The sanctuary of Poseidon at Sounion lies within a fort which protected the south coast of Attica. The temple was built of white marble in the middle of the 5th century BCE to replace the 6th century temple which was destroyed by the Persians in 480. It was built in the Doric style, with 6x13 columns; its frieze depicted the battle of the Centaurs and Lapiths, the battle of the Olympians and the Giants, and the labours of Heracles.
