Area Archeologica di Paestum

Paestum, named Poseidonia during the Greek age, was founded at the beginning of the VI century B.C. by a group of Achaeans coming from Sybaris, who settled in the fertile plain on the south bank of the Sele river; at the end of the V century B.C. the city was conquered by the Lucanians and in the 273 B.C. it became a Latin colony. Today it is possible to visit a wide archaeological area divided into three parts: two sacred, the northern and the southern sanctuaries, and a public one in the middle, the Greek Agora, which later became the Roman Forum. In the two sanctuaries three marvellously preserved Doric temples: on the northern side the so-called Temple of Ceres, dedicated to Athena, on the southern side the so-called Basilica, Hera’s Temple and the so-called Neptune temple , maybe dedicated to Apollo. In the public area are buildings of the Greek era ( the ekklesiasterion, the heroon : the hypogeic tomb of the founder, hero of the city) and of the Roman period ( the forum, the Italic temple, the amphitheatre and the built-up area). The ancient city is surrounded by walls with four door in correspondence with the four cardinal points (Porta Aurea north; Porta Giustizia south; Porta Sirena east; Porta Marina west), datable between the end of the IV century B.C. and the Latin colony period (III century B.C.).

[View with PicLens]