Although Poseidon is supposed to have been the patron god of Corinth, the most impressive edifice is the Doric-style temple of Apollo. Of its 38 columns, 7 remain standing. About 24 feet [7.2 m] high and 6 feet [1.7 m] in diameter at the base, each is made of a single piece of fluted limestone that was originally coated with hard, white stucco. Hovering over the city on its central elevation​—a dark and brooding ruin among ruins—​this archaic temple nonetheless continues to evoke profound emotions. It may call to a beholder’s mind what Goethe wrote​—that architecture is “frozen music.”

Bottom: The archaic temple of Apollo