User:Darcydeibert/Segesta

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Temple of Segesta began construction efforts nearly 2,500 years ago, around 417 BCE, on a hill just outside the ancient city of Segesta near the great Mount Barbaro. Today the temple sits northwest of Sicily, Italy, and is a main attraction for tourists and locals alike; a true ancient architectural wonder due to its well preserved state, and is considered one of the best preserved ancient temples in Sicily. Besides the marvel of its preservation, this Doric Temple draws visitors from around the world with the profound mystery of its unknown origin, as well as the fascination of its unfinished state. The Temple of Segesta holds many secrets that to this day, 25 centuries later, still remain unsolved.

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On a hill just outside the site of the ancient city of Segesta lies an unusually well-preserved Doric temple. Some think it to have been built in the 420s BC by an Athenian architect, despite the city not having any Greek population. The prevailing view is that it was built by the indigenous Elymians. The temple has six by fourteen columns on a base measuring 21 by 56 metres, on a platform three steps high. Several elements suggest that the temple was never finished. The columns have not been fluted as they normally would have been in a Doric temple, and there are still bosses present in the blocks of the base (used for lifting the blocks into place but then normally removed). The temple also lacks a cella, any ornamentation, altar or deity dedication, and was never roofed over. The temple was never completed due to the war between Segesta and Selinunte. It managed to escape destruction by the Carthaginians in the late 5th century BC.

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The origins of this temple remain a mystery all this time later, but that does not stop speculations. Some believe it to be built in the 420s BC by an Athenian architect, despite the city not having a Greek population. It is also believed that the designer came from Segesta’s own rival Selinunte. The construction of this Temple came in the height of the Greek colonization of Segesta within the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, a time of peace, which would help explain the Doric Greek style in this Elymian city. The Elymians were one of the three native indigenous tribes of Sicily. One theory suggests that the ancient Greeks colonized the Elymians, who were not opposed to the Helenization due to trade and stability. By 500 BC, around the time our temple was built, the Elymo-Greek culture became more prominent in Segesta, further supporting the theory of mass Helenization of this region.

Greek Doric temples are characterized by several key architectural features to display a simple and plain style, and reflect Greek cultural values such as strength and harmony with nature. First are columns, having vertical groves, also known as flutes, with no base. The second key feature is Entablature, ornamental mentopes that are plain or depict a mythological scene. A third important feature is a Cella, or the inner chamber of a temple that depicts who the temple is for. The Temple of Segesta is a fascinating example of a Doric Greek temple, yet it does lack some key features that suggest that it was just never completed and abandoned. The biggest missing element is that the columns were never fluted, as they normally would have been in a Doric temple. Having fluted columns is one of the biggest stylistic elements of a Doric temple, as seen in places such as the Parthenon in Greece.

A huge piece of evidence that leads to the conclusion that it was an abandoned project is the fact that there are still bosses present in the blocks of the base. Bosses were used in ancient construction practices for lifting the blocks into place, but they are normally shaved down and removed for final presentation, part of that simple Doric look. The temple also lacks a cella, so we don’t even know who the temple was built for; if it was a God or even a Cult. The temple lacks any ornamentation or altar, and was never roofed over. There is a theory that the lack of a roof is because it was built as a courthouse, but with the evidence surrounding it, it is widely believed that the project was just simply unfinished and stands as it was built. In more recent years, a 4th century BCE Punic tomb was found within the temple, with evidence of it being built over an even more ancient site.The discovery of this tomb indicated that it no longer functioned as a place of worship, which could possibly explain the lack of an alter or cella.

The temple is 200 feet long and 85 feet wide (61x26m), with a total of 36 columns, 14 on each side, it is believed to be built from Travertine, a natural stone of calcium carbonate from a local town in Sicily called Alcamo. Another popular building material among the Greek temples is Limestone, which is a sedimentary rock that is also mainly made from calcium carbonate, created from the accumulated marine debris of shells and coral that had accumulated and hardened over millions of years.

Why was this project abandoned so abruptly? While we do not know for sure and possible never will, a strong theory is that construction was halted due to conflicts in the region. In this time, roughly around 416 BCE, war between Segesta and their rivals Selunite began. It is reported that Segesta turned to Athens for aid in the war while Athens themselves was in their own Peloponnesian War with Sparta. Despite their conflicts, Athens sent military support to Segesta, some think to expand its influence in Sicily. Ultimately, Athens aid led to the disaster of the Sicilian Expedition, and the defeat of Athens. Their fleet was destroyed and their army defeated by their own rivals of Syracuse and Sparta. Although it is not know for sure, some speculate that the reason the Temple was built was to show support for Athens, and the crushing defeat in the war caused tension between Segesta and Athens, meaning the Temple had no political use anymore. The Temple managed to escape destruction by the Carthaginians in the late 5th century BC. Hundreds of years later, during the First Punic War (264-241 BCE), the Roman conquest of Sicily had begun. During the Roman rule, miraculously the Greek temple survived, although still never finished. Many Greek structures were built over by the Romans, but the Temple was kept to represent the regions vast history of interaction.

As the Temple of Segesta is one of the best preserved ancient structures, besides the vibrant paint that has been lost to history, modern restoration efforts hav been underway to keep that legacy alive. The addition of steel bars for support as well as gap fillers such as Resin and rubber have been used, and the entire structure has been treated in a water resistant solution so it will prevail for many more years to come; maybe long enough for us to finally solve the great mysteries of the origin and abandonment of the Temple of Segesta.