The doric temple of Messene (Messana in the doric dialect) comprises a peripheral colonnade (pteron), a prodomos, a cella and an opisthodomos. The cult statue of the deified city that stood inside the cella was made of gold and marble from Paros, according to Pausanias. She was wearing a crown in the shape of the city walls, as depicted in the messenian coinage.

The opisthodomos was decorated with paintings by Omphalion, depicting Messenia’s first kings: Aphareus, Kresphontes, Antilochus, Thrasymedes, Nestor of Pylos, Leukippos and the primogenitor Asklepios with his sons Machaon and Podalerios.