construction started at the late sixth century bc (520-490 bc) and the temple was perhaps still unfinished when the persians razed the city in 490 bc. poros stone and marble were the materials used for this doric peristyle (surrounded by colonnades) temple (6 x 14 columns). it had a "prodomos" (anteroom) and an "opisthodomos "(back section) arranged with two columns in antis; the cella (in greek "sekos" was divided into three naves by two interior colonnades. after the destruction of the city by the persians, the temple was repaired and remained in use; yet in 198 bc it was destroyed again, this time by the romans, a fact which initiated the gradual abandonment and dilapidation of the monument until the first century bc. some important sculptures were found and are displayed in the chalcis museum. one of the amazons was salvaged in antiquity and carried off to rome. unfortunately, the majority of architectural parts from this temple and other sanctuaries of the city were re-used as construction material; only a few (column) drums together with fragmented capitals and triglyphs remain from the superstructure of the monument.