The Erechtheion, also known as the Erechtheum, is a temple located in Athens, Greece. In ancient times it served religious functions and, although the Parthenon was the most important building in the city, the Erechtheion was the structure with the greatest religious value.
It was built on the Athenian acropolis around 410 BC. C., in the golden age of the Greek city. It was built with the purpose of placing the ancient statue of the goddess Athena and, in addition, to demonstrate the power that the city had at its best.
History
After the Persian attack on Athens around 480 BC, the historical Pericles oversaw the restructuring of the city. A project was proposed that planned to incorporate a number of important new buildings into the polis.
To carry out this plan the money left over from the war, obtained from the treasury of the League of Delos, a military association led by Athens itself, which included other small Greek city-states, were used.
As a consequence of the project, the Parthenon was built and new columns were built in various temples and on the acropolis. Furthermore, in 421 a. C. began the construction of the Erecteion.
The main reason why this temple took so long to build was the war between Athens and Sparta. According to historical records, it is estimated that construction may have been completed in 406 BC. C.
Relationship with the gods
This temple was named in honor of the mythical god Erechtheus, who according to Greek mythology was king of Athens. The structure was created in order to house the famous Athena statue, which retained an important religious significance even though a new statue was erected in the newly built Parthenon.
In addition, the building served other functions in the Greek polis. The inhabitants of the city visited the temple to pay tribute and worship ancient gods belonging to ancestral cults, such as Erechtheus himself and his brothers.
Another of the main gods to whom tribute was paid in the temple was the god of the sea, Poseidon. In fact, according to Greek mythology, the temple had the marks of Poseidon's trident and a well of salt water, generated after an impact by the god.
It was also said that the serpent of Athena inhabited the temple. According to the same mythology, the serpent was fed honey cakes. When it refused to ingest them, the Greeks foresaw that disaster was coming.
Historical changes
The purpose of this structure changed over time, particularly in historical times when Greece was occupied by foreigners. In fact, a decade after its construction, the temple was damaged by fire and had to be rebuilt in 395 BC. C.
In the Byzantine period, it stopped being a Greek temple and became a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, due to the Christian influences that the invading Franks had.
After the Fourth Crusade, when the Franks founded a Crusader state in the region, the temple fulfilled the functions of a palace. During the rule of the Ottoman Empire it served as a royal house to house the Turkish commander.
The most negligent stage in the history of the building was when it was in the possession of the Ottomans. The Turkish governor used the Erechtheum as a "harem", where he had sexual relations with various women.
characteristics
The architectural characteristics of the Erechtheion have been difficult to define as a result of the changes and modifications that it has presented throughout history. In fact, its asymmetrical construction contrasts with that of the Parthenon, which is identical on both sides.
The Parthenon
The very ground on which the temple was built is a particular feature of the Erechtheion. Thanks to the inclination of the rock on which it was built, the northern part of the temple is three meters lower than the southern part.
The internal area of the temple does present a fairly defined structure. It is divided into four bedrooms; the largest of these fulfilled the function of housing the wooden statue of Athena, which was used in a religious procession every four years.
In front of the statue was a gold lamp, which was constantly lit with an asbestos wick.
The sacred serpent, believed to be the reincarnation of Erechtheus, was housed in one of the chambers on the west side and was carefully treated.
Other gods
The rest of the chambers of the temple were used to place various pieces with historical and religious significance. There was a wooden statue of the god Hermes and a chair built by the same architect who oversaw the construction of the historic Minos Labyrinth.
There was also a part of the temple dedicated to Poseidon, with a connection to the ocean that had the religious significance of being considered the "salty spring" of the god.
materials
The entire building was surrounded by a specially designed frieze, but its theme cannot be defined by all the wear and tear it was subjected to in its more than 2000 years of existence. However, it is known that it was created with a base in two types of pure marble found in the region.
The entrance and the north of the building were protected with wooden and ceramic pediments, while in the southwest there was an olive tree that was thought to be a gift from the goddess Athena.
In general, the temple was built from marble obtained from Mount Pentelic, retouched with layers of limestone-based frieze.
Its sculptures, statues and all the carving that surrounds the temple (inside and out) were painted and highlighted with bronze and glass beads of various colors.
References
- Erectheion, M. Cartwright for Ancient History Encyclopedia, December 3, 2012. Taken from ancient.eu
- Erechtheion, Greece's Ministry of Culture, (nd). Taken from culture.gr
- Erechtheion, Ancient Greece Website, (nd). Taken from ancient-greece.org
- The Erechtheion, Acropolis Museum, (nd). Taken from theacropolismuseum.gr
- Erechtheion, Wikipedia in English, March 27, 2018. Taken from wikipedia.org