Poseidon Altar

The Altar of Poseidon was an ancient altar dedicated to Poseidon Enipeus near Miletus and Didyma, in Asia Minor, present‑day Turkey.

History

It was built in the Archaic period around the year 575 BC. It has been dated based on the architectural details. They resemble to some extent the details of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. According to Strabo, the altar would have been founded by Neleus, who according to Greek mythology was the founder of Miletus. This perhaps indicates that the cult of the site was of very ancient origin.

It remained in use until the Hellenistic and Roman periods, but apparently it was neither modified nor restored in later times. It is thought to have been damaged by an earthquake in the Byzantine period. Subsequently, the stones of the altar were largely reused or were dragged into the sea.

Description

It was located at the tip of the promontory dedicated to Poseidon (in ancient Greek: Ποσείδιον, in Latin: Poseidium), south of Miletus, about seven kilometres southwest of Didyma. The structure was rectangular and consisted of a gallery and a sacrificial altar on its eastern side. The long sides (north and south) measured about 11.1 m and the short sides about 9.5 m. The altar measured approximately 1.8 × 3 m. It was oriented to the east. A six‑step staircase about 8.4 m long and 6.5 m wide led to the gallery from the west.