[BACK TO AEGINA]

Aegina

According to legend, Aegina was named after the daughter of Asopos. She was kidnapped by Zeus who brought her to the then, uninhabited island. There, they bore a son named Aiakos, who later became king of the island. The archeological record shows the island to have been inhabited since the Neolithic period and is thought to be the birthplace of the poet, Aristophanis.

The works of Pausanios state that the temples of Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis, Dionisos and Asklipios were located near the harbor. A pillar has been recovered from the temple of Apollo (Doric period - 6th century B.C.). It can be seen on the small picturesque hill named Kolonas. The most important archeological site is located on the east of the island near Agia Marina where the temple of Aphaia is to be found. Aphaia is an ancient goddess and protector of the island.

Apart from ancient ruins and relics the island has many sandy beaches for those who love the sea. The visitor can also find lots of small picturesque fishing villages and a varied landscape throughout the island. To the south of the capital lies the seaside village of Marathonas and along the coast is the beautiful fishing village of Perdika where small boats take visitors to the islands of Angistri and Moni.

Literally at the center of the Saronic Gulf, between Athens, Corinth and Epidaurus, the small island of Aegina possesses one of the most unique natural locations in Greece. It has been inhabited since the Neolithic era, and a lot of material concerning the life and civilization of these first inhabitants are preserved until today. During the so-called Greek Middle Age the island remained deserted, but around 850 BC it was inhabited by Doric races coming from Epidaurus. In the seventh century BC, Aegina was already one of the largest naval powers and we know that she was the first among the Greek cities that developed minting. As it was allied with Sparta and the other Peloponnesian cities, she has been for many years a great opponent of Athens at the naval field until two defeats and a capture of the city in 457 BC reduced her to a vassal to Athens. During the period of its grandeur, the island, already reputed for its workshops of bronze, brass and pottery, was embellished with several Sanctuaries. The most famous is the sanctuary of Aphaea, a local goddess, related to the Cretan goddess Britomartis, who was later matched with Athena, On an imposing artificial balcony overlooking the entire Saronic Gulf, 12 miles away from the city, rose from the archaic period a sacred yard with a temple. Around 510 BC that temple was destroyed and was replaced by a new large Doric temple, one of the masterpieces of Greek Archaic architecture, it is a peripteral temple with six Doric pillars on each facade and twelve on each long side, made of local poros stone covered with marble plaster decorated with painted illustrations. At the interior, the porch and the opisthodrome had two pillars whereas the cella was divided into three naves with a double row of five pillars; above them, there was a second row of smaller pillars which supported the roof. The original multi-colority is lost. However, a large part of the pillars and parts of the architraves, the metopes and the walls of the cella were restored between 1956 and 1960. The holes between the pillars reveal the previous existence of railings.

Today the ancient site is called Colonna, due to the single remaining column that towers above the remains. As mentioned earlier, you may enter the remains through the gate at the archaeological museum. The Austrian Institute has been working at the site for some time, cleaning and surveying the site. There have been numerous remains of Early-Late Helladic structures found here, and these are some of the most visible from the the platform at the column. The column itself was once part of a Temple of Apollo that was once thought to belong to Aphrodite. It is thought that the temple was built around 520-500 BCE, but some scholars are hesitant to accept this date. It definitely was of the Doric order, and the columns were obviously monolithic. There were six columns on the ends and 12 on the sides. A late Roman fortress was built atop the temple and parts still remain towards the sea. Unfortunately during the construction of the harbor by Capodistrias, much of the conglomerate blocks from the structure were used to create a modern mole (which sits atop the ancient one). Tip: You can see the ancient foundations underwater if you take a look at an aerial view of the town (try a postcard).

<click to go back>