina.  Copyright 2007 Rachel de Carlos

The temple of Aphaia was built between 500 and 490 BCE, and was the third one to be built on this same site.  The remains of the earlier temples were buried under the foundation, as was the custom.  Well preserved, painted artifacts were excavated from beneath the temple and are on display in several different museums in Greece, including the small museum on Aegina.

The temple is on a hill with pine trees and a beautiful panoramic view of the Saronic Gulf.  Worship on this site goes back to about 1300 BCE.  Archeological finds indicate that the cult site was associated with a female fertility goddess.  Originally, it was thought this was a temple built in honor of Athena, since her image was centered on both pediments.  German archeologists found an inscription in 1901, which referred to the goddess Aphaia, and cleared up the confusion as to whom the temple was dedicated.

Temple of Aphaia, Aegina.  Copyright 2007 Rachel de Carlos

The temple of Aphaia is a masterpiece of Doric architecture and was built during the island's political and cultural peak.  There are 6 columns on the ends and 12 on the sides.  Thanks to restoration efforts, 25 of the original 32 columns are still in place.  The columns, and all the other parts of the temple, are made from local limestone covered with plaster.  The pedimental sculptures, with figures of Athena, battle scenese, and fallen warriors, are on display in the Glyptothek of Munich.  The theme on the pediments was the greatness of Aegina and its local heroes in the two Trojan Wars.

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