Argive Heraion

Welcome to the Argive Heraion, the most important sanctuary of the goddess Hera in all of mainland Greece. We are standing on the lower slopes of Mount Euboea, overlooking the fertile Argive plain toward the sea. …

We begin at the highest point of the sanctuary: the Old Temple Terrace. This massive platform is supported by 'walls made with big blocks, with big rocks,' which our sources identify as the 'classic Mycenaean' or 'Cyclopean'…

Following the fire that destroyed the Old Temple, the Argives commissioned the architect Eupolemos to build a New Temple on a lower terrace. Completed around 410 BC, this temple housed the world-famous chryselephantine (gold and…

Surrounding the temples were the 'stoas,' or covered walkways. These structures served as 'community spaces,' much like the large halls in modern mosques used for events. …

As we move to the lower terraces, we encounter the 'Roman period' of the Heraion. As the sources note, 'the Romans had a lot of influence' and 'did a lot of renovation in this sanctuary.' You are looking at the remains of the…

No tour of the Heraion is complete without the story of Kleobis and Biton, two brothers whose statues were dedicated here and are now 'kept in the Archaeological Museum' of Delphi. When their mother, a priestess of Hera, needed…

Further up the slope, we find the 'prehistoric past' of the site: the Mycenaean tholos tombs. These 'unique archaeological sites like no other' show that the Heraion was a 'place of pilgrimage and reflection' long before the…

Our journey through the Argive Heraion comes to an end here on the lower terrace, with the sun setting over the 'Azure' Aegean in the distance. This sanctuary is more than just a collection of 'broken pillars' and 'red bricks';…