Selinunte: More Temples than Athens [7:20]

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· Introduction
0:00 · before
0:02 · its sudden destruction Salinus modern
0:06 · Selon on the south coast of Sicily was
0:10 · one of the richest cities in the ancient
0:12 · Greek world
0:14 · founded around 650 BC by colonists from
0:18 · Megura it grew wealthy from grain
0:20 · produced by its vast territory and from
0:23 · trade with the outposts of Imperial
0:25 · Carthage
0:27 · for two centuries it flourished and then
0:31 · at the height of its prosperity a
0:33 · Carthaginian army descended on Solinus
0:37 · the city was destroyed and never
0:40 · recovered
0:41 · solinus was built on the Mediterranean
0:44 · shore over three low hills
0:47 · one just ahead of us served as the
0:50 · citadel
0:52 · another in this direction supported the
0:55 · bulk of the ancient city
0:58 · a third on the eastern edge of the urban
1:00 · area was the site of three magnificent
1:04 · temples
1:05 · we'll start there
1:09 · since their attributions are uncertain
1:12 · all the temples at Solinus are
1:14 · identified by letter temple A temple B
1:17 · and so on this is temple E it was almost
· Temple E
1:22 · certainly dedicated to Hera like all the
1:25 · temples at Solinus it was built in the
1:27 · Doric order with local limestone
1:32 · temple E was reconstructed
1:35 · the industry term is anastyosis in the
1:38 · 1950s
1:40 · giving it the appearance it has today
1:46 · the level of the floor rose as
1:49 · worshippers approach the cella the inner
1:51 · sanctuary
1:53 · here
1:55 · and there on the columns are traces of
1:58 · the stucco that formerly adorned and
2:01 · protected the native limestone
2:05 · and ahead of us 25 centuries ago would
2:08 · have been the cult statue of the god
2:14 · next to temple E is temple F the oldest
· Temple F
2:18 · and smallest of the three temples on the
2:21 · east hill
2:22 · it's probably about a hundred years
2:24 · older than temple E dating to the mid6th
2:28 · century BC
2:30 · on the basis of its metipes which showed
2:32 · Athena and Dionis killing giants it has
2:36 · been suggested that this temple was
2:37 · dedicated to one of those gods here
2:41 · uniquely among Greek temples there were
2:44 · tall stone screens between the columns
2:47 · apparently to prevent passers by from
2:49 · seeing the rituals performed within
2:52 · or possibly they were just meant to
2:54 · protect the vote of offerings
3:00 · after Temple F comes Temple G the
· Temple G
3:04 · largest of Solinus' temples
3:07 · it was in fact one of the biggest Greek
3:09 · temples ever constructed so big that
3:12 · after more than a century of building it
3:14 · was still unfinished when the
3:15 · Carthaginians came it began in the
3:18 · archaic style it ended in the classical
3:22 · it had a paristyle of 8 by7 columns each
3:26 · more than 50 ft high and 11 ft thick and
3:30 · built as you can see from gargantuan
3:33 · stone drums
3:35 · only one column known locally as the old
3:38 · lady's spindle is still erected to its
3:41 · full height having been reconstructed in
3:43 · the 19th century the rest lie where
3:46 · medieval earthquakes left them the
3:49 · interior was supported by two rows of
3:52 · smaller columns stacked in double tiers
3:55 · the nave between them too wide to roof
3:58 · was left open to the sky
4:02 · one more look at the ruins of Temple G
4:06 · the square holes at the center of each
4:08 · column drum originally held the dowel
4:11 · rods that pegged the columns together
4:15 · all these blocks tumbled down from the
4:18 · cell wall which stood to our left
4:28 · looking back toward Temple G
4:31 · and the rest of the temples here on the
4:33 · east hill
4:36 · next stop
4:40 · the Acropolis
· Acropolis
4:45 · the East Hill is now in the distance
4:48 · and here to our left
4:51 · is the Acropolis
4:57 · few of the houses on the Acropolis of
5:00 · Solinus have been excavated
5:02 · but the Hippidamian grid on which they
5:04 · stood with its tidy checkerboard of
5:07 · streets is still obvious
5:12 · there's something magical about walking
5:14 · on these empty streets down toward the
5:17 · sea
· Temple C
5:26 · on the crest of the Acropolis is Temple
5:28 · Sea it may have been dedicated to Apollo
5:33 · and likely also served as a public
5:35 · archive since hundreds of clay seals
5:37 · were discovered within it's one of the
5:40 · oldest temples at Selenus built in the
5:43 · mid6th century BC about the same time as
5:46 · Temple F on the East Hill though there
5:49 · were small sacred buildings here before
5:51 · it this was the first truly monumental
5:54 · structure on the Acropolis
5:56 · it was built in a style typical of
5:58 · archaic Sicily influenced by the early
6:01 · temples of Syracuse it's relatively long
6:04 · and narrow 6 by7 columns the columns on
6:08 · this north side were reerected in the
6:11 · 20s fragments of the metipes and the
6:14 · pediment decoration including colossal
6:16 · heads of Medusa are in the Polmo Museum
· Temple D
6:21 · i'm walking alongside Temple D built
6:24 · around the end of the 6th century BC and
6:28 · likely dedicated to Athena or Aphrodite
6:31 · this was the first of three full-scale
6:34 · temples added to the Acropolis sanctuary
6:36 · after Temple C of all these temples
6:39 · however little more than the foundations
6:41 · and tumbled column drums survive
6:47 · after the Carthaginian conquest houses
6:50 · were built over much of the sacred area
6:53 · several temples were already ruinous by
6:55 · then but Temple Sea survived until the
6:58 · Middle Ages when an earthquake brought
7:00 · its columns crashing down onto the huts
7:02 · of the village that had grown over the
7:04 · aopolis of ancient Salinus

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--> YouTube-Generated Transcript <--
	·	Introduction
0:00	·	before
0:02	·	its sudden destruction Salinus modern
0:06	·	Selon on the south coast of Sicily was
0:10	·	one of the richest cities in the ancient
0:12	·	Greek world
0:14	·	founded around 650 BC by colonists from
0:18	·	Megura it grew wealthy from grain
0:20	·	produced by its vast territory and from
0:23	·	trade with the outposts of Imperial
0:25	·	Carthage
0:27	·	for two centuries it flourished and then
0:31	·	at the height of its prosperity a
0:33	·	Carthaginian army descended on Solinus
0:37	·	the city was destroyed and never
0:40	·	recovered
0:41	·	solinus was built on the Mediterranean
0:44	·	shore over three low hills
0:47	·	one just ahead of us served as the
0:50	·	citadel
0:52	·	another in this direction supported the
0:55	·	bulk of the ancient city
0:58	·	a third on the eastern edge of the urban
1:00	·	area was the site of three magnificent
1:04	·	temples
1:05	·	we'll start there
1:09	·	since their attributions are uncertain
1:12	·	all the temples at Solinus are
1:14	·	identified by letter temple A temple B
1:17	·	and so on this is temple E it was almost
	·	Temple E
1:22	·	certainly dedicated to Hera like all the
1:25	·	temples at Solinus it was built in the
1:27	·	Doric order with local limestone
1:32	·	temple E was reconstructed
1:35	·	the industry term is anastyosis in the
1:38	·	1950s
1:40	·	giving it the appearance it has today
1:46	·	the level of the floor rose as
1:49	·	worshippers approach the cella the inner
1:51	·	sanctuary
1:53	·	here
1:55	·	and there on the columns are traces of
1:58	·	the stucco that formerly adorned and
2:01	·	protected the native limestone
2:05	·	and ahead of us 25 centuries ago would
2:08	·	have been the cult statue of the god
2:14	·	next to temple E is temple F the oldest
	·	Temple F
2:18	·	and smallest of the three temples on the
2:21	·	east hill
2:22	·	it's probably about a hundred years
2:24	·	older than temple E dating to the mid6th
2:28	·	century BC
2:30	·	on the basis of its metipes which showed
2:32	·	Athena and Dionis killing giants it has
2:36	·	been suggested that this temple was
2:37	·	dedicated to one of those gods here
2:41	·	uniquely among Greek temples there were
2:44	·	tall stone screens between the columns
2:47	·	apparently to prevent passers by from
2:49	·	seeing the rituals performed within
2:52	·	or possibly they were just meant to
2:54	·	protect the vote of offerings
3:00	·	after Temple F comes Temple G the
	·	Temple G
3:04	·	largest of Solinus' temples
3:07	·	it was in fact one of the biggest Greek
3:09	·	temples ever constructed so big that
3:12	·	after more than a century of building it
3:14	·	was still unfinished when the
3:15	·	Carthaginians came it began in the
3:18	·	archaic style it ended in the classical
3:22	·	it had a paristyle of 8 by7 columns each
3:26	·	more than 50 ft high and 11 ft thick and
3:30	·	built as you can see from gargantuan
3:33	·	stone drums
3:35	·	only one column known locally as the old
3:38	·	lady's spindle is still erected to its
3:41	·	full height having been reconstructed in
3:43	·	the 19th century the rest lie where
3:46	·	medieval earthquakes left them the
3:49	·	interior was supported by two rows of
3:52	·	smaller columns stacked in double tiers
3:55	·	the nave between them too wide to roof
3:58	·	was left open to the sky
4:02	·	one more look at the ruins of Temple G
4:06	·	the square holes at the center of each
4:08	·	column drum originally held the dowel
4:11	·	rods that pegged the columns together
4:15	·	all these blocks tumbled down from the
4:18	·	cell wall which stood to our left
4:28	·	looking back toward Temple G
4:31	·	and the rest of the temples here on the
4:33	·	east hill
4:36	·	next stop
4:40	·	the Acropolis
	·	Acropolis
4:45	·	the East Hill is now in the distance
4:48	·	and here to our left
4:51	·	is the Acropolis
4:57	·	few of the houses on the Acropolis of
5:00	·	Solinus have been excavated
5:02	·	but the Hippidamian grid on which they
5:04	·	stood with its tidy checkerboard of
5:07	·	streets is still obvious
5:12	·	there's something magical about walking
5:14	·	on these empty streets down toward the
5:17	·	sea
	·	Temple C
5:26	·	on the crest of the Acropolis is Temple
5:28	·	Sea it may have been dedicated to Apollo
5:33	·	and likely also served as a public
5:35	·	archive since hundreds of clay seals
5:37	·	were discovered within it's one of the
5:40	·	oldest temples at Selenus built in the
5:43	·	mid6th century BC about the same time as
5:46	·	Temple F on the East Hill though there
5:49	·	were small sacred buildings here before
5:51	·	it this was the first truly monumental
5:54	·	structure on the Acropolis
5:56	·	it was built in a style typical of
5:58	·	archaic Sicily influenced by the early
6:01	·	temples of Syracuse it's relatively long
6:04	·	and narrow 6 by7 columns the columns on
6:08	·	this north side were reerected in the
6:11	·	20s fragments of the metipes and the
6:14	·	pediment decoration including colossal
6:16	·	heads of Medusa are in the Polmo Museum
	·	Temple D
6:21	·	i'm walking alongside Temple D built
6:24	·	around the end of the 6th century BC and
6:28	·	likely dedicated to Athena or Aphrodite
6:31	·	this was the first of three full-scale
6:34	·	temples added to the Acropolis sanctuary
6:36	·	after Temple C of all these temples
6:39	·	however little more than the foundations
6:41	·	and tumbled column drums survive
6:47	·	after the Carthaginian conquest houses
6:50	·	were built over much of the sacred area
6:53	·	several temples were already ruinous by
6:55	·	then but Temple Sea survived until the
6:58	·	Middle Ages when an earthquake brought
7:00	·	its columns crashing down onto the huts
7:02	·	of the village that had grown over the
7:04	·	aopolis of ancient Salinus