Temple of Apollo Zoster

The temple of Apollo Zoster was a small temple located at Laimos in Vouliagmeni, near Athens. The temple dates from the late 6th century BC, but was repaired several times in the following centuries.

In 1929 the archaeologist Konstantinos Kourouniotis excavated and published the findings in the Sanctuary of Apollo Zoster in the location Laimos in Vouliagmeni, near Athens.

The Sanctuary consists of a temple and altar dedicated to the Delian triad (Leto, Apollo and Artemis) and also Athena. The temple, which dates to the late 6th century BC, has a rectangular cella (10,8m x 6m) and a peristasis of 16 stone doric columns. In the interior stood marble statue bases, a ceremonial table and a marble throne.

In the east side of the temple stood two inscribed marble ionic columns which supported dedications.

The temple was repaired, mainly during the 4th century BC and continued to function up until the Roman times.

The walls of the cella, at least from a height and above, where probably covered in red stucco. The archaic roof tiles seen in the present digital reconstructions are entirely hypothetical. In the archeological site only the tiles from the repair of the 4th century BC were found. The original roof tiles of the archaic period would have been removed from the sanctuary during its restoration works in the 4th century BC. The spiral acroteria are only conjectural. These appear in Attica under influence from the Cyclades and are presented here in a way that is consistent with the overall Aegean aura of the temple.

The results of the most recent research conducted by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Piraeus, are published by M. Giamalidi and Ch. Kanellopoulos in a paper which you can read in the link HERE>>

In the following reconstructions the temple is depicted in two versions, one with the cella covered in red stucco and one in white.