Heroön of Paestum (SA)

In the Greek and Roman era, a heroön was a shrine dedicated to a hero, that was often erected over his supposed tomb. This heroön, erected in 510 BCE, may celebrate Is, the mythical founder of Sibari, a Greek colony, whose inhabitants founded Paestum after the destruction of their city. It’s a low rectangular stone chamber with a pitched roof, half below the surrounding ground level and half above it. The room was inaccessible: there isn’t a door or windows. In origin the heroön was covered by a tumulus; during the Roman age the tumulus was levelled and the shrine was surrounded by a low stone enclosure. The interior housed a rich collection of precious bronze vases, spits and a large Athenian black-figure amphora, now displayed in the Paestum Archaeological Museum.