CRUISE (5): The Erechtheion, Acropolis, Greece

This temple was my favourite on the whole of the Acropolis site. It has been comparatively well-preserved and the statues are beautiful close up.

On the north side of the Acropolis stands the Erechtheion, which takes its name from Erechtheus, mythical king and hero of Athens. This is the most sacred space on the Acropolis, which hosted the cults of many deities such as Gaia and Poseidon. 

Construction of the temple began in 421 BC and completed 15 years later by the architect Philokles.

The most original and wonderful architectural creation of the Erechtheion is the porch of the Korai, situated on its south side. It is better known as the porch of the Karyatids, which name has prevailed since Roman times, perhaps because the beauty of the female figures recalls that of maidens of the city of Karyai in Laconia, who performed ritual dances in honour of Artemis.

You can see the Karyatids (the six maidens) in more detail in the extras.

The last extra:
The Odeum of Herodes Atticus. The theatre.
Tiberius Claudius Herodes was an extremely wealthy magnate and sophist, an Athenian citizen from the demos of Marathon, who lived in the second century AD.  In AD 161 he built the odeum in Athens in memory of his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla. The orchestra area is paved with black and white tiles of marble from Karystos on the island of Euboea. The theatre can accommodate an audience of about 5,000.

Sophist: a paid teacher of philosophy and rhetoric in Greece in the Classical and Hellenistic periods, associated in popular thought with moral scepticism and specious reasoning.


Personal note:
The lighting was sometimes difficult for photography and easy access to the various sites not possible. To take the theatre shot, I was balanced on a rock, holding someone's hand in case I slipped!


I know this post is a bit wordy, but it seemed a shame to only show the photos without just a little history and explanation.