Temple of Apollo at Kolona: The Lone Column of Aegina

The Story of the Temple of Apollo at Kolona

As ferries arrive at Aegina town, passengers can see a lone column standing on a low hill just north of the harbor. Locals have long called the spot Kolona, meaning column, after this solitary survivor. It is the last standing column of a temple of Apollo, built around the end of the 6th century BC, and it rises above a site that has been inhabited for thousands of years.

Aegina was a powerful island in the Archaic period. Its merchants and sailors traded across the Mediterranean, and Aegina is famous for minting some of the earliest silver coins in Greece, stamped with the image of a sea turtle. The island's wealth paid for fine temples, and on the headland of Kolona, close to the harbor, the Aeginetans built a Doric temple to Apollo. Little of it remains apart from the column, which is missing its capital, and the foundations.

The island's name and early history come from myth. According to legend, Zeus carried off the nymph Aegina, daughter of a river god, to the island, which was later named after her. Their son Aeacus became the first king. When a plague wiped out his people, Zeus answered his prayers by turning the ants of the island into men, who became known as the Myrmidons. Aeacus was so just that after his death he became one of the judges of the dead.

The temple is only the most recent chapter of Kolona's long story. Excavations have revealed a prosperous settlement that began in the Neolithic period and grew into a fortified town in the Bronze Age, with strong walls rebuilt many times. Its people traded with Crete, the Cyclades and mainland Greece, and the site is one of the most important for understanding the early history of the Aegean world.

In later centuries, the headland remained an important part of the town. Remains of houses, walls and other buildings from different periods have been uncovered around the temple, and parts of the ancient harbor works can still be traced in the water nearby. The ancient city of Aegina was a rival of Athens, and their conflicts were a major theme of the 5th century BC, until the Athenians expelled the islanders in 431 BC.

Archaeologists have been exploring Kolona since the 19th century, and German and Austrian teams have carried out long term research at the site. Their work has revealed layers of history stacked one on top of another, from the earliest villages to the classical sanctuary. Finds from the excavations, including pottery, sculpture and objects of daily life, are displayed in the archaeological museum at the entrance to the site.

Today Kolona is an easy walk from the port of Aegina town, along the seafront past the fishing boats and cafes. Visit the museum, then explore the site, where you can see the column, the temple foundations and the prehistoric walls. The headland offers lovely views over the harbor and the sea, and it is a perfect spot to watch the sunset before returning to the town for a meal and a taste of Aegina's famous pistachios.