Destinations / Peloponnese / Temple of Apollo Epicurius

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We will ascend the slopes of the mount Minthi until ancient Figalleia. We will stop to drink fresh water in the Roman fountain under the big plane tree of the village near the archaeological site and continue climbing up to the top of the mountain where the Temple of Apollo Epicurios in Vasses is built, crafted by Iktinos, a World Heritage Monument of UNESCO, built shortly after the Parthenon (420-410 BC). It was dedicated by the local people of Figalleia to Apollo because it helped them overcome a plague epidemic. Part of the frieze of the temple was detached in 1814 and exposed to the British Museum in London.

~Destinations Peloponnese EPos Travel TOursTemple of Apollo EPicurious

The frieze represents two themes: the battle between the Greeks, led by Hercules (distinguished by his lion skin) and the Amazons, and the battle between Lapiths and Centaurs. The second was a frequent subject in ancient Greek art and appears in the Parthenon metopes.

The temple stands out from the other classical temples of antiquity because it has no east-meridian orientation, but it is constructed from north to south due to the economy of the area or for religious reasons connected with the traditions of the Arcadians, since other temples of the region have the same orientation.

From this point (1130 m altitude), we see the Lykaeon mountain, the holy mountain of the Arcadians, a short distance to the east.

Ancient Corinth Destinations Tours in Greece Peloponnese Epos Travel Tours

Tracing the steps of Hercules in the Peloponnese and Delphi – 10 days

Get ready for an amazing 10-day / 9-night, high-end Culture Route program that combines astonishingly the private tour of the impressive Greek Mythology of seven of the twelve tribes of Heracles in the Peloponnese.