▁[ in ▁Ath ens ] ▁and ▁the ▁port ico ▁called ▁the ▁King ' s ▁Port ico ▁is ▁a ▁temple ▁of ▁He pha ist os . ▁I ▁was ▁not ▁surprised ▁that ▁by ▁it ▁stands ▁a ▁statue ▁of ▁Ath ena , ▁because ▁I ▁knew ▁the ▁story ▁about ▁Erik h th on ios ▁[ i . e . ▁the ▁first ▁king ▁of ▁Ath ens , ▁a ▁son ▁of ▁He pha ist os ▁and ▁Ath ena , ▁birth ed ▁by ▁Ga ia ▁the ▁Earth ] ." ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁century   BC ▁a ▁small ▁garden ▁of ▁pom eg ran ate , ▁my rt le , ▁and ▁la ure l ▁trees ▁and ▁shr ubs ▁was ▁plant ed ▁around ▁the ▁temple . ▁ ▁The ▁san ctu ary ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁closed ▁during ▁the ▁per sec ution ▁of ▁pag ans ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁Roman ▁Empire . ▁ ▁Church ▁▁ ▁Ar ound ▁AD   7 0 0 , ▁the ▁temple ▁was ▁turned ▁into ▁a ▁Christian ▁church , ▁dedicated ▁to ▁Saint ▁George . ▁Ex actly ▁when ▁the ▁temple ▁was ▁converted ▁to ▁a ▁Christian ▁church ▁remains ▁unknown . ▁There ▁are ▁assumptions ▁however ▁that ▁this ▁possibly ▁occurred ▁in ▁the ▁ 7 th   century . ▁ ▁Adding ▁all ▁kind ▁of ▁ad ject ives ▁in ▁the ▁names ▁of ▁the ▁churches , ▁or ▁the ▁comm emor ated ▁sain ts , ▁is ▁common place ▁in ▁Greek - orth odox ▁tradition . ▁The ▁character ization ▁as ▁Saint ▁George ▁" A k am ates " ▁has ▁been ▁given ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁explan ations . ▁One ▁states