Heraion of Samos

Located 6 km southwest of Pythagoreion, the Heraion of Samos is the site of a monumental sanctuary dedicated to Goddess Hera, wife of the Greek King of Gods, Zeus. The first temple made of mud-brick, called Hecatompedos, dates back to the 8th century BC. The second sanctuary, the Rhoikos Temple, was the earliest of the 100 ft Ionic temples to be constructed in this area.

A series of colossal temples were built on roughly the same site identified in archaeological excavations. The tyrant ruler Polycrates commissioned a third temple built around 500 BC. At some point, the cult statue of Hera was housed in a Roman temple at the place as well. Unearthed bones found at the site hint at the practice of animal sacrifice. Local legend says the “sacred grove” to the east of the temple’s altar was the spot of the Iygos tree where Goddess Hera was born. One can reach the Heraion of Samos by taking the Sacred Way, first laid out around 600 BC. The stone path paves from Samos to the temple site across the Imbrasos River. The ruins now comprise a sole standing column, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.