Temple of Hera
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The Heraeum, or Temple of Hera at Olympia, is thought to be the oldest known example of Doric architecture. Dedicated to Hera, Zeus' wife, this temple stood inside the Altis area. The temple was originally built entirely of wood on a limestone foundation, around 600 BC. Gradually, the wooden columns were replaced with stone ones. There were 6 columns on each end and 16 columns along each side.
The cella, or main room, of the temple contained monumental statues in the Archaic style of both Hera and Zeus, a sculpture of the god Hermes which is generally attributed to the sculptor Praxiteles and dated around 340 BC, and many other sculptures. An ivory and gold table and other treasures used in the ritual preparation of the victory garlands for the athletes also stood inside the temple. We owe much of our knowledge of these items to the wanderer Pausanius' detailed descriptions.
