More...
The Heraion of Samos was one of ancient Greece’s most important sanctuaries. It was located 6 km from the ancient city of Samos (present Pythagorio), with which it was politically and administratively connected. The faithful arrived at the sanctuary by traversing the Sacred Way or by sea. The Samian Heraion lies in a fertile plain formed by the silting of the river Imbrassos. Myth has it that the goddess was born on the bank of this river beneath a willow tree. Thus the willow was considered Hera’s sacred tree. The establishment of the sanctuary in this particular marshy area continually created static problems for the temples erected there. The ancient Samians’ insistence on building temples in honor of the goddess Hera on the same site, despite the problems they encountered, was owing to the close relation between the cult of the goddess and the particular spot.
