Function Ancient Greek temple | ||
The Spartia temple is an ancient Greek temple and archaeological site on the hill of Spartia, Sesklo, in the Magnesia regional unit. The temple is thought to be dedicated to the Greek mythological figures Heracles and Alcmene.
Archaeologists have discovered many artifacts on the site of the sanctuary, which is thought to date to the archaic period. Items recovered include bronze vases, objects of lead and clay, weapons, iron tools, and figurines. Some specific artifacts named are clay metopes with yellow veneer, spearheads, and part of the arm of a marble statue.
One important artifact is a bronze flask (described as "navel-shaped") in excellent condition with the inscription "Tilephilos dedicated me to Herakles" in the archaic Greek alphabet. This indicates the presence of a Herakles cult, which is linked to Pherae and is documented in the region through Hellenistic-era inscriptions.
The flask had been found several years before its value was recognized when a natural gas pipeline was built near the hill of Spartia by the Volos-Velestinos-Larissa highway (on the site of the ancient Pherae-Pagasses road). Put in storage by the XII Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of the Ministry for Culture, the object was rediscovered when it was cleaned during conservation work.