Dublin Core
Title
Erechtheion: Portico of the Caryatids (Athens, Greece)
Subject
Erechtheion (Athens, Greece)
Acropolis (Athens, Greece)
Temples, Greek--Greece
Ancient Greek religion
Athens (Greece)
Attikē (Greece)
Greece--History--Athenian supremacy, 479-431 B.C.
Age of Pericles
Pericles, 495-429 B.C.
Description
This photograph captures the southern portico of the Erectheion and its famous Caryatid columns.. The whole complex was dedicated to the gods Athena and Poseidon, and named after the legendary king of Athens, Erectheus. This temple commemorated the mythic battle for patronage of the city. According to myth, both Athena and Poseidon wanted to claim the city, so a contest was held to determine which of the two gods would be victorious. Each god had to give a gift to the people, and after careful considering, the people, themselves, would choose their own patron. Poseidon famously provided the people with a saltwater pool, while Athena gave the people what would become the basis of their commercial economy, the olive tree. Athena was chosen as the winner and the city named after her. Although in existence since the Bronze Age, the individual buildings that originally constituted what became the Erectheion were consolidated and enlarged by the building program of Pericles. Construction on the renovated Erechteion began in 421 BCE and lasted until it was dedicated in 406 BCE. Contrary to popular belief, the Parthenon (just south of the Erectheion) was not the most important religious sanctuary in Athens; it was the Erechtheion.
Creator
Proctor, Christopher
Date
29-May-2007
Rights
Noncommercial Reuse: The author of this work gives permission for this digital image to be reused
without modification for research and educative endeavors. Please cite the digital resource according to the convention provided by Omeka.
without modification for research and educative endeavors. Please cite the digital resource according to the convention provided by Omeka.
Format
image/jpg
516 KB
1280 x 960 pixels
72 PPI
Language
English
Type
Still Image
Identifier
CG0007
Coverage
Attikē (Greece)
Greece--History--Athenian supremacy, 479-431 B.C.