This islet is commonly thought to correspond to the place where, in Greek Mythology, Theseus abandoned Ariadne, who was then abducted by Dionysus and his entourage.

Construction work stopped at the latest around 524 BC, when Lygdamis was removed from power by the Peloponnesian League, a military alliance led by Sparta, and the temple remained unfinished.

A cut, still visible today, was made in the Portara's threshold to make room for the door of that church.

The massive marble pieces of the temple's gate could probably not be moved due to their large weight, resulting in them being left in place.

Today, the temple is one of the main landmarks the town of Naxos, and is often used as an emblem representing the entire island.