Order excursions Online. Antique temple of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis mountain in Athens Caryatids of the Erechtheion in the museum

Address: Greece, Athens, Acropolis of Athens
Start of construction: 421 BC e.
Completion of construction: 406 BC e.
Architect: Mnesicles and Phidias
Coordinates: 37°58"19.6"N 23°43"35.5"E

Content:

Short description

If we consider the most significant temples for the ancient Greeks, then, of course, the main one is the legendary Parthenon.

The second most important is the Temple of the Erechtheion or, as it is more simply called by numerous guides conducting excursions around Athens, the Erechtheion. Like most ancient architectural monuments located in the capital of Greece, the Erechtheion temple was badly damaged by numerous wars and plunders.

View of the temple from the southwest

The inexorable passage of time also took its toll on the majestic building, of which only ruins have survived to this day. As we know from history, in the Parthenon all the inhabitants of Athens offered their prayers to the gods, but the Temple of the Erechtheion was intended for mysterious rites and sacrifices, which were carried out exclusively by priests who had almost unlimited power in Athens. It is for this reason that all historians are almost unanimous in the opinion that the Erechtheion, located on the Acropolis, slightly north of the Parthenon, was a sacred place for the population of Athens, in which there was a huge statue of the patroness of the city, Pallas Athena.

Many tourists who come to see the sights of Greece mistakenly believe that the Temple of the Erechtheion was dedicated to the cult of the goddess Athena. There is undoubtedly some truth in this, however, according to some documents, chronicles and descriptions that have survived to this day, as well as according to the results of archaeological excavations, a certain conclusion can be drawn: in the temple, the priests brought gifts not only to Athena, but also to Poseidon and himself Erechtheion.

View of the western façade of the temple

“Where did the name of the temple come from? In honor of what event was the second most important sanctuary of the Acropolis built? What rituals, hidden from the eyes of the Athenians, were the priests performing within its walls, and what shrines were kept in the Erechtheion?” - these are most of the questions that guides and historians are asked. Alas, we can only talk about the interior decoration of the great temple based on the descriptions of ancient travelers. As you know, in ancient times Athens was the subject of contention between numerous invaders, and when the city was practically deserted, it became a real “godsend” for treasure hunters and looters. Therefore, the ruins of the Erechtheion and its most interesting story, which, like everything in Greece, is shrouded in numerous myths and legends - all that remains for the modern generation.

Origin of the name and myths associated with the Erechtheion Temple

Many people probably know that the capital modern Greece, according to ancient myth, got its name from the name of the ancient pagan goddess. She argued with Poseidon for the right to patronize the ancient Greek city. In the place where Poseidon struck the ground with great force with his trident, and Pallas Athena showed the townspeople a beautiful olive tree, the Temple of the Erechtheion was built.

View of the temple from the Parthenon

However, this myth does not at all explain the origin of the name of the ancient sanctuary. More precisely, it does not explain the name of the temple, which has survived to this day. The thing is that after its construction, the temple was dedicated to Athena, and the ancient townspeople called it “the temple in which the ancient, majestic statue of the patroness of the city is kept.” Only after Athens became part of the Great Roman Empire did the temple begin to be called, as it is now, the Erechtheion.

Modern historians cannot explain what caused the change in the name of the temple. However, there is another myth that at least somehow “sheds light” on the question: “Why ancient temple, dedicated to the goddess Athena, began to be called Erechtheion? The legend, which most likely appeared already under the Romans, tells a rather confusing story about the heroes Erechtheus and Erichthonius. True, it is not entirely clear whether these are two heroes, or one who simply had more than one name. This is where historians cannot come to a common opinion: one part of them says that the temple was built in honor of Erichthonius, and the other part claims that Erechtheus was the son of the brave Erichthonius and himself accomplished many feats, and it was in his honor that the temple was named.

View of the Ionic colonnade

These versions are so confusing and so implausible that there is no point in going deeper into them. It is much easier to explain the name of the Temple of Erechtheion with another ancient myth that appeared in Athens long before “Roman times”.

An ancient myth says that the temple was named after the king of Athens, Erichthonius, who was not a man. He was the fruit of the love of the “hardworking” god Hephaestus and Gaia. The gods, as is known from ancient Greek myths, “had no time for raising children.” Therefore, Athena (!) gave the baby, locked in a casket (!), to the three daughters of Cecrops and, at the same time, forbade them to look inside. How the child was supposed to grow in the casket remains a mystery, but the two girls could not stand it and, nevertheless, opened the lock. They saw inside the casket handed over by Athena, a charming baby from whom divine light emanated, and his peace was guarded by two snakes. From the sight that opened, the two sisters lost their minds and, running to the edge of the rock of the Acropolis, rushed down. Erichthonius quickly grew up and began to rule ancient Athens. This myth provides the most reliable explanation for the origin of the name of the temple. In addition, in the temple itself there was once the grave of the king, and in its western part, very close to the altar of the god of the sea element Poseidon, there was a small sanctuary of the ruler of the city.

View of the southern facade of the temple

Construction of the Erechtheion Temple

There are documents that clearly define the time period during which the Erechtheion Temple was built. Its construction began almost immediately after the death of the great Pericles in 421 BC. The magnificent building on the Acropolis was completely completed by 406 BC. As is known from ancient history, it was then that the so-called period of decline of the once powerful and influential Athens began.

As mentioned above, the Temple of the Erechtheion was built on the site where in ancient times Poseidon and the beautiful Athena argued with each other. In the rebuilt temple there was an altar of the ruler water element, there are descriptions according to which we can conclude: on one of the internal walls there was a giant crack left by the trident of Poseidon, and in addition, in the Erechtheion the priests could see a well with sea ​​water. This well was built on the spot where a salty spring came out of the ground, which Poseidon showed to the Athenians. Right in front of the temple grew an olive tree, the same one with which Pallas Athena surprised King Cecrops and the Athenians. According to legend, even before the construction of the temple began, the tree was burned in 480 BC, but it miraculously reappeared and decorated the entrance to the Temple.

View of the portico of the caryatid

It is also interesting that the architect, whose name is unknown, developed a plan for the Temple of the Erechtheion, built in the Ionic style, in such a way that the place where Poseidon struck with his trident was under open air. According to myth, the gods forbade covering this place.

It is worth noting that the unknown architect and numerous builders involved in the construction of the Erechtheion Temple had to put in a lot of effort to ensure that the building was stable. The thing is that the temple is multi-level; this fact does not speak of the genius of the architect, but most likely is proof that the ancient Greeks did not have the technology to compare rocky terrain.

The Erechtheion Temple differed from many other temples not only in that only priests had access to it, but also in that it had two entrances. One of them led to the sanctuary of Athena, where she stood giant statue(according to eyewitnesses of that distant time, made of wood), and the second, to the sanctuaries of Erechtheus and Poseidon. It is also surprising that the Erechtheion was built on a “sacred” place. Before the work began, sanctuaries and other temples stood here, but over time they were destroyed or simply destroyed by robbers.

Caryatids

Architecture and history of the Erechtheion temple

The ancient temple, which opened for the Athenian priests back in 406 BC, stands on a foundation measuring 23.5 x 11.6 meters. Its popularity among tourists is due to the fact that each of its facades is unique in its own way. This is explained by the fact that more than one pagan god and more than one Athenian king were glorified in the temple. At the western facade of the Erechtheion Temple there is (more correctly, there was) the grave of King Kekropos, who was a snake man.

On the side of the western façade grew the very famous olive tree that Pallas Athena showed. Moreover, it is growing and at the moment, however, it no longer has divine origin: it was planted by restorers at the beginning of the 20th century.

Even today you can see the portico of the caryatids, known to any connoisseur of historical and architectural monuments. Without exception, all the guides leading their groups among the ruins of the ancient temple say that this particular portico is the most important attraction of the Erechtheion. Six sculptures of beautiful girls support the ceiling. Many modern sculptors say that the caryatids were made on such high level, that it seems as if at any moment a strong maiden, two meters and thirty centimeters tall, will step off the plinth.

Coffered ceiling of the north portico

Alas, the girls’ hands were destroyed, but historians still managed to find out what they looked like in the distant past! A find in... Italy helped them with this. At Hadrian's Villa, we managed to find copies of strong maidens supporting the ceiling of the portico! It turns out that with one hand they supported their clothes, and in the other hand they held the so-called sacrificial jug - a vial. By the way, not all six caryatids are genuine; one of them is a “fake”, more precisely, a copy made by restorers. The original was stolen by an Englishman back in the 19th century, who came to Athens to profit from ancient relics.

The Erechtheion Temple is another confirmation of the genius of ancient Greek sculptors, who managed to create a truly fantastic ensemble of lace, statues and friezes from precious marble. Much of this ensemble has been irretrievably lost, but this does not make the Erechtheion lose its attractiveness and you can always meet a huge number of tourists near it. Like the Temple of Hephaestus, this building is considered one of the best preserved in Athens. By the way, it was preserved thanks to the Christians who made the Erechtheion their church, and the Turkish Khan, who decided to turn the ancient Greek temple... into a harem, where his beautiful wives and slaves lived in luxury.

North portico of the temple

There is information that in the very near future the third restoration of the Erechtheion Temple will be carried out (the first from 1837 to 1847; the second from 1902 to 1909). A tourist who goes to Greece to get acquainted with the most ancient monuments will not be amiss to know that entrance to them is paid. However, the ticket price is low, and children and teenagers can learn about history Ancient Greece, about the rise and fall of Athens, completely free.

ABSTRACT

on world artistic culture

on the topic: “Temple Erechtheion“

students of grade 10 "b"

high school №53

village October

Chubarova Elena.

Erechtheion Erechtheion- Temple of Athena and Poseidon-Erechtheus on the Acropolis in Athens.

The stone caryatids of the Erechtheion supporting the roof of the temple are probably the most common symbol of the Athenian Acropolis today. This is a completely unique monument that has no analogues in ancient Greek architecture.

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 is, rather, a priestly temple. The main religious sacraments associated with the worship of Athena were performed here, and an ancient statue of this goddess was kept here.

The temple was the sacred center of Athens and 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 one could see the mark left by Poseidon's trident on a rock during a dispute with Athena. Since this shrine was always supposed to be in the open air, holes were made in the ceiling of the portico, which are still preserved. Nearby was 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 ancient legendary king and hero of Athens, the patron saint of the city - Erechtheus, after whom the temple received its name. Initially, the Erechtheion was called the temple of Athena Polyada (the patroness of the city), or the temple “guarding the ancient statue.” Only in Roman time The name of one of its parts, the Erechtheion, extended to the entire building.

As the ancient myth tells, Erichthonius was the son of the earth goddess Gaia and Hephaestus. As a baby, the goddess Athena took him in to raise him and gave him in a closed casket to the daughters of the first king of Attica, Cecrops - Aglavra, Herse and Pandrossa, strictly forbidding him to open the casket. But Gersa and Aglavra, out of curiosity, still looked into the casket. At the sight of the divine baby, who was guarded by two snakes, they lost their minds and, overcome by fear and madness, threw themselves down the cliff of the Acropolis and crashed.

Having matured, Erichthonius became king of Athens. Later legends claim that Erichthonius and Erechtheus are one and the same person. According to another version, Erechtheus was the son of Erichthonius.

There are many things in the temple that remind us of the legends about 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 tall door framed with rich architraves led here from the northern portico. Next to the sanctuary of Poseidon and Erechtheus there was another sanctuary, where there were altars of the god of crafts Hephaestus and But - brother of Erechtheus, priest of the goddess Athena. Both of these sanctuaries had access to a gallery stretching along the western facade of the temple. There was a well with salt water. It was considered the very source that Poseidon created, and, according to legend, it communicated with the sea.

The construction of the existing building of the Erechtheion is associated with the beginning of the grandiose 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 shrine of the city, which, according to legend, fell from the sky. This statue was kept for a long time in an ancient temple that stood in the center of the Acropolis. When the Persians invaded Attica and captured Athens, the temple of Athena was burned, but the Greeks prudently took the shrine to the island of Salamis. After the expulsion of the Persians, the Athenians who returned to the Acropolis built a temporary temple to store the statue, adapting the surviving western part of the old temple for this purpose. And in 421 BC. Construction of the Erechtheion began. Work continued intermittently until 406 BC. Shortly after their completion, the temple was damaged by fire and rebuilt in 394 BC.

The author of the temple project is unknown. Some researchers, finding some analogies in the layout of the Erechtheion and the Propylaea, believe that it could be the Athenian architect Mnesicles. Commemorative inscriptions carved on stone slabs about the construction of the Erechtheion, found on the Acropolis, mention the names of the architects Philocles and Archilochus, but they most likely were only the leaders of the work.

The building plan is based on a rectangle measuring 23.5 by 11.6 meters. The facades of the temple are distinguished by their extraordinary diversity; on each side the Erechtheion appears in a completely new way.

This temple was a very complex building in its design. Firstly, it was located on two levels, and secondly, it had four porticoes for different purposes and four entrances, not counting the underground entrance to the room under the northern portico. Such complex plan architecture evokes the complex meaning of the temple.

The eastern and southern sides of the temple are 3.24 meters less than the western and northern ones. The temple was entirely built of marble, and the frieze was lined with dark Elchin stone, on which white marble figures stood out in relief. The doorway of the northern portico is decorated with rosettes and other carved details and is the best example of architrave surviving from the time of Pericles. Adjacent to the western end of the southern wall of the building is a small portico, Cor, in which the architrave is supported by marble caryatids, six female figures slightly larger than human height (2.1 m). On the western side, close to the Erechtheion, was the sanctuary of the nymph Pandrosa, and there, inside an open courtyard, they showed the sacred olive tree, which Athena, according to

legend, gave it to the residents of the city.

In the corner of the western façade of the Erechtheion 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-meter-high plinth, there are six statues of girls supporting the ceiling of the portico. The Caryatids of the Erechtheion are the most perfect ancient works of this kind of temple architecture. Their figures are significantly taller than human height - 2.3 meters. The left and right caryatids are mirror images of each other. The statues of caryatids are made with unsurpassed art; there is no frozen immobility in their figures, they are natural and full of life. The majestic and strong figures of the girls are dressed in loose peplos flowing in folds. Their heads are raised proudly, their faces are framed by hair falling over their shoulders and back. Caryatids stand in calm poses, leaning on one leg and slightly bending the other. Their hands were not preserved, and until relatively recently it was not known exactly what the composition originally looked like. But in 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 known 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.

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.

Time has not been kind to the portico of the caryatids, as well as the entire ensemble of the Athenian Acropolis. One of the statues was broken and stolen by the English grave digger Lord Elgin at the beginning of the 19th century. Now it is replaced by a copy. But even today, with lost hands and damaged faces, the caryatids of the Erechtheion retain their charm and are the best examples of ancient Greek sculptural art.

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. Its columns are 7.6 meters 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, since ancient times, the sacred olive tree of the goddess Athena has grown. Therefore, the western facade of the Erechtheion looks completely unusual for ancient Greek temples - it was impossible to arrange the same entrance portico here as on the eastern side. As a result, the four columns forming the western portico were raised to a base about four meters high, and the spaces between the columns were partitioned with a bronze lattice. A silver-green olive tree grows against a background of marble columns. It was planted in the 1920s in the very place where, according to the descriptions of ancient authors, a sacred tree grew, which grew from the blow of the spear of Athena.

The Erechtheion stands out among other ancient Greek temples for its unique sculptural decoration. Real marble lace frames the portals of the doors and crowns the top of the walls and porticoes of the temple with a long continuous ribbon. 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 ran along the perimeter of the entire building. It depicted various episodes from the myths of Erechtheus and other Athenian heroes. Made from white marble, the figures were sculpted separately and then attached to a background of bluish-black limestone. This unique technique created a very impressive effect, to enhance which the details of the sculptures were covered with gold. Gilding and paintings also covered the capitals of the columns. Fragments of this remarkable frieze that have survived to this day are in the Acropolis Museum.

The interior of the Erechtheion has not survived. We know what the temple looked like inside only from the writings of ancient authors. The interior space was divided into two almost equal parts by a blank wall. In the eastern part there was a sanctuary of Athena Polyada. This room could be entered from the eastern side, passing through a light six-columned portico, the height of the columns of which reached six and a half meters. Now only five columns remain on the site: the sixth was broken down and taken away by Lord Elgin.

The rocky rock of the Acropolis, which dominates the center of Athens, is the largest and most majestic ancient Greek shrine, dedicated primarily to the city's patroness, Athena.

The most important events of the ancient Hellenes are associated with this sacred place: the myths of ancient Athens, the largest religious holidays, the main religious events.
The temples of the Acropolis of Athens blend harmoniously with their natural surroundings and are unique masterpieces of ancient Greek architecture, expressing innovative styles and trends in the correlation of classical art, they have had an indelible influence on the intellectual and artistic creativity of people for many centuries.

The Acropolis of the 5th century BC is the most accurate reflection of the splendor, power and wealth of Athens at its highest peak - the "golden age". In the form in which the Acropolis appears before us now, it was erected after its destruction by the Persians in 480 BC. e. Then the Persians were completely defeated and the Athenians vowed to restore their shrines. The reconstruction of the Acropolis begins in 448 BC, after the Battle of Plataea, on the initiative of Pericles.

- Erechtheion Temple

The Myth of Erechtheus: Erechtheus was a beloved and revered king of Athens. Athens was at enmity with the city of Eleusis; during the battle, Erechtheus killed Eumollus, the leader of the Eleusinian army, and also the son of the god of the sea Poseidon himself. For this, the thunderer Zeus killed him with his lightning. The Athenians buried their beloved king and named the constellation Auriga after him. At the same place, the architect Mnesicles erected a temple named after Erichtheus.

This temple was built between 421 and 407 BC and housed the golden lamp of Callimachus. Construction of the Erechtheion did not stop even during the long Peloponnesian War.

The Erechtheion was the most sacred place of worship in Athens. The ancient inhabitants of Athens worshiped Athena, Hephaestus, Poseidon, and Kekropos (the first Athenian king) in this temple.

The entire history of the city was concentrated at this point and therefore the construction of the Erechtheon temple began in this place:

♦ in this place a dispute broke out between Athena and Poseidon over the property of the city

♦ in the northern porch of the Erechtheion temple there is a hole where, according to legend, the sacred serpent Erechtonius lived

♦ here was the grave of Kekrops

The east porch has six Ionic columns, to the north there is a monumental entrance with a decorated gate, on the south side there is a porch with six maidens, known as caryatids, who support the vault of the Erechtheion, now replaced by plaster copies. Five of the caryatids are in the new Acropolis Museum, one is in the British Museum.


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The Erechtheion (ancient Greek Ἐρέχθειον - temple of Erechtheus) is an outstanding monument of ancient Greek architecture, one of the main temples of ancient Athens, located on the Athenian Acropolis north of the Parthenon. The construction dates back to 421-406 BC. e. Made in the Ionic order. The architect is unknown. The temple is dedicated to Athena, Poseidon and the legendary Athenian king Erechtheus.
1.


At this place there was a dispute between Athena and Poseidon for the right of patronage over Athens. Poseidon gave the Athenians a spring of water, and Athena an olive tree. The Athenians considered Athena's gift to be a more valuable gift and chose Athena. The temple is named after one of the first kings of Athens, Erechtheus, who sacrificed his daughter to the gods for the sake of Athens. His grave was located in the same temple. The mythical king Kekrop, who was the founder of the city of Athens, was also buried in the Erechtheion.
2.

Why did the ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Athena become known as the Erechtheion? An ancient myth says that the temple was named after the king of Athens, Erichthonius, who was not a man. He was the fruit of the love of the “hardworking” god Hephaestus and Gaia. The gods, as is known from ancient Greek myths, “had no time for raising children.” Therefore, Athena gave the baby, locked in a casket, to the three daughters of Cecrops and, at the same time, forbade them to look inside. How the child was supposed to grow in the casket remains a mystery, but the two girls could not stand it and, nevertheless, opened the lock. They saw inside the casket handed over by Athena, a charming baby from whom divine light emanated, and his peace was guarded by two snakes. From the sight that opened, the two sisters lost their minds and, running to the edge of the rock of the Acropolis, rushed down. Erichthonius quickly grew up and began to rule ancient Athens. This myth provides the most reliable explanation for the origin of the name of the temple. In addition, in the temple itself there was once the grave of the king, and in its western part, very close to the altar of the god of the sea element Poseidon, there was a small sanctuary of the ruler of the city.
3.

The Erechtheion Temple was intended for mysterious rites and sacrifices, which were carried out exclusively by priests who had almost unlimited power in Athens. It is for this reason that all historians are almost unanimous in the opinion that the Erechtheion, located on the Acropolis, slightly north of the Parthenon, was a sacred place for the population of Athens, in which there was a huge statue of the patroness of the city, Pallas Athena. Many tourists who come to see the sights of Greece mistakenly believe that the Temple of the Erechtheion was dedicated to the cult of the goddess Athena. There is undoubtedly some truth in this, however, according to some documents, chronicles and descriptions that have survived to this day, as well as according to the results of archaeological excavations, a certain conclusion can be drawn: in the temple, the priests brought gifts not only to Athena, but also to Poseidon and himself Erechtheion.
4.

The Erechtheion was also conceived during the grandiose construction project started by Pericles. However, due to the Peloponnesian War, construction began only in 421 BC. after the Peace of Nicaea. Then it was interrupted and resumed in 406 BC. architect Philocles. The Erechtheion Temple differed from many other temples not only in that only priests had access to it, but also in that it had two entrances. One of them led to the sanctuary of Athena, where her gigantic statue stood (according to eyewitnesses of that distant time, made of wood), and the second, to the sanctuaries of Erechtheus and Poseidon.
5.

It is worth noting that the unknown architect and numerous builders involved in the construction of the Erechtheion Temple had to put in a lot of effort to ensure that the building was stable. The thing is that the temple is multi-level; this fact does not speak of the genius of the architect, but most likely is proof that the ancient Greeks did not have the technology to compare rocky terrain. The temple stands on a foundation measuring 23.5 x 11.6 meters.
6. The wall is made of light dark blocks. According to our guide, the dark blocks are the remains of the temple. And light, new ones to finish building the wall.

In the rebuilt temple there was an altar of the lord of the water element; there are descriptions according to which one can conclude: on one of the internal walls there was a giant crack left by the trident of Poseidon, and in addition, in the Erechtheion the priests could see a well with sea water. This well was built on the spot where a salty spring came out of the ground, which Poseidon showed to the Athenians. Right in front of the temple grew an olive tree, the same one with which Pallas Athena surprised King Cecrops and the Athenians. According to legend, even before the construction of the temple began, the tree was burned in 480 BC, but it miraculously reappeared and decorated the entrance to the Temple. It is also interesting that the architect, whose name is unknown, developed the plan for the Temple of the Erechtheion, built in the Ionic style, in such a way that the place where Poseidon struck with his trident was in the open air. According to myth, the gods forbade covering this place.
7.

The internal structure of this wonderful temple is not known, because most of it was destroyed in the 7th century, when the Erechtheion was converted into christian temple. The eastern gallery of the temple was decorated with six Ionic columns and led to the part of the temple that was dedicated to Athena. Above the three-stage Ionic architrave was a frieze of Eleusinian marble, on which were reliefs in white marble. Unfortunately, those fragments that have survived are not able to help restore the overall picture that they represented.
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9. Interesting. How could such a small room house a whole harem?

In the marble cella there was a wooden statue of the goddess Athena, which was made from the sacred olive tree. The Athenians believed that this statue was carved not by a human, but by the divine hand of one of the Olympian gods, to honor the city of Cecrops. During the Panathenaic celebrations, this statue was dressed in peplos - a mantle that was woven by young priestesses, servants of the temple. In front of the statue of the goddess burned an unquenchable golden lamp, whose smoke rose high into the sky through a palm trunk.
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11.

The cella of the temple of Athena did not communicate with the western part of the Erechtheion, dedicated to Poseidon and Erechtheus. This section of the temple was three meters lower than the part of the temple dedicated to Athena, and was divided into two parts.
12.

In the eastern part, Poseidon and Erechtheus were worshiped, here was the altar of Hephaestus and the hero Vut, and down went underground passage, leading to the habitat of the sacred Acropolis snake, to which sacrifices were made every year.
13.

The western part of the temple was called the “foremouth” and was identified with the Erechthean Sea, or the spring of water that Poseidon knocked out during a dispute with Athena.
14.

The northern portico of the temple consisted of four columns on the facade and two end columns, and was decorated with stucco. There was a hole on its ceiling that was never repaired, because people believed that Zeus himself pierced it with a strike of his lightning. There was also a hole in the floor to which pilgrims brought libation gifts to Zeus.
15.

In Byzantine times, a Christian temple in the name of the Mother of God was built in the Erechtheion.
16. Recovery never stops.

After the city was captured by the Turks, the Erechtheion was turned into a harem for the Turkish ruler of Athens. Until the 17th century, the building was in more or less decent condition.
17.

In 1687, Venetian troops, besieging Athens, caused enormous damage to the Erechtheion. 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 Erechtheion to Britain. Currently, it, together with a frieze from the collection of Lord Elgin, is in the British Museum. The temple suffered greatly in 1827, when it was destroyed during the Greek battles for independence. After the restoration of Greek independence, the fallen fragments were put back in place, but the building is still just ruins. The best preserved portico of Pandrosa is on the north side.

18.New olive. The old one has not survived.

There is information that in the very near future the third restoration of the Erechtheion Temple will be carried out (the first from 1837 to 1847; the second from 1902 to 1909).
19. View

20.Behind the temple of the Erechtheion, on the edge of the Acropolis Hill, a wall was erected.

21. And there is a hole in it. And everyone considers it their duty to look into it.

Greece is not only amazing beautiful country, whose residents are warmed by the warm, gentle sun all year round, but also the cradle of an ancient ancient civilization. It is the birthplace of democracy, the Olympic Games, the Greek gods and many classical genres of art.

In fact, this is where Western civilization was born, thousands of years before the advent of Christianity.

But the most striking attraction of the city is the Acropolis, rising in the heart of Greece - Athens.

Among all the buildings of the Acropolis, the Eirechtheon deserves special attention. It is considered one of the strangest antique buildings ever erected. More details about it below, but for now let’s talk briefly about the Acropolis.

There were acropolises in all ancient cities. This was the name of a high fortified point, decorated with temples erected in honor of the Greek gods.

But it was the Athenian Acropolis that, since ancient times, has been considered a classic example of an urban fortress in the Hellenic world.


The entire complex of Acropolis structures is located on a rock with a flat top, 156 meters high. People first settled here about 6 thousand years ago. In the 13th century BC e.

The Acropolis was fortified with thick stone walls, the creation of which, according to ancient Greek legends, attributed to supernatural creatures called Cyclopes.


At first, the ruler lived on the top of the rock and a number of government institutions were located. In 480 BC. The Acropolis was destroyed by the Persians. And after the victory over them, the Greeks, under the leadership of the greatest ruler of that time, Pericles, began its restoration. All the temples and statues were rebuilt, surpassing the previous ones in majesty and perfection.

It was from this moment that the Acropolis acquired an exclusively cult function. With the development of Christianity appearance The complex has undergone changes, but overall has not lost its original appearance.


Eirechtheon

Even today, the Acropolis represents the wisdom of the ancients, which was embodied in stone. The main buildings of the Acropolis are: the temple of the goddess Athena, the Temple of the goddess Nike and the palace in honor of Athena and Poseidon (Eirechtheon). The latter deserves special attention due to its versatility and unusual design.

The Erechtheion is considered one of the strangest ancient buildings ever erected. The architect of this building is still unknown.


It is with the Erechtheion that the legend about the famous dispute between the goddess of war and victory, Athena, and the god of the seas, Poseidon, is connected.

According to legend, they argued about who would be the patron of the new city - Athens, created by the mythical creature - Kekropos (who was the progenitor of all the inhabitants of Attica). It is believed that he is buried at the foot of the temple.

Athena won this dispute. It was she who gave the new city a gift - an olive tree, which to this day is a symbol of the city. Poseidon gave Athens a spring, the water of which turned out to be salty and undrinkable.

Kekrop, according to legend, had an adopted grandson, Erechtheus, who was given in a box to his daughters. They were told not to open the box. But curiosity won. A divine baby appeared before their gaze, guarded by two divine snakes.

The girls went crazy from what they saw and rushed down the cliff. It is in honor of Erechtheus that this unusual temple is named.

In fact, the entire temple is dedicated to legends about the divine origin of Athens and the choice of its patron.


The temple amazes with its splendor and unusual construction. It was built on two levels of rock and for this reason the building is completely asymmetrical.

Another uniqueness of the building lies in its four facades, unlike each other, each of which has its own separate purpose. It is from the Erechtheion that many ideas of European architecture are taken. Even more than from the Parthenon. The main value for Europeans was the asymmetry of the building.

The Erechtheion was not built all at once, but in the period from 421 to 406 BC. Such a long period of construction is associated with the Greco-Persian War. The building has two entrances, which are decorated with giant portals of doors from Greek times. Accordingly, each input has its own function.


North side of the Erechtheion

On the north side is the temple of Athena Polyada (Athena the City Ruler). Inside this part of the building was kept a wooden statue of the goddess Athena, carved from the sacred olive tree.

The ancient Hellenes believed that the gods themselves made the statue for them, so during pagan holidays it was dressed in a sacred mantle (peplos), made by the priestesses of the temple. The most important mysterious rites dedicated to the patroness of the city were also held here.


West side of the Erechtheion

On the west side there is another entrance to the building. It is represented by semi-columns that do not extend from the ground itself.

And if in the Parthenon the columns really support the roof, here they have a purely decorative function. Thanks to them, throughout the entire building, if you observe it ten meters away, there is a very strange, but at the same time fascinating difference in levels.


It is here that the legendary imprint of the trident of Poseidon, who extracted a source of water for Athens, is located, and the imprint of the lightning strike of Zeus, who resolved the dispute between the gods.

In the inner part of the temple, next to the altar of Poseidon, there was a sanctuary of Erechtheus. And a little further away are the altars of Hephaestus and Buta. Booth was the god of crafts and the brother of Erechtheus. Hephaestus was the patron of blacksmithing.


South side of the Erechtheion

The southern side of the Erechtheion has an interesting solution, which is a blank wall with a small side portico.

Instead of traditional columns, the roof of the portico is supported by female figures. If you look closely, you will notice that the left and right caryatids (these statues received this name already in Byzantine times in honor of the unusually beautiful women of the city of Caria) are a mirror image of each other.


The statues are simply a masterpiece of architectural art. It seems that the girls are ready to step off their pedestal, they are so vividly and realistically executed.

The hands of the caryatids have not been preserved. And until the middle of the 19th century, scientists did not know what the complete original appearance of these magnificent maidens looked like.


But in 1852, miniature copies of them were found in England, thanks to which it turned out that in one hand there was a vessel for sacrifice, and with the other the girls were holding the hem of their clothes.

Scientists suggest that the prototypes of the caryatids were the priestesses of the temple of the goddess Athena. The faces of the virgins are turned towards the road along which religious processions dedicated to the patroness of the city took place.


East side of the Erechtheion

The eastern side is also very unusual in its design.

On the eastern side, the temple is decorated with long thin columns with light decorative belts in the upper part, characteristic only of the Erechtheion. They create a striking contrast with the columns of the nearby Parthenon, which are much lower and more massive.

Therefore, we have a completely different sense of grace when visiting the Erechtheion.


The veil of medieval secrecy is revealed - this magnificent palace complex in Vienna is rightfully included in the top ten places where you want to return again and again.

Unfortunately, the interior decoration of the Erechtheion has not survived to this day, since in the 7th century they tried to transform it into a Christian temple, and therefore most of the pagan structures were destroyed or taken away.

Thus, this small structure united several sanctuaries dedicated to the ancient ancient gods and heroes of the Greek epic.


Useful information for tourists

All buildings of the Acropolis, including the Erechtheion, have magnificent evening lighting. Therefore, if you visit this attraction in the evening, you will have a great opportunity to take very impressive photos.

Today, some of the elements of the Erechtheion, including the caryatids, have been replaced by copies. You can see the originals in the Acropolis Museum.

How to get to the Erechtheion

The easiest way to get to the Acropolis is by metro. This can be done from almost any part of the city. The station is located on the red line and bears the same name. To make it easier to navigate, keep in mind that this is the next station after Syntagma.

If you have enough time and are in the center of Athens, take a walk. If you go straight and don’t turn anywhere along the large pedestrian street called Dionysiou Areopagitou, you will inevitably come straight to the Acropolis.

Opening hours and prices

The entrance fee to the Acropolis is 12 euros. Visiting hours depend on the time of year and day of the week:

  • Summer period: from 8.00 to 19.30. On Monday from 11.00 to 19.30.
  • Winter period: from 8.00 to 15.30. seven days a week.