A metroon (, or ) was an

ancient Greek temple Greek temples ( grc, ναός, naós, dwelling, semantically distinct from Latin , "temple") were structures built to house deity statues within Greek sanctuaries in ancient Greek religion. The temple interiors did not serve as meeting places, ...

dedicated to a mother goddess. They were often devoted to

Cybele Cybele ( ; Phrygian language, Phrygian: ''Matar Kubileya/Kubeleya'' "Kubileya/Kubeleya Mother", perhaps "Mountain Mother"; Lydian language, Lydian ''Kuvava''; el, Κυβέλη ''Kybele'', ''Kybebe'', ''Kybelis'') is an Anatolian mother godde ...

, Demeter, or Rhea.

Athens

Coordinates: Metroon del Agora de Atenas

The

Athenian Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

Metroon was located on the west side of the city's Agora, in the Old Bouleuterion, which formerly housed the

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

. At the end of the 5th century BC, the

New Bouleuterion The New Bouleuterion is an ancient building in the city of Athens in Attica, Greece. It was located on the western side of the Ancient Athenian Agora. It is a theater with 12 rows of seats, with a seating capacity of greater than 50. A bouleuterio ...

was built and the council's former home converted into a temple to

. Supposedly, the Athenians had killed one of her wandering priests when he attempted to introduce her cult; the plague which then visited the city was dealt with by honoring her. (The account may, however, have been a later invention, as the earliest source is from the 4th century AD.) The Metroon continued to serve a public function, housing the official archives of the city.

Olympia

The Olympian Metroon was erected in the late 4th or early 3rd century BC, immediately below the terrace which housed the Treasuries.

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Ancient Greek buildings and structures Greek temples Temples in ancient Athens Temples of Demeter Temples of Cybele {{religious-struct-stub

Athens

Olympia

See also

References

External links