Paestum

Paestum, a city located near Naples, was founded by Greek colonists near the end of the 7th century B.C. (it was originally known as "Poseidonia"). Little is known about the early years of Paestum, but it was conquered by the Lucanians in 410 B.C. and became a Roman colony in 273 B.C. Paestum thrived under Roman control, until its decline in the 4th through 7th centuries A.D. Today the site is known for the remains of its magnificient Greek style temples, some of the best preserved in the entire world.

	The Temple of Hera I The Temple of Hera I was built by the Greek settlers in about 550 B.C. It used to be referred to as the "Basilica," because archaeologists misidentified the building as a Roman Basilica in the 18th century (votive statues to Hera were found buried in pits near the site which led to the correction). It is the earliest of the three temples still standing on the site, and its coloumns are in the archaic Doric style.
	The Temple of Athena Originally identified as a Temple of Ceres in the 18th century, scholars later correctly identified this building as the Temple of Athena due to numberous votive statues to Athena that were found near the site. Like the Temple of Hera, it is also an archaic Doric temple. It dates to approximately 500 B.C.
	The Temple of Hera II The Temple of Hera II, originally identified as a Temple of Poseidon, is one of the best preserved Greek temples in the world. It was constructed in approximately 470-460 B.C. next to the older Temple of Hera I. The Temple of Hera II is also of the Doric order, but its advances begin to mark a transition toward the Doric style of the Classical Era. For example, the stylobate (the top step on which the pillars rest) slopes slighty upwards in the middle to counteract the illusion that it would be sagging in the middle, while the columns of the peristyle incline slightly inwards to counteract the impression that they are moving outwards.
	The Underground Shrine at Paestum This underground shrine was discovered at Paestum and has been dated to 510-500 B.C. based on its contents. Its exact meaning is unknown, but it is possibly a heroon- a symbolic tomb of the heroic founder of the city.

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