Samothraki Municipality, Greece
Samothrace temple complex
Samothraki Municipality, Greece
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The Sanctuary of the Great Gods on the island of Samothrace was one of the principal Pan-Hellenic religious sanctuaries of the ancient world, celebrated throughout Greece for its mystery religion. Built west of the city's ramparts yet functioning as an independent sacred site, it attracted initiates of renown, including the historian Herodotus, the Spartan leader Lysander, and prominent Athenians; Plato and Aristophanes both referenced the complex in their writings. During the Hellenistic period, following Philip II's investiture, it became a Macedonian national sanctuary where Alexander's successors competed in displays of religious munificence. The site remained significant under Roman rule, visited by the emperor Hadrian and documented by the scholar Varro, before gradually declining toward the end of Late Antiquity when pagan persecution in the late Roman Empire led to its closure.
Movement
- Type
- ancient Greek temple
- Place
- Samothraki Municipality, Greece
This building on
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