Ancient History Journal: Aegina Temple, Saint Nektarios, Delphi Oracle

This journal entry provides a detailed exploration of two significant historical sites and figures: the Temple of Aphaia on Aegina and Saint Nektarios. The Temple of Aphaia, a Doric temple dating back to 500 BC, is examined for its architectural significance and its connection to both classical and archaic Greek periods. The journal then transitions to Saint Nektarios, a revered saint of Aegina, discussing his life, contributions, and the continued importance of his legacy, including his healing powers and writings. The assignment also covers the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, its role in ancient Greece, and its significance as a place of prophecy and religious discussion. It delves into the temple's architecture, its connection to Greek mythology, and its role in the worship of Apollo and other deities. The journal also touches upon the Apollonian and Dionysian principles and provides historical context through timelines and references.

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Temple of Aphaia
The temple of Aphaia happens to be one of the most popular and significant ancient
temple that is situated in the island namely Aegina. However, the ancient temple is now in a
ruined state but still it carries all the old glory thorough it’s ruined but beautiful structure. This
temple had been built probably in five hundred BC. The original name of this temple was Jupiter
Panhellenius (Miles 207). One of the most interesting factors of this temple is that the temple is
said to be dedicated to the Greek Goddess namely Aphaia. However, since the time of the rule of
Ahenians, the temple started to be associated with the Greek Goddess Athena. The architecture
of this temple shows a tremendously crafted work by great architects and sculptors who designed
and gave shape to a Doric temple made of only porous limestone.
The monolithic nature of the temple construction makes it look more unique than other
ancient temples around the world. The paint and the materials, used to build this temple, carries
history and culture of that period (Makris and Michalis 41). One of the historical significance of
this temple is that the construction of this temple shows how the formation of the temple
connects two historical periods that are the classical and the archaic periods in Greek history.
Moreover, one of the most significant factors of this temple is that the temple is said to be a part
of the popular Holy Triangle that also includes Poseidon temple and Acropolis.
Saint Nektarios
Saint Nectarios was a popular saint of Aegina and was also known as Agios Nektarios.
His main contribution was his church that is popular because of his association with it (Redžić
109). This person was one of group called the Greek Orthodox saints. He officially became a
saint in the year 1961. Apart from other historical details about him, many people remember him
for being a messiah or a miracle man who was said to heal any kind of disease miraculously. For
this reason, 9th November has been set for celebrating him and his Feast day. The Feast day
denotes the fact that he was one of the most respected and widely acknowledged as a saint. Even
after his demise, still many people choose to visit his tomb for getting healed by his soul.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople granted him as a saint in the above
mentioned year. On the other hand, he was also popular because of his sharp writing skills, moral
values, education, poetry, and aestheticism and so on (Tomoioagă 149). His journey as a saint
was remarkable not only because of his healing powers but also because of the fact that he
believed in prayers and had never dishonoured any work. He even used to involve himself with
hard labour in order to help others. For these reasons, his blessings are still as important for the
visitors as it used to be when he was alive. He was often rebuked for being a patriarch although
there were no concrete proofs of that.

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Reference list
Makris, Nicos, and Michalis F. Vassiliou. "The dynamics of the rocking frame." Seismic
Assessment, Behavior and Retrofit of Heritage Buildings and Monuments. Springer,
Cham, 2015. 37-59.
Miles, Margaret M. "The Interiors of Greek Temples." A Companion to Greek Architecture 114
(2016): 206-222.
Redžić, Dalibor. "Religious tourism as a factor of tourism development in Greece: A case study
of the monastery of St. Nektarios on Aegina." Hotel and Tourism Management 7.1
(2019): 105-114.
Tomoioagă, Florin Toader. "The vision of divine light in Saint Gregory Palamas’s
theology." Acta theologica 35.2 (2015): 142-153.