The Acropolis is one of the three hills on which the ancient city of Athens was located. At its top there is a steep rock cliff suitable for the construction of a fortification. Here the Athenians built a fortress back in the Mycenaean period.

Inside the powerful walls was the home of the first Athenian kings. Here, in the northern part of the Acropolis, the townspeople erected a temple adjacent to the rulers’ home, dedicated to the goddess Athena, the patroness of the city, where the sacred gifts of the gods were kept: the source of Poseidon and the olive tree of Athena.

The Erechtheion Temple, which will be discussed, is located exactly on the very spot where the first ancient temple of the goddess Athena stood.

History of the temple

During the Greco-Persian wars, all the Acropolis temples were destroyed and burned. After the expulsion of the Persians from Greece, the Athenian ruler Pericles and his friend, the sculptor Phidias, develop a plan to restore ancient shrines.

They decide not to recreate the old appearance of the destroyed temples, but to build new ones in their place. The main condition for the construction was the careful preservation of all places and relics sacred to the townspeople.

The construction of the complex was carried out in stages, since the funds allocated for it from the city treasury were strictly limited, since many other destroyed objects were also subject to restoration.

The first to be built was the central temple of the Virgin Athena, the Parthenon, which became an example of classical architecture.

Then work began on the construction of the grandiose and majestic entrance gate - the Propylaea.

Construction of the second temple on top of the Acropolis began after the death of Pericles, in 421 BC. It continued intermittently until 406. Mnesicles was chosen as the chief architect, under whose leadership all the work took place.

The location for construction was not chosen by chance. It has long been considered by the inhabitants of the city the most sacred on the Acropolis.

Here was the grave of the city’s founder, King Kekrops.

A dispute between Athena and Poseidon for patronage of the city took place here. The legendary Athenian king Erechtheus lived here, who built the first temple of the goddess Athena on the Acropolis.

He was the son of the god Hephaestus and the goddess Gaia, and the story of his birth was described by the legendary Homer.

Broken marble - a trace from the lightning strike of Zeus

As the Athenian king, Erechtheus became the favorite of all the inhabitants of Athens. During a religious war with the city of Eleusis, whose inhabitants worshiped the goddess Demeter, he killed the leader of the Eleusinians, Eumolpus, the son of Poseidon. The angry Poseidon persuaded the supreme god Zeus, and he struck Erechtheus with his lightning.

There is a trace of this lightning strike on the Acropolis - it broke several marble slabs.

The grieving inhabitants of Athens buried the king here and named one of the constellations in his honor - Auriga.

Later, next to the tomb of Erechtheus, on a site sacred to Athens, the architect Mnesikles built a temple and named after him - the Erechtheion.

Description, plan of the Erechtheion temple

Ancient temple of Eirechtenon

The Erechtheion has an unusual architecture, uncharacteristic of most temples of classical antiquity. Main building

divided into two unequal parts located at different levels. Its eastern part, which has a separate entrance, is dedicated to the patroness of the city, goddess Athena.

Inside, in the altar, stood a sacred wooden statue of the goddess, who, according to legend, fell from the sky, which was worshiped by the inhabitants of the city almost from its very foundation. An unquenchable golden lamp burned in front of her. Some people confuse it with the statue of Athena Parthenos, which stood in a completely different temple - the Parthenon. But Athena Parthenos was created by Phidias in 437 BC, especially for the Parthenon. Naturally, she could not be in a temple dedicated to Athena Polias and be such an ancient shrine as a sacred wooden statue, which by that time was already more than a thousand years old.

In the western part of the temple, which had three entrances and located three meters lower than the eastern one, there were altars of the gods Hephaestus and Poseidon, as well as the brother of King Erechtheus - But, who was the first priest of the goddess Athena. The main entrance to this part of the temple was on the north side and was designed in the form of a portico with six columns. Inside it flowed the sacred spring of Poseidon with salt water. A little lower, in the courtyard, was the altar of Zeus. Here on the rock were visible traces of the trident of the god of the seas, with which he created the sacred spring. Nearby is the trace of the lightning of Zeus the Thunderer and the grave of Erechtheus.

On the south side of the temple one could exit onto a balcony, the roof of which was supported by sculptures of six Caryatids. The central exit led to a courtyard adjacent to the base of the temple, where the legendary olive tree grew, which grew from the spear of the goddess Athena.

From the same courtyard one could get to the tomb of King Kekrop, the founder of the city. It was located under the slabs of the temple on the western side.

Caryatids their history

The most famous and beloved part of the building by all tourists is the portico of the Caryatids. The Caryatids were priestesses of the goddess Artemis. During the festivals dedicated to her, they performed ritual dances with baskets on their heads filled to the brim with fruit.

The temple of the goddess Artemis Vravronskaya was also located on the Acropolis before its destruction by the Persians, but the worship of Artemis was not historically associated with the city of Athens. It flourished in the region of southern Attica, and the main temple was located in the picturesque valley of the town of Vravrona. In Athens, the cult of Artemis became widespread during the reign of the tyrant Pisistratus, who came from those places - many images of the Caryatids appeared in the city, which decorated squares, houses, and temples. They were even used as tombstones. When reconstructing the destroyed Acropolis, it was decided not to dedicate a separate temple to Artemis, but the architects who created the new Acropolis complex could not help but pay tribute to the goddess, whom the townspeople had worshiped for more than two hundred years.

Five original Caryatid statues are kept in the Acropolis Museum, the sixth in the British Museum

The Erechtheion Temple, which was completed in 406 BC, was subsequently rebuilt several times. In the early Christian years it was the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, during the Frankish rule - the palace of the Duke, under the Turks - the Pasha's harem. In the 17th century, it was damaged during the explosion of the Parthenon.

Considerable damage to it, as well as to the entire Acropolis, was caused by the barbaric plunder carried out by Lord Elgin, who took all the most valuable Acropolis artifacts to London.

Until now, the Greek state has not been able to return its national treasures.

The Acropolis of Athens is a pearl of ancient classical architecture. It holds many still unsolved mysteries. Perhaps many of them will remain unresolved.

Someone, coming here, will reveal the secrets of the universe, and someone, looking into the depths of history, will be able to resolve their seemingly insoluble problems and answer long-plagued questions. After all, ancient stones preserve the spirit and wisdom of many generations that have passed before them.

And maybe it’s worth coming up here at least once in your life, breathing this air, and looking this history in the eyes from a bird’s eye view.

On the northern side of the Acropolis, near the Parthenon, is the ancient Greek temple of Erechtheion. This outstanding monument is rightfully considered a pearl of ancient Greek architecture and one of the main temples of ancient Athens. It was built in 421-406 BC. and is dedicated to a whole galaxy of gods.

According to legend, the temple was built on the site of a dispute between Athena and Poseidon for power over Attica. The Erechtheion replaced an older temple that was located on this site but was destroyed during the Greco-Persian War. The construction was initiated by Pericles, although it was completed after his death. Perhaps the architect was the architect Mnesicles, but this fact has not been reliably confirmed.

The Erechtheion has no analogues in ancient Greek architecture. Made in the Ionic style, it has an asymmetrical layout not only due to the unevenness of the ground on which it is built, but also the variety of sanctuaries connected to it. The temple had two main entrances - from the north and east, they were decorated with Ionic porticoes. The eastern part of the Erechtheion was dedicated to the goddess Athena, and the western part to Poseidon and King Erechtheus.

On the south side there is the famous portico Pandroseion, named after the daughter of King Kekrop Pandrosa. The architrave is supported by six marble statues of girls (caryatids) - this is the main attraction of the Erechtheion. Today they have all been replaced on a copy, the originals are in museums. One of the caryatids is kept in the British Museum, and the rest are in the Acropolis Museum.

The entire structure was surrounded by a frieze with overhead figures, but it has not survived to this day. The found debris is kept in the Acropolis Museum.

In ancient times, a salt spring flowed in the temple, which, according to legend, Poseidon carved out of the rock with his trident, and in the open courtyard grew a sacred olive tree, donated to the city by Athena. The temple once housed a wooden statue of Athena, which, according to legend, fell from the sky. The statue was made of sacred olive wood. The Erechtheion also housed a golden lamp by Callimachus and a statue of Hermes. The altars of the god of crafts Hephaestus and the hero But were also located here.

The temple received its name in honor of the Athenian king Erechtheus. His grave was located under the northern portico. And at the western facade of the temple you can still see the tomb of the first king of Attica, Cecrops.

Almost nothing is known for certain about the interior decoration of the temple, but it can be assumed that it was impressive in its grandeur.

The temple underwent great changes in the 7th century, when it was converted into a Christian church. During the Ottoman Empire, the temple was used as the harem of the Turkish Sultan. The first serious restoration of the temple was carried out after Greece gained independence. Today, the Erechtheion is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Acropolis of Athens.

Erechtheion

(Greek: Ἐρέχθειον; English: Erechtheion)

Opening hours: from 8.30 to 19.00 every day except Monday.

The most sacred temple of the Acropolis in ancient Athens was the Erechtheion - a temple dedicated to Athena, Poseidon and the legendary Athenian king Erechtheus. The Erechtheion is the second most important monument of the Acropolis. In ancient times, it was the central temple dedicated to the cult of the goddess Athena. And if the Parthenon was assigned the role of a public temple, then the Erechtheion was, rather, a temple for priests. The main religious sacraments associated with the worship of Athena were performed here, and an ancient statue of this goddess was kept here. Also, the temple was a kind of repository for the most important relics of the polis. This function passed to him from the archaic Hekatompedon, built, most likely, under Pisistratus, and destroyed during the Greco-Persian wars.

The Erechtheion was conceived during the grandiose construction started by Pericles. It was necessary to build a temple for the ancient statue of Athena - the main shrine of the city, according to legend, which fell from the sky. However, due to the Peloponnesian War, construction began only in 421 BC, after the Peace of Nicaea. Then it was interrupted and resumed only in 406 BC, by the architect Philocles.

The Erechtheion was originally called the Temple of Athena Polada, or "the temple enshrining the ancient statue." Only in Roman times, another name was extended to the building - Erechtheion. It is not known exactly where it came from: legends explain its origin in different ways, linking the name with the name of the ancient Athenian king Erechtheus. Much here reminds us of Erechtheus. Under the northern portico was the tomb of Erechtheus, and in the western part of the temple, next to the altar of Poseidon, was the sanctuary of Erechtheus. A high door framed by a lush architrave led here from the northern portico.

The temple is located on the site of the mythical dispute between Athena and Poseidon for the possession of Attica. In one of the halls of the Erechtheion one could see the mark left by Poseidon's trident on the rock during his dispute with Athena, and to which pilgrims brought gifts of libation to Zeus. Since this shrine was always supposed to be in the open air, holes were made in the ceiling of the portico, which have survived to this day.

The Erechtheion is a unique and absolutely original monument of ancient Greek architecture. The building plan is based on a rectangle measuring 23.5 m x 11.6 m. The temple itself is divided into two parts: western and eastern. The eastern and southern sides of the temple are 3.24 meters higher than the western and northern ones.

The eastern part of the Erechtheion was dedicated to Athena Polas. A staircase of fourteen steps leads from the eastern portico of the Erechtheion to a small courtyard below, which closes the six-columned northern portico of the Erechtheion. This portico once served as the main entrance to the western half of the temple.

The western half of the temple is dedicated to Poseidon and Erechtheus. Its front side is bordered on the outside by two antas, between which there are four attic semi-columns. In front of the western facade of the Erechtheion, since ancient times, the sacred olive tree of the goddess Athena grew. Because of this, the western facade of the Erechtheion looks completely unusual for ancient Greek temples - it was impossible to build the same entrance portico as on the eastern side, and then the four columns forming the western portico were raised to a base about four meters high, and the spaces between The columns were blocked by a bronze lattice. From this side, the Erechtheion is more reminiscent of a residential building, an estate, and, in its asymmetry, does not look like a monumental building.

The southern portico, called Pandroseion, named after one of Cecrops' daughters, Pandrosa, did not have a frieze, and its architrave, consisting of three horizontal stripes, was supported not by columns, but by Caryatids. The stone Caryatids of the Erechtheion are today probably the most famous symbol of the Acropolis of Athens. This is a completely unique monument that has no analogues in ancient Greek architecture. On a high, 2.6 m plinth, there are six statues of girls supporting the ceiling of the portico. Their figures are significantly taller than human height - 2.1 m.

There is an assumption that the prototypes of the caryatids of the Erechtheion were the arrephors - ministers of the cult of Athena, elected from the best families of Athens. Their functions included making the sacred peplos, with which the ancient statue of Athena, kept in the Erechtheion, was annually dressed. The hands of the statues have not been found. They probably supported their outfit with one hand and held some kind of religious symbol in the other. The faces of the Caryatids are facing the road along which the Panathenaic processions took place.

Real marble lace frames the portals of the doors, and a long, continuous ribbon crowns the top of the walls and porticoes of the temple. The skill of ancient sculptors captivates with the perfection and refinement of forms. Once upon a time, the facades of the Erechtheion ended with a relief frieze that stretched along the perimeter of the entire building. The subject of the frieze was probably the myth of Erechtheus and the Cecropids. Its fragments have been preserved.

The internal structure of this wonderful temple is not known, because most of it was destroyed in the 7th century AD, when the Erechtheion was converted into a Christian temple. It is obvious that the interior was divided into two almost equal parts by a blank wall. In the eastern part, in a marble cella, there was a wooden statue of the goddess Athena, which was made from the sacred olive tree. The cella of the temple of Athena did not communicate with the western part of the Erechtheion, dedicated to Poseidon and Erechtheus.

In the western part of the temple, Poseidon and Erechtheus were worshiped, there was an altar of Hephaestus and the hero Vut, and an underground passage went down, which led to the habitat of the sacred Acropolis snake, to which sacrifices were made every year.

Like other structures of the Athenian Acropolis, the Erechtheion was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. In Byzantine times, a Christian temple was built in it. After the city was captured by the Turks, the Erechtheion was turned into the harem of the Turkish ruler of Athens.

In 1802, the British envoy to Constantinople, Lord Elgin, who received permission from Sultan Selim III “to remove from the country any piece of stone with inscriptions or images,” transported one of the caryatids of the Erechtheum to Britain.

The temple suffered greatly in 1827, when it was destroyed during the Greek battles for independence. The first restoration of the temple was carried out immediately after Greece gained independence, in 1837-1847. The temple was restored again in 1902 - 1909. The portico of the Caryatids, the northern and southern walls, and the western facade of the temple were restored.

The essence of the architectural composition of the Erechtheion consists of an amazing, in its richness, temporal sequence of strictly thought-out and harmonized impressions that people receive when viewing the building. The Erechtheion is very subtly included in the overall composition of the Acropolis. After examining the Erechtheion from different angles, visitors look with new eyes at the Parthenon, the monumentality of which now especially contrasts with the intimacy of the Erechtheion.

Capital of Greece

Tourists visiting Greece do not ignore its beautiful capital - Athens. The ancient city amazes with its subtle beauty, snow-white beaches and architectural monuments that everyone read about in their school years.

What is the Erechtheion?

Tourists often ask this question, but city residents know exactly the answer. The Erechtheion Temple was an amazing fusion of several Greek cults. According to historical facts, the Greeks built their temples and sanctuaries for one of the figures of the pantheon of gods. The most revered were Athena and Zeus. Monumental churches were built in their honor, colorful celebrations and processions were held.

Ancient architects, creating the Acropolis and the Erechtheion temple, made it their main treasure. Even now it is the best preserved of all those presented on the hill. Its value for scientists lies in the fact that the Erechtheion temple was not intended to be visited by ordinary people. Only clergy had the right to enter there, and inside the temple there were three sanctuaries dedicated to Athena, Poseidon and King Erechtheus.

Erechtheion: description of the temple

The unification of several cults in itself made the temple unique in its kind. Neither before nor after the Hellenes built such monumental structures.

At the site where the sanctuary was built, there was previously another temple, which was completely destroyed and burned by the Persians during the Greco-Persian War. By order of the great Pericles, the foundation of a new temple complex was laid at this place. The construction itself began after the death of Pericles and, according to some sources, lasted more than fifteen years. The architect of the temple is considered to be the Greek Mnesicles. Although historians cannot reach a unanimous opinion on this issue. The architect had to show all his talents to design and build this miracle of architectural thought.

The soil on which the Erechtheion temple stands has significant differences in elevation. Therefore, the structure is located on several levels at once. This ingenious discovery of Mnesicles fit perfectly into the concept of the temple complex - serving several religious cults.

During construction, the Hellenes used snow-white Pentelic marble and dark stone to decorate the frieze. The sunlight brilliantly illuminated the amazing marble carvings surrounding the façade of the temple. The architect applied completely new solutions to the temple colonnade. According to the tradition of the Greeks, temples were decorated on all sides with massive columns. During the construction of the Erechtheion, this tradition was abandoned. It was surrounded on three sides by beautiful porticoes, each differing from the other in its style and size. Some scholars suggest that there was a fourth portico. But archaeologists have never found evidence of this.

What did the temple look like?

Now it is quite difficult to imagine what the temple looked like immediately after construction was completed. Although authoritative historians in scientific circles claim that the Erechtheion temple was never completed. They believe that during the construction process the original plan was changed and simplified several times. Due to the protracted Peloponnesian War, the Greeks were in a hurry to complete the costly construction and left some parts of the sanctuary unfinished. Despite these assumptions, our contemporaries were able to make a description of it. The plan of the Erechtheion temple has been recreated in sufficient detail.

The total area of the temple is almost three hundred square meters. And this does not take into account the porticoes framing the sanctuary! The temple was divided into three wings, each of which had a separate roof and was dedicated to its own deity.

The eastern part belonged entirely to Pallas Athena, the guardian of the ancient city. Its facade was adjacent to six columns, the height of which was about six and a half meters. In this part of the Erechtheion temple there was a beautiful statue of the goddess, illuminated day and night by the light of a golden lamp. It should be noted that it itself is of considerable interest to scientists. Its creator, Callimachus, invented a special design that made it possible to add oil to the lamp only once a year. This amount was enough for exactly three hundred and sixty-five days.

The northern wing could be entered through the main door of the temple. The entrance was framed by four richly decorated marble columns.

The western wing was framed by four semi-columns, overlooking a magnificent façade with frescoes. The entire facade was decorated along the perimeter with marble carvings with images of three Attic deities. Four tall window openings fit perfectly into the proportions of the west wing and complemented this magnificent ensemble.

Adjoining the southern part of the Erechtheion temple was the Pandroseion portico, which has been perfectly preserved to this day. It was named after one of the daughters of Kekrops, a half-man, half-snake. The townspeople revered him as the founder of Athens. The portico was devoid of columns; it was supported by four graceful sculptures of caryatid girls. The Caryatids of the Erechtheion Temple represented an innovative technique in world architecture. For the first time in history, the Greeks used sculptures to support load-bearing structures. Subsequently, architects all over the world began to use this technique in their works. The Caryatids still amaze tourists with their magnificent execution: every facial feature and piece of clothing is carved from white marble with the greatest skill and authenticity.

Now there are exact copies of these sculptures on the Acropolis. The originals can be seen in the Acropolis Museum. There are also fragments of bas-reliefs from the facade of the Erechtheion temple. One of the caryatids was secretly taken by an English lord to his homeland and is now on display in the British Museum.

There were sanctuaries in all parts of the temple. The main ones were dedicated to Athena, Poseidon and Erechtheus. War trophies and relics, strictly revered by the Athenians, were kept on the territory of the Erechtheion.

Legends and myths of the ancient sanctuary

What exactly was the famous Erechtheion temple in Athens? History has carefully presented legends that are closely intertwined with each other.

According to one of them, the temple was erected on the site of a dispute between Athena and Poseidon. Two deities argued about who would patronize the beautiful city. For a long time they were unable to resolve this issue. The townspeople offered the obstinate gods to give the city a gift. The one whose gift will be the most useful will be recognized as the patron of the city. Poseidon split the hill with a blow of his trident, and brought down a stream of sea water on the city. Athena, in turn, grew an olive tree, which later became a symbol of Greece. The townspeople gave primacy to the goddess of wisdom, and in honor of this dispute they erected the Erechtheion temple. The Hellenes still show tourists one of the walls of the structure, on which there was a deep mark from the trident of the god of the seas.

King Erechtheus occupies a special place in Greek history. Under his imperious hand, Athens achieved the highest prosperity, and the cult of the goddess acquired unprecedented influence throughout Greece. After the death of the legendary Erechtheus, they buried him on the territory of the temple and created a sanctuary.

It was believed that inside the Erechtheion temple there was a cave where the serpent of the goddess Athena lived. The priestesses of the cult always monitored the mood of this serpent. If he refused the food brought, then the city was promised serious troubles. According to some Greek myths, the snake was the embodiment of the legendary king.

Inside the temple there is a well with salt water. The Greeks say that it was this water that poured out of the rock during the dispute between Poseidon and Athena. This well was especially protected and revered by the cult of Poseidon. It was believed that until the water in the well dried up, Athens would receive the protection not only of its goddess, but also of the controversial Poseidon. All these are, of course, funny legends. But scientists still cannot explain the origin of the salty sea water on the high hill of the Acropolis. She was subjected to various studies and laboratory tests. It has been proven that this is indeed sea water, which could not possibly have ended up in the well. Moreover, the water level virtually always remains the same.

Destruction of the Erechtheion Temple

The decline of Hellenic civilization practically destroyed this amazing architectural monument. Until the seventeenth century, it suffered only minor destruction, but the barbaric actions of the Venetians changed its appearance beyond recognition.

For many years, Christian priests celebrated rituals in the temple, and the Turks who came later turned it into a harem for the Sultan’s wives.

Despite this, archaeologists managed to find quite a lot of valuable artifacts during excavations, which are now on display for tourists in the Acropolis Museum.

Greece gave the world the greatest architectural monuments, which tourists from all over the world strive to see. The Acropolis is recognized as the most beautiful heritage of Greece, the Erechtheion temple has become a rare pearl, which serves as the best decoration of this monument of Hellenic civilization.

The Erechtheion is a temple on, an outstanding work that is rightfully considered the pearl of ancient Greek architecture and one of the main temples of ancient Athens. Erected in 421 - 406. BC e. made of marble and dark limestone. The Erechtheion replaced a more ancient temple that stood on this site and was destroyed during. This is a completely unique monument that has no analogues in ancient Greek architecture.

Story

The Erechtheion Temple is the second most important monument of the Acropolis. In ancient times, it was the central temple dedicated to the cult of the goddess Athena. And if the Parthenon had the role of a public temple, then the Erechtheion, rather, was a priestly temple. The main religious sacraments associated with the worship of this goddess were held there, and the ancient statue of Athena was kept there. This relatively small temple combines a number of different sanctuaries. Most of which existed on this site long before the construction of the Erechtheion.

The temple was built on the site of the legendary dispute between Athena and Poseidon for power over Athens. In one of the halls of the Erechtheion there is a mark left by Poseidon's trident on a rock during his dispute with Athena. Nearby is the entrance to the cave located under the temple, where the sacred snake of the goddess Athena lived, which was considered the personification of the legendary Athenian king, hero and patron of the city - Erechtheus. Tradition associates the name of the temple with his name.

The Erechtheion was originally called the temple of Athena Polyada (the patroness of Athens), or the temple “guarding the ancient statue.” Only in Roman times did the name of one of its parts, the Erechtheion, spread to the entire building.

Construction of the Erechtheion

The construction of the Erechtheion is associated with the beginning of the most ambitious construction on the Acropolis, conceived and carried out during the time of Pericles. It was necessary to build a temple for the ancient statue of Athena - the main city shrine, according to legend, which fell from the sky. This statue was kept for a long time in an ancient temple located in the center of the Acropolis. When the Persian army invaded Attica and captured Athens, the temple of Athena was burned, but the Greeks prudently took the shrine to the island of Salamis. In 421 BC. e. Construction of the Erechtheion began. Work continued intermittently until 406. Soon after its completion, the temple was damaged by fire and restored in 394.

Description of the Erechtheion

Portico of the Caryatids

The layout of the building is based on a rectangle measuring 23.5 -11.6 m. The facades of the temple are unusually diverse; on each side the Erechtheion appears in a completely new way. In the western corner is the Kekropion, the tomb and sanctuary of the legendary Kekropos, the first king of Attica. Above it rises the world-famous portico of the caryatids - the main attraction of the Erechtheion.

On a high (2.6 m) plinth there are 6 statues of girls that support the ceiling of the portico. Their figures are 2.3 m tall. The left and right caryatids are mirror images of each other. The statues are crafted with consummate skill, they are natural and full of life. Their hands were not preserved, and until relatively recently it was not known exactly what the composition might have looked like in its original form. 1952 - in Italy, in the ruins of the villa of Emperor Hadrian, archaeologists discovered stone figurines - copies of the caryatids of the Erechtheion. Thanks to this find, it became clear that with their left hand they lightly held the edge of their clothing, and in their right hand they held a vial - a vessel for libations during sacrifice.

Presumably, the prototypes of the caryatids of the Erechtheion were the arrephors - servants of the cult of Athena, who were chosen from the best families of Athens. Their duties included making the sacred peplos, which was used every year to decorate the ancient statue of Athena, kept in the Erechtheion.

Time has not been kind to the portico of the caryatids, as well as the entire ensemble of the Acropolis in Athens. One of the statues was broken out and taken to England by the famous “connoisseur of antiquities” Lord Elgin at the beginning of the 19th century. It has now been replaced by a copy. But even in our time, with lost hands and damaged faces, the caryatids of the Erechtheion retain their charm and are the best examples of ancient Greek sculptural art.

What did the temple look like?

A staircase of 14 steps leads from the eastern portico of the Erechtheion to a small courtyard below, which closes the six-columned northern portico of the Erechtheion. This portico once served as the main entrance to the western half of the temple. Its columns are 7.6 m high. Four of them are located on the facade, two on the sides of the portico.

In front of the western facade of the Erechtheion on the western side, from time immemorial, the sacred olive tree of the goddess Athena grew. Therefore, the western facade of the Erechtheion looks very unusual for an ancient Greek temple - it was impossible to build the same entrance portico as on the eastern side, and then the 4 columns forming the western portico were raised to a base about 4 meters high, and the gaps between the columns were blocked bronze lattice. A silver-green olive tree grows against a background of marble columns. The current one was planted in the 20s of the 20th century in the same place where, according to the description of ancient authors, a sacred tree grew, which grew from the blow of Athena’s spear.

The Erechtheion stands out among other temples of ancient Greece for its unique sculptural decoration. Real marble lace frames the door portals and runs in a continuous ribbon along the top of the walls and porticoes of the temple. The skill of ancient sculptors captivates with the perfection and refinement of forms. Once upon a time, the facade of the Erechtheion ended with a relief frieze that stretched along the perimeter of the entire building. It depicted various episodes from the myths about Erechtheus and other Athenian heroes. Made from white marble, the figures were made separately and then attached to a background of bluish-black limestone. This peculiar technique created a rather impressive effect, and to enhance it, the details of the sculptures were covered with gilding. The capitals of the columns were also covered with gilding and painting. Fragments of this amazing frieze that have survived to this day are kept in the Acropolis Museum.

We know about the interior of the temple only from the writings of ancient authors. A blank wall divided the interior into two almost equal parts. In the east was the sanctuary of Athena Polyada. It was possible to enter this room by passing through a light six-column portico, the height of the columns of which reached 6.5 meters. Now only 5 columns have survived.

Destruction of the temple. Restoration

Like other structures of the Acropolis in Athens, the Erechtheion was destroyed and rebuilt several times. In Byzantine times, a Christian church was built in it. After the conquest of the city by the Turks, the Erechtheion was turned into the harem of the Turkish ruler of Athens.

The first restoration of the temple was done immediately after Greece gained independence, in 1837–1847. The temple was restored again in 1902–1909. The portico of the caryatids, the northern and southern walls, and the western facade of the temple were restored.