The original colonists were from very wealthy Peloponnesian town called Siberus. They combined with the people from Argos (next to Mycenae), who were part of the cult of Hera. So, they built this temple as an instrument of propaganda to show their strength. It took about twenty years to build. It has some peculiar characteristics: it is nonastyle (having an odd number of columns on the front is unusual); and the interaxial measure one would usually have left space on the front for people to enter). It is peripteral Doric with a tristyle in antis pro-naos.