The ancient city of Paestum, (originally Poseidonia, after the Greek god of the sea Poseidon), is a stunning location to visit. You will find three really well preserved ancient Greek Temples although much of the remains are Romans. The city was a Greek settlement but have been conquered first by Lucanians and then by Romans. The latter superstitiously didn’t destroy any Temple or grave and that explains the presence of so many remains of other times. All the temples are Doric style but their name come from archaeologists’ conjecture based on their discoveries. By the entrance you are going to see The Temple of Ceres, the Goddess of agriculture, yet nearby has been found a statue of a woman with a helmet, Athena, goddess of wisdom and war it dates from 500 BC.
The Temple of Neptune the biggest, and one of the best preserved in the world together with the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens, dates from 450 BC, it is thought that it may have been the inspiration for the Athenian Parthenon. The Temple of Hera, or Basilica which is the oldest, dates from 550 BC, altogether these two temples create a sanctuary with altars on the east. The style of the two temples is different, Classic Doric with six columns on the front for the former, and Archaic Doric with nine columns for the latter.
Furthermore you will see the Ekklesiasterion ancient Greek round theatre probably used for meetings, discussions and votes. Nearby is the National Archaeological Museum of Paestum where you can admire pieces of art of Prehistoric, Greek and Roman times: carvings, vases, votive offerings, temple ornaments, metopes and frescos.
