Temple C, Ancient Greek temple in Selinunte, Italy.

Temple C stands on the eastern hill of Selinunte's acropolis and is one of the oldest temples at the site. The structure displays 14 columns that were rebuilt during the 1920s, with remains of stone blocks and foundations from the 6th century still visible in their original positions.

The temple was built around 550 BC as a major religious center for the early Greek settlement. Its construction occurred during the period when Selinunte was growing into one of the most powerful Greek colonies in Sicily.

An inscription identifies the temple's dedication to Apollo, not Heracles. Selinunte was the only Greek city in Sicily to decorate its temples with metopes: of the ten on the facade, three survive in full, showing Helios driving a quadriga, Perseus beheading Medusa with Athena watching, and Heracles carrying the captured Cercopes. A terracotta Gorgon mask sat at the centre of the tympanum.

Temple C stands on the acropolis hill of Selinunte, reached on foot along the paths of the archaeological park; the ground is uneven and there is little shade. The northern colonnade, re-erected between 1925 and 1926 and freed of scaffolding in 2011, is the part to look for first. Allow time for the climb and for walking between the temples.

The structure features notably stubby columns that differ distinctly from the more slender style that would dominate later Greek temples. These constructive peculiarities provide insight into early experimentation with proportions and building techniques in Greek architecture.