How many oxen? by TheWanderingCamel
If you thought Greek society was less steeped in blood than the Romans who followed them, a look at the huge stepped rock platform on the southern side of the Viale Paradiso is enough to make you think again. This is the Ara di Ierone ll - Hieron ll -a third century BC tyrant. In the Classical world, tyrants were rulers who had seized power through their own means rather than by election or inheritance. The word did not carry the modern bias of cruelty or corruption, many of the Sicilian tyrants, such as Hieron ll, were notable patrons of art and learning.
Back to the altar - considered the longest ever built , only the base of which remains. It was built to honour and give thanks to Zeus Eleutherios, the god of freedom. 198 metres by 23 metres, it was big enough to handle the simulataneous slaughter of 450 bulls. It originally stood 15 metres high and probably had a large pool under a high portico in front of it. Much of the stone was removed during the reign of Charles V to build the fortifications on Ortygia.
