What do the Caryatids represent?

According to a story related by the 1st-century-bc Roman architectural writer Vitruvius, caryatids represented the women of Caryae, who were doomed to hard labour because the town sided with the Persians in 480 bc during their second invasion of Greece.

What was the purpose of the Caryatids on the Erechtheion?

Caryatids are female figures that serve as the architectural support for the entablature of a building. The Greeks called these supporting figures korai, maidens.

What is unique about the Erechtheion temple on the Athenian Acropolis?

The Erechtheion is an intricate temple. It sprang from a complex plan that was designed to accommodate the radically uneven ground on the site, and to avoid disturbing sacred shrines like the altars to Poseidon (Erechtheus), and Hephaestus, or the spot where Poseidon hit the Acropolis with his trident.

What is the message of the caryatid porch of the Erechtheion?

Interestingly, the porch of the Erechtheion stands over what was believed to be the tomb of the mythical king Kekrops and perhaps the Caryatids and their libation vessels are a tribute to this fact – libations were poured into the ground as an offering to the dead during religious festivals.

What are the caryatids of the Erechtheion Temple?

The Porch of the Maidens is the most famous element of the Erechtheion, because of the caryatids. A caryatid is essentially a column that is sculpted to look like a female figure. It functions just as any other column does. The six caryatids of the Porch of the Maidens all face south.

Who was the caryatid in the Erechtheion named after?

It is named for the mythic King Erechtheus who judged the contest between Athena and Poseidon for who would be the patron deity of Athens. This caryatid is one of six elegant female figures who supported the roof of the south porch of the Erechtheion (figures who do the work of columns—carrying a roof—are called caryatids).

Where was the Erechtheion Temple in ancient Greece?

Erechtheion Temple: Architecture, Caryatids & Facts. Atop the Acropolis in Athens, Greece sits the asymmetrical Erechtheion, an ancient temple dating back to the Golden Age of Greece under the leadership of Pericles.

When was the Erechtheion built on the Acropolis?

The Erechtheion was begun in about 420BC. It was built next to an old temple which it was designed to replace. It is the youngest temple on the Acropolis. Erechtheus (or Erechthonios) is thought to have been a very ancient king of Athens, who was also thought to have been a god.