The temple of the king of all gods was built in a position opposite the Acropolis, from which Zeus could see the sanctuary of his beloved daughter Athena. The temple, one of the biggest temples of the greek territory, has a very chequered history. It began to be built in the 6th c. B.C. only to be completed seven centuries later by roman emperor Hadrian. The temple was 27.4 m high, but now there are only 16 columns left, since the best part of it was used as building material mainly in the middle ages.
In front of the temple stands the triumphal arch of Hadrian built by the Athenians in order to honor the roman emperor which proved a benefactor of their city.