Heroon
Dublin Core
Title
Heroon
Description
Location: Paestum
Date: c. 520-510 BC
Details: Greek settlers founded Poseidonia (later called Paestum) around 600 BC. One of the earliest civic structures is the heroon, a square, roofed chamber that was carved out of bedrock near the agora (marketplace). An altar was likely located in front of the structure, to the east. When excavated, the structure was found to be filled with bronze vases and Athenian black-figure pottery.
The structure has been interpreted as a heroon, or shrine built to honor the founding hero of the city. When the Greek city fell under the sway of Lucanians (local Italian peoples) and then the Romans, the heroon was respectfully surrounded with an enclosure and covered over with earth.
Date: c. 520-510 BC
Details: Greek settlers founded Poseidonia (later called Paestum) around 600 BC. One of the earliest civic structures is the heroon, a square, roofed chamber that was carved out of bedrock near the agora (marketplace). An altar was likely located in front of the structure, to the east. When excavated, the structure was found to be filled with bronze vases and Athenian black-figure pottery.
The structure has been interpreted as a heroon, or shrine built to honor the founding hero of the city. When the Greek city fell under the sway of Lucanians (local Italian peoples) and then the Romans, the heroon was respectfully surrounded with an enclosure and covered over with earth.
Creator
Gabriel Baker
Rights
Shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
Collection
Citation
Gabriel Baker, “Heroon,” Archaeology, Artifacts, & Landscapes, accessed April 23, 2024, https://gabrieldavidbaker.com/digital-exhibit/items/show/14.