Selinunte - Temple F

In chronological order, the first temple to visit is the middle one, Temple F, built c. 530 B.C. and possibly dedicated to the goddess Athena. Its base, or stylobate, measures 24.37m/80ft by 61.88m/203ft, approximately the same size as Temple C, but with six columns at each end and 14 along the sides, as compared with six and 17 in Temple C. To achieve this with such an elongated interior the builder had to deviate from a basic rule of Greek temple construction and make the cross beams of the ends deeper (4.60m/15ft) than those of the sides (4.47m/14ft 8in). In addition he brought the inner row of columns so close up to the interior (cella) that its bronze doors almost butted up against them. The columns are 9.11m/30ft tall, and unusually slender and carry widely protruding capitals. The internal pillars are well-spaced and had stone cupboards in between; the latter were 4.50m/14.75ft tall, i.e.about half the height of the pillars, with the result that the perambulatory between the pillars and the interior was completely cut off from the view of the outside world. On the entablature of the east side were sculptured metopes, two of which have been found with reliefs showing gods fighting with giants. As with many Sicilian temples, there is a second row of inside pillars on the east side, followed by the pronaos (open portico), cella and adyton (priest's private sanctuary), also a Sicilian feature.