Sanctuary of Hercules

Shortly before the Village Pira, on the slopes of Oiti, short dirt road takes you to the ‘Marmara’, in the plateau ‘Katavothres’ where is situated the Sanctuary of Hercules. Here according to the legend, is the place where Hercules arrived to “die”.

The legend says that Hercules, tormented by the suffering of the poisoned tunic of the centaur Nessus, who gave him to wear his wife Deianeira, seduced by her jealousy, he arrived at the Oracle of Delphi to seek salvation. However, the answer of Apollo was disappointing: only death will pull through! Uploaded so far, the Sanctuary of Hercules, gathered wood and with the help of Philoctetes that was there he chose to be burned. Zeus, however, had another end designed for him, since according to legend, dense cloud appeared at that time and took Hercules to Olympus to live among the gods till the eternity. The lightning fell from the wrath of the father of the gods for the end of his son opened a hole, from which flowed Gorgopotamos.

Today at the Sanctuary of Hercules, you can see the ruins of the temple and the altar of the 3rd century BC which were constructed in honor of Hercules. The worship of the ancient hero has continued here until Roman times.

The Sanctuary of Hercules was propillar of Doric temple that was excavated in 1920 by the archaeologist Nikos Papadakis.