standing some 7.5 m high. The figures appear to have alternated between bearded and clean-shaven figures, all nude and standing with their backs to the wall and hands stretched above their heads. The exact positioning of the atlases has been the subject of some archaeological debate, but it is generally believed that they stood on a recessed ledge on the upper part of the outer wall, bearing the weight of the upper portion of the temple on their upheld hands. One of the fallen atlases has been assembled in the nearby archaeological museum and a replica can be seen on the ground among the ruins of the temple. Attempts to make a detailed reconstruction of the atlases' original appearance have been hampered by their poor condition; they are heavily eroded and all of their feet appear to be missing. The atlases are an exceptionally unusual feature, and may possibly have been unique in their time. They have been interpreted by some as symbolising the Greek enslavement of the Carthaginian invaders, or have even been attributed to Egyptian influences. Joseph Rykwert comments that "the sheer size of the temple seems to confirm the reputed extravagance of the Akragans, their love of display." The presence of windows between the columns is not confirmed. The cell was formed by a wall connecting twelve pilasters on each long side, the angular ones enclosing the pronaos and the episthodomos. The entrance to the cella was provided by an unknown number of doors. The interior was inspired by Phoenician-Carthaginian architecture: it comprised an immense triple-aisled hall of pillars, the middle of which was open to the sky. The roof was probably never completed, though the pediments had a full complement of marble sculptures. The eastern end, according to Diodorus Siculus' enthusiast description, displayed a Gigantomachy, while the western end depicted the fall of Troy, again symbolising the Greeks' triumph over their barbarian rivals. In front of the eastern façade is the pilastered basement of the huge high altar, measuring 54,50 x 17,50 m. See also List of Ancient Greek temples List of Greco-Roman roofs References External links The Temple of Zeus at Agrigento's Valley of the Temples Olympian Zeus Agrigento Buildings and structures in the Province of Agrigento Valle dei Templi 5th-century BC religious buildings and structures Destroyed temples Archaeological sites in Sicily