| The Bassae Reliefs |
|---|
| Bassae was a city on the western-central Peloponnesian Peninsula. |
| The name Bassae means The Glens; a temple of Apollon Epikourios (The Helper) was constructed on the site as early as 625 BCE but several reconstruction projects occurred until the last temple was completed circa 500 BCE; the temple was small (perhaps 25 x 45 feet) and, unlike most Greek temples, was oriented north-south; the Ionic columns of the temple were punctuated by one column with a Corinthian capital which was one of the earliest known examples of this style of column. |
| The interior of the temple was decorated with a series of friezes depicting the war with the Amazons and the war of the Lapithae against the Centaurs; the ruins of the temple were partly unearthed in 1765 CE but the surviving friezes were not recovered until 1811 CE and sold at auction to the British Museum; the friezes are now on display at the British Museum in a special room and are arranged in a best-guess manner because the original arrangement of the friezes cannot be determined with any certainty. |
 |
 |
 |
 |