Cape Sounion

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One of the first sites often visited by those on a Greece tour is the famed Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, which is found along the coastal road along the southeastern tip of the Attica prefecture. Cape Sounion is a popular destination, not only because of the remnants of the once great temple, but also because a number of great Greece beaches can be accessed along the route from Athens, and sunsets on the Saronic Gulf can be quite breathtaking. If you have rented a car in Greece, or have found a company offering tours to Cape Sounion, then by all means make a break for the Temple of Poseidon for an unforgettable trip that mixes history with sightseeing. You’ll appreciate the positioning of the temple on a section of headland surrounded almost entirely by the Aegean Sea.

 

The Temple of Poseidon was built atop the ruins of a previous temple in the year 440 BC. The original temple was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC. It is rumored that the architect who designed the Temple of Hephaistos at the ancient agora in Athens is the same that designed the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion Greece. While the Temple of Hephaistos is better preserved, the Temple of Poseidon still retains several standing columns and it is easily understood how impressive it must once have been. During its heyday, the Temple of Poseidon in ancient Greece would have had 42 Doric columns, of which 16 remain today. The temple was made of marble found nearby and once housed a large statue of Poseidon in its main hall.

Poseidon was the Greek Mythology god of the seas, and it only seems fitting that a temple built to honor him should be found at water’s edge. In ancient Greece, religion was based around the belief that different gods controlled various aspects of the natural world. To ensure good fortune, one would either pray, bear gifts or make sacrifices to the various gods in order to appease them. Although the Greek gods were immortal and had special powers, they were prone to experiencing the same emotions as humans. It was thus deemed necessary that they be kept happy.