The Erechtheion is an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens, dedicated to Athena and Poseidon. It has an irregular plan, because it was built on uneven ground and housed several cults, including the sacred olive tree said to have been given to Athens by Athena, and the marks of Poseidon's trident. Its best-known feature is the Porch of the Caryatids, where six sculpted female figures serve as columns. The temple was built during the Peloponnesian War, and was later used as a church and as a harem under the Ottomans. Lord Elgin removed one of the original caryatids in the early nineteenth century, now in the British Museum.
Before and after
- c. 430s BCEHerodotus writes the Histories
- c. 430 BCEBirth of Xenophon
- c. 420s BCEConstruction of Temple of Athena Nike
- 425 BCEDeath of Herodotus
- c. 421 BCEConstruction of the Erechtheion
- from 415 BCE to 413 BCESicilian Expedition
- 406 BCEDeath of Sophocles
- from 5th century BCE to 10th centuryKingdom of Aksum
- 5th century BCEOrigins of Temple of Zeus in Olympia
More in Civilizations & archaeology
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- from 8th century BCE to 3rd centuryClassical antiquity
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- 200 BCEOrigins of Nazca Lines
- 19 BCEConstruction of Western Wall
- from 375 CE to 568 CEMigration Period
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 5th century BCE.