The Art and Architecture
The temple was first excavated in 1811. Here is an excerpt from a letter of one of the excavators, Charles Robert Cockerell:
"On the second day one of the excavators working in the interior portico, struck on a piece of Parian marble which, as the building itself is of stone, arrested his attention. It turned out to be the head of a helmeted warrior, perfect in every feature. It lay with the face turned upwards, and as the features came out by degrees you can imagine nothing like the state of rapture and excitement to which we were wrought...Soon another head was turned up, then a leg and a foot, and finally, to make a long story short, we found...no less than sixteen statues and thirteen heads, legs, arms etc. all in the highest preservation not three feet below the surface of the ground."
This video discusses some of the basics about Greek temple architecture and is very useful for understanding the architectural features of the Temple of Aphaia. Video by Oberlin College student Batian Pienaar.
This video shows the 3D printing that Abe Reshad (Director of Language and Integrative Teaching and Learning Technologies) did as part of the exhibition. Students are able to paint the models and the Heracles head is able to be touched by visitors to the exhibition.
The Archaic Temple
The first monumental temple was built in the early 6th C. BCE of limestone and the site was outfitted with a terrace, priest's house and cistern. This temple was a small Doric shrine with four columns along the facade and extensive painted details. It was destroyed by fire c. 510 BCE, allowing construction of the new monumental temple of Aphaia to be built.
Polychromy
We have to keep in mind that both the Archaic Temple (from which these fragments derive) and the Classical Temple to Aphaia had many painted details. The stark white marble that you tend to see in museums is a false representation of the bright colors that would have been found on ancient statues and temples.
The Temple of Aphaia
Built of limestone around 490 BCE, this monumental temple originally had painted plaster on its outer surface. The pedimental sculptures were made of Parian marble. The Doric temple had a peristyle (6x12 columns) and the cella of the temple had a red plaster floor and room for two cult statues - the original wooden statue of Aphaia and a statue of Athena. A large altar was connected to the eastern entrance by a ramp.
Rediscovery
This etching shows the imagined state of the temple when it was "rediscovered" in 1811. The remains of the previous temple had been used in the fill and one can see the various figures from the pedimental sculptures as well. While this might be fanciful, the rediscovery of this temple was a major coup for Ludwig I of Bavaria, who bought the pedimental sculptures as the cornerstone for his new Glyptothek museum in Munich. The sculpture remain there today - see video below.
Aphaia Inscription
This inscription from the 6th C. BCE features the name of the goddess ("Aphaia") and is one of the only details about the goddess. It appears she originated as a Cretan goddess (often associated with Britomartis) and offerings seem to indicate that she made have been involved in initiation rituals for young men and women. She also seems to have been invoked as a goddess of the sea to help traders and seafarers. It must be said that the exact nature of the cult to Aphaia remains obscure, but it clear from the size of the temple, its pedimental program, and the votive dedications, that Aphaia had "a broad scope of social concerns" (Polinskaya 2013: 196).
Athena
Athena features prominently in the pedimental sculptures and there was a base for a cult statue dedicated to her in the temple itself. While it may seem odd to have the patron goddess of Athens on the pediment, it may speak to Aegina's attempts to co-opt Athena as "one of their own". Myth and architecture could be political.
The Sanctuary
The sanctuary space was redeveloped after fire ravaged the Archaic Temple. Additional buildings for the priest and visitors, a high temenos wall (detail far left) and a monumental entrance were added. The altar was elongated and the entire axis of the temenos was shifted for a more direct easterly entrance to the temple. There was a drainage canal that channeled water from the temple roof into an underground cistern (detail left). There is evidence for ritual dining at the temple complex, but the dining rooms are small. The strong Aeacid focus on the pedimental sculptures would remind the visitors of the heroism of Aegina in previous times of war and would encourage thought of the larger community of Aegina.
Bibliography
Gotte, Hans R. 1993. Athens, Attica and the Megarid: An Archaeological Guide. London: Routledge.
Neer, Richard. 2010. The Emergence of the Classical Style in Greek Sculpture. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press.
Polinskaya, Irene. 2013. A Local History of Greek Polytheism: Gods, People, and the Land of Aegina, 800-400 BCE. Leiden: Brill.