Heraion of Samos: A majestic sanctuary dedicated to the island’s patron goddess

It was built near the marshy delta of the river Imbrasos and dedicated to mother goddess Hera. According to myth, Hera, the patron goddess of Samos, was not only born in the shade of a willow tree at the river mouth, but her nuptials to Zeus also took place on this sacred site.

In reality, however, the location was entirely unsuitable for the construction of the Sanctuary, as the river deposited clay, sand and other materials in the area, while the stagnant waters of the plain made building extremely difficult.

Regardless, the Samians went ahead and erected the first temple of Hera here in the 8th century BC called Hekatompedos I, because its length was 100 feet. At the end of the 7th century BC it was replaced by Hekatompedos II, while in the mid-6th century BC (around 570-560 BC) a gigantic dipteral temple was constructed in their place, whose dimensions exceeded 100 m in length and 50 m in width. This temple was built under the supervision of the architect Rhoikos and the artist Theodoros, and its porous, fluted columns are estimated to have reached a height of 18 m. The temple was considered a marvel of Ionian architecture but was destroyed by an earthquake only a few years after it was completed.

During the rule of the tyrant Polycrates, another temple was in the works, even larger than the previous ones, measuring 55.16 × 108.63 m and featuring 155 columns, each reaching a height of 20 m. Only part of one column survives in its original position today, on the southern side of the temple. According to Herodotus, “no man had ever seen another temple like it.” It is believed that this ambitious construction was never completed, as Polycrates died and the island of Samos fell into economic decline, accompanied by dynastic conflicts.

Excavations at the sacred site of the Heraion began before the early 20th century and continue to this day. The Heraion of Samos has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992, as well as the broader area of Pythagoreion.