Erechtheion: Eastern Views (Athens, Greece)

CG0009.jpg

Dublin Core

Title

Erechtheion: Eastern Views (Athens, Greece)

Subject

Erechtheion (Athens, Greece)
Athena (Greek deity)
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 eastern sanctuary of the Erectheion. 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.

This eastern portion of the temple complex was dedicated to Athena Polias, the manifestation of the goddess as the patron of the city.

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.

Format

image/jpg
474 KB
1280 x 960 pixels
72 PPI

Language

English

Type

Still Image

Identifier

CG0009

Coverage

Attikē (Greece)
Greece--History--Athenian supremacy, 479-431 B.C.