The Unique Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae
The Unique Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae – Peloponnese
The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae is a unique, one-of-a-kind ancient Greek sanctuary, dedicated to the god Apollo Epicurius (“Apollo the helper”).
It is located approximately 230 km south of Athens, 1.131 metres above sea level, on a natural plateau of the bare and rocky landscape of Mount Kotylion, named Bassae, 14km southwest of Andritsaina.
The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae – Peloponnese – Before the canopy of 1986
To protect the temple from erosion, caused by extreme weather conditions on Mount Kotylion, during on-going restoration which began in 1986, the temple was covered by a large canopy.
To date, there has been no announcement, as to whether or not the canopy will ever be removed.
The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae – Peloponnese
Bassae: The Little Vale in the Rocks
Bassae – an archaeological site west of Megalopolis in the Peloponnese, Greece
Bassae (In Greek Βάσσαι means “little vale in the rocks”), is an archaeological site in Oichalia, in the northeastern part of Messenia, Greece, northeast of Figaleia and west of Megalopolis, in the Peloponnese. (In ancient times Bassae was part of Arcadia).
Bassae – an archaeological site west of Megalopolis in the Peloponnese, Greece
These beautiful flowers were growing wild amongst the ruins of the archeological site of Bassae.
Known best for its many shades of blue, the iris flower is also found in white, yellow and purple.
Iris growing wild at the archeological site of Bassae – west of Megalopolis in the Peloponnese, Greece
The Iris is named after the Greek goddess of rainbows, who, in Greek mythology, was a messenger of the gods, bridging heaven and earth by traveling on the arc of the many- coloured rainbow, carrying messages from the gods to mortals.
The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae – Peloponnese – Don’t touch the animals!
The Least known – Most Well-Preserved and Most Inaccessible Ancient Temple of Greece
Built in around 450 – 400 BC and thought to have been designed by the great Greek architect, Ictinus, the brains behind another famous Greek temple; the Parthenon, which sits atop the Acropolis in Athens, The temple of Apollo Epicurius, is situated in a wild, isolated spot, overlooking desolate mountains and hills.
The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae – Peloponnese
The isolation of the site is most likely the reason it is the most well-preserved Ancient Temple of Greece.
More accessible temples were damaged or destroyed by war or, with the advent of Christianity, were converted into churches.
Because of its remoteness the Temple of Apollo avoided both these disasters.
The temple was dedicated to Apollo; god of light, arts, poetry and oracles, who was later given the name Epicurius (The helper or he healer warrior), by the Phigaleians, as it was thought he helped them in their struggle against Sparta in 659 BC, or because he prevented the plague from spreading during the Peloponnesian War. (maybe the plague of Athens 430 B.C ).
Apollo Belvedere, restored Roman copy of the Greek original attributed to Leochares, 4th century BC; in the Vatican Museum, Rome
The sanctuary is sacred not only to Apollo but also to Pan, Greek god of shepherds, woodlands and meadows, Aphrodite, the goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure and passion and Artemis, goddess of the hunt and twin sister of Apollo.
The temple was in use until the 4th or 5th century AD, when pagan temples were shut down during the persecution of pagans by the Romans.
The Four Temples of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae
The cult of Apollo is known to have been established as long ago as the late eighth to early seventh century B.C.
Excavations show that the foundations of today’s Temple of Apollo, are built on the site of earlier temples and used spolia, (derived from Latin “spolium”) meaning “spoils” (as in “spoils of war”), rubble from the earlier buildings, probably from the earlier three temples at Bassae, dedicated to Apollo.
It’s believed a small settlement of Messenians grew up around the first temple of Bassae, which was built in the late seventh century BC, where they found refuge from the never-ending problems between Arcadians and Spartans, after fleeing their homeland, following the Spartan victory of 650 BC.
The Phigaleians were known to always side with Messenia in its wars against Sparta.
The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae
Construction and Decoration
The Acantus Motif – Ancient Greek Architecture – Corinthian Column
The Temple of Apollo Epicurius, which features six columns across the front and 15 along its length, is unique in that it is the only Greek temple to have included all three ancient orders in its design:
Doric for the exterior, Ionic for the interior and one large stand-alone Corinthian column, said to possibly represent Apollo himself, which marked the entrance and was the earliest example of a Corinthian column found to date.
Fragments, all that is now left of the Corinthian column, can be seen in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
Greek Architecture – Doric, Ionic and Corinthian Columns.
Floor plan of the Temple of Apollo 1 = Opisthodomos, 2 = Adyton, 3 = Naos, 4 = Pronaos. Opisthodomos – back room. The adyton -The innermost sanctuary or shrine – literally – not to be entered. A cella or naos – A temple – the inner chamber of an ancient Greek or Roman temple. A pronaos – the inner area of the portico of a Greek or Roman temple, situated between the portico’s colonnade or walls and the entrance to the cella, or shrine.
The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae – Peloponnese
The outside of the temple, constructed entirely from grey Arcadian limestone, was hardly decorated at all, on the inside, however, was a continuous Ionic frieze; the Bassae Frieze, a high relief marble sculpture of 23 panels, carved from marble (probably in ancient times colored with paint), eleven of which depict Greeks fighting with centaurs (Centauromachy) while the other 12 show Greeks in battle with Amazons (Amazonomachy).
The Bassae Frieze
The Bassae Frieze on display at the British Museum.
The temple’s most outstanding adornment, The Bassae marble frieze and various other sculptures, were removed by Charles Robert Cockerell (1788 – 1863), an English architect and archaeologist, who had embarked on an extended “Grand Tour” lasting seven years, mainly spent in Greece, where he “acquired” the Greek artifacts from the Ottomans who were ruling Greece at the time.
Charles Robert Cockerell (1788 – 1863) – English architect and archaeologist.
Cockerell then sold The Bassae marble frieze to the British Museum in 1815, which is where they remain to this day, on permanent display in a specially constructed room in Gallery 16 in the British Museum in London.
Detail of the Bassae marble frieze from the Temple of Apollo at Bassae, Greece. Now at the British Museum.
Only eight of the Bassae marble frieze panels remain at home in Greece and can be seen in the National Museum, Athens.
Below are two more artifacts, removed from the temple of Apollo Epicurius by Charles Robert Cockerell and are now also in the British Museum, London, England.
Foot fragment of a colossal statue at Bassae, displayed at the British Museum.
Metope fragment from the Temple of Apollo at Bassae. British Museum.
Excavation
The temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae by Edward Dodwell. 1821.
The temple had been noticed first in November 1765 when it caught the eye of French architect J. Bocher, who was building villas on the island of Zakinthos at the time and stumbled upon it, quite by chance, when he recognized it after reading the writings of Pausanias, a Greek traveler and geographer of the second century AD.
However, when Bocher returned for a second look, he was unfortunately murdered by bandits.
The first organized excavations of The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae, began in 1812 with a group of acclaimed European archaeologists.
Temple of Apollo Epicurius interior, Charles Cockerell, 1860.
In 1902, excavations at the site were carried out by the Greek Archaeological Society of Athens under the supervision of archaeologist Konstantinos Kourouniotis, together with Konstantinos Romaios and Panagiotis Kavvadias.
Further excavations were carried out in 1959, 1970 and from 1975–1979, under the administration of Nikolaos Gialouris.
Even though the temple is one of the least known and one of the most inaccessible archeological sites of Greece, it is one of the most widely studied.
Restoration Work
“Greeker” at the undercover Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae
Exposure to the elements on Mount Kotylion has caused continuous erosion of the temple’s limestone.
In 1986, the whole structure was enclosed within a tent, supported on a metal framework, in order to give some to protection from the elements, during on-going restoration.
Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae- Undercover – Back view
No schedule for the canopy’s removal has been announced, maybe it will be permanent.
Antiseismic netting as well as a lightning protection system has been installed at the temple.
Restoration work at the site continues today under the supervision of the Committee for the Conservation of the Temple of Apollo Epicurius of the Greek Ministry of Culture, based in Athens.
Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae
The temple of Apollo Epicurius was the first great monument of Greece to be recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1986
Partial view of the temple under restoration
What is it that makes the Temple of Apollo Epicurius so Unique and Special?
The Temple of Apollo Epicurius is the first large scale sculptural work of art in the history of mankind to represent an abstract concept.
The temple is aligned north-south, whereas usually, Greek temples are aligned east-west.
The temple is built in this position so that when it shifts 50.2 seconds of a degree every year, placing it perfectly into the heliacal arc (the yearly movement of the sun through the sky), the temple is always facing the star Sirius; thought by some to be the birthplace Apollo.
The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae – Peloponnese – Before going undercover in 1986
The East Door in the inner sanctum allows the first rays of the sun, on the day of the summer solstice, Apollo’s Birthday, to reflect on the central Corinthian column of the Temple, this shows the temple’s relation to the annual phases of the sun and symbolizes the eternal light of the sun god, Apollo.
The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae – Peloponnese – Before going undercover in 1986 – Aerial view of exterior row of columns and interior row of sanctuary columns, photo from manivoice.gr
Another curious fact is that the eastern door not only faces the star Sirius but also faces the island of Delos, also thought to be the birthplace of Apollo and his twin sister Artemis.
Island of Delos – Greece – Birthplace of the twins Artemis and Apollo.
Now the above explanation is quite controversial, however, not to me it isn’t!
After reading all about Ancient Greece and the star Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, also known as the Morning star; a name used for the planet Venus (Aphrodite) when it reappears in the east before sunrise, from early July to mid-September, after spending a season behind the sun rendering it invisible, it all makes perfect sense, I love it!
We’re talking about the ancient Greeks after all!
Sirius Constellation – the Dog star – Canis Majoris – the Brightest Star in the Sky – Under the right conditions, Sirius shines so bright, that it can be seen with the naked eye during the day.
Those who dismiss this abstract explanation, would have it, that the lack of space available on the empty steep slopes of the huge mountain (See photo below!) was the reason the temple was aligned north-south instead of east-west and that the east door, in the inner sanctum, was added to allow light to enter.
Located on a remote mountainside in the Peloponnese, the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae – Before going under protective cover in 1986 – Photo by Life Magazine
How to Get There
The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae – Peloponnese
The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae is well off the beaten track in a remote part of the Peloponnese Mountains; in fact it’s rather difficult to approach.
Have a look at some maps before you go, make sure you know where you’re going; reception for GPS can be dodgy to say the least.
The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae – Peloponnese
The best option, for sure, is by car, let me tell you though, be prepared, the roads are very windy and sometimes it feels like they’re little more than goat tracks!
If you’re using public transport, you’ll need to take a taxi or hike the last 20-minute or so of the winding drive, south of the mountain village of Andritsaina.
Once you reach Andritsaina, it’s only a 20 more minutes drive to The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae!
Useful Info
There is not a single shop on the site, not even for water or coffee and none on the road after Megalopolis; so, leave home prepared for every eventuality!
Oh, one last thing, there is however, a lavatory; thank god for small mercies!
Entrance to the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae
Address
27061 Figalia – Ilia – Greece
Telephone
(26260) 22275
GPS Coordinates
37.4297, 21.90019
Admission
6 € (April-October) 3€ (November-March)
Opening Times
Winter:
For security reasons the Temple of Apollo Epikourios will remain closed to the public when extreme weather conditions are forecast in the area (wind speeds exceeding 6 Beaufort and wind gusts reaching 70 km/h.) Please contact the ticket office to confirm the operation of the site on the phone 26260 22275.
Summer:
From 01.04.2023 to 31.10.2023 – 08.00-20.00
Closed on Easter Sunday and the day of celebration of May Day, official public holidays.
On Good Friday it is open from 12:00 to 17:00 and on Holy Saturday from 08:30 to 15:30
The schedule from September 1, 2022 is configured, due to the gradual reduction of the length of the day, as follows:
1st-15th September 08: 00-19: 30
16th-30th September 08: 00 – 19:00
1st-15th October 08:00 -18: 30
16th-31st October 08: 00-18: 00
Last Admission: 20′ before closing time
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