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Athens Page 66

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THE OLYMPIEION

The Olympieion is a colossal temple, dedicated to Zeus. The first temple was started in about 515 B.C, the present one of the Corinthian order (which did not exist in Athens in the classical period) was finished in the year 131 under the emperor, Hadrian, a great and profound admirer of Athens. The base of the columns is 5 feet 8 inches wide only 15 out of the 104 columns remain, since the temple was used as a quarry in the Middle Ages.