A catalogue of sculpture in the Department of ... - Warburg Institute

THE ERECHTHEION. 231406.1. Cover from panel of lacunar of the Theseion. ElginColl.Height, 10^ inches; breadth, lOJ inches. Syno2)sis, No. 365 (243);Stuart, III., ch. I., pi. 8, fig. 2.2. Similar to last.Height, lOJ inches ; breadth, 9| inches. Synopsis, No. 367 (254)Stuart, HI., ch. I., pi. 8, fig. 2.THE ERECHTHEION.The Erechtheion is an Ionic temple of a peculiar form,which stands near the north side of the Acropolis ofAthens. It embodies in a structure of the end of thefifth century the shrines about which the Athenian religionhad centred from time immemorial, and to this factthe anomalous character of the plan must be ascribed.The building consisted of a central cella divided intothree portions, and having a portico of six columns at theeast end ; a porch of six columns at the north-westcorner ; and a porch of Caryatids at the south-west. Itwas built of Pentelic marble, with the exception of thefrieze, which had a ground of dark Eleusinian marble.The temple is known to liave been incomplete in409 B.C. At this time a minute survey of the buildingwas made, by order of the Assembly, and the result wasrecorded in an inscription which is now in the BritishMuseum. (C. I. G. 160; Newton & Hicks, Greek Inscriptionsin Brit. Mus., xxxv.).The east half of the building was devoted toAthen^Polias, whose archaic statue was placed in it.The remainder of the building was associated with thecults of Poseidon, Erochthous, Pandrosos, and others.The arrangement has been a subject of much controversy.The passage at the west of the cella probably containedaltars of Poseidon (with Erechtheus), of Boutes, and of