Heraion of Argos

The Heraion of Argos (Greek: Ἡραῖον Ἄργους) is an ancient sanctuary in the Argolid, Greece, dedicated to Hera, whose epithet "Argive Hera" appears in Homer's works [1]. The site, which might mark the introduction of the cult of Hera in mainland Greece, lies northeast of Argos between the sites of Mycenae and Midea, two important Mycenaean cities [1]. Located within the fertile Argive Plain in the Northeastern part of the Peloponnesian peninsula, the Heraion at Argos stands on the lower hills leading up to Mount Euboea [1]. Use of the sanctuary extended beyond Argos from the Heraion's establishment in the 8th century BCE, and the sanctuary functioned as a shared place of worship and meeting space for various communities in the Argive Plain until 460 BCE [1]. Measuring 55.80 m x 34.40 m, the rectangular Old Temple Terrace was the first structure built at the Argive Heraion [1]. The Argives built the terrace in the late 8th or early 7th century by piling large stones of various shapes onto each other [1].