Ancient temple seeks divine intervention

In a photograph from 1985, Maria Arabatzoglou poses along with her fellow students from the tour guide school at the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae, in the Peloponnese.

The impressive temple in Arcadia's ancient Bassae, built between 420 and 400 BC, was among the school's hottest exam topics, combining three architectural orders in one monument with many demanding constructional requirements for the era.

According to ancient traveler Pausanias, its completion was the work of Iktinos, the architect of the Parthenon, who had to come up with architectural solutions worthy of the famous Athenian monument, says Arabatzoglou as we ascend the winding road from Andritsaina, a nearby mountain village.

Since her time at university, Arabatzoglou has walked up this difficult road many times, leading Greek and foreign tourists to the temple. The first thing they...