Temple of Apollo, Pompeii

The Temple of Apollo in Pompeii is the town's most important religious building, located in the forum and dating to c. 120 BC, though the cult of Apollo at this site goes back to the 6th century BC. The temple features a peripteros design with 48 Ionic columns on a high podium, blending Greek and Italic architectural traditions. Before the steps stands a white marble altar, and an Ionic column supported a sundial. Bronze statues of Apollo and Diana flanked the portico; the originals are now in the J. Paul Getty Museum in California. The temple was damaged by the 62 AD earthquake and underwent repairs before Vesuvius buried the city in 79 AD.