GREECE PELOPONNESE KORINTHIA NEMEA SANCTUARY

Ancient Nemea is known as the place where Herakles slew the Nemean lion, and as the place of the Nemean Games, held every two years to commemorate the death of young Opheltes and were one of the four great panhellenic festivals. In the 6th century BC, a sanctuary of Zeus was established at the site. The temple of Zeus seen today was constructed in 330 - 320 BC in the Doric peripteral order.

Only three of the monumental columns were still standing during my visit in 1997. More have been re-erected meanwhile with original column drums.

As you enter the site past the museum you first come along the skeleton of a 60-70 years old woman from an Early Christian grave of the 6th century AD, terracotta fragments of roof tiles, and remains of houses - "oikoi" - near the temple.

Approaching the temple of Zeus there are Doric column drums, lined up by the collapse due to an earthquake quite in the same manner as in Olympia. Except for the column drums there are other parts of the Doric entablature like regulae and mutules with guttae that you usually don't see in such detail.