Why is the Second Temple of Hera in Paestum famous?

The Second Temple of Hera in Paestum is a remarkably well-preserved ancient Greek temple built in the Doric order around 460–450 BC in Italy. Often misnamed in the eighteenth century as the Temple of Neptune or Poseidon, scholars now believe it was dedicated to the goddess Hera, though Poseidon may have also been a co-dedicatee. It stands just north of the older First Temple of Hera and is celebrated by architectural historians like A. W. Lawrence as the best-preserved of all Greek temples.

What we know

• The Second Temple of Hera in Paestum was built in the Doric order around 460–450 BC. [2]
• The temple was erroneously called the Temple of Neptune or Poseidon due to an eighteenth-century misnomer, though it was actually dedicated to Hera. [1, 2]
• Art historian A. W. Lawrence described the structure as the best-preserved of all Greek temples. [2]
• The building is located just north of the First Temple of Hera, which dates back to around 550–525 BC. [2, 3]

Still open

• While current consensus strongly indicates the temple was dedicated to Hera, sources note it is still possible that Poseidon was also a secondary dedicatee.

Where to go next

• compared withWhat was the First Temple of Hera like?
• what caused itHow did ancient Greek colonists establish Poseidonia?
• how it workedWhat are the key features of Doric order architecture?
• the bigger pictureWhat role did Hera play in ancient Greek religion?
• whenWhen was the site of Paestum rediscovered?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a goddess of marriage become linked to an eighteenth-century marine misnomer?Although the temple was originally consecrated to Hera, the protector of marriage and childbirth, observers in the 1700s mistakenly attributed it to the sea god Neptune.

Sources

• [1]Second Temple of Hera in Paestum (Wikidata Q453634) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Second Temple of Hera (Paestum) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]First Temple of Hera (Paestum) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Paestum · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Hera · CC BY-SA 4.0

Your path

1. What is the difference between naval strategy and naval tactics?
2. /Why is the Second Temple of Hera in Paestum famous?