Erechtheion Athens Acropolis olive tree Athens. Erechtheion Temple in Athens: history of creation

It stretches 114 km, more than half of which are beaches. Almost all beaches of Kos have a “Blue Flag” for the exceptional purity and beauty of the sea water. On the northern coast, the beaches are more exposed to winds and are especially popular with windsurfers. On the south side there are quieter areas protected from the winds. For those who like to sunbathe naked, there is a nudist area in the village of Tigaki.

The most famous beaches of Kos

Tigaki

Tigaki Beach lies relatively close to the town of Kos, just 11 km from the capital, on the northern coast of the island. The long strip of sand stretches for 10 km, covering vast expanses of white sand. Colorful sun loungers and umbrellas line the coastline, while beautiful scenery provides a combination of flowers and greenery that surround the coast. Thanks to the excellent organization and crystal clean sea The beach has been awarded the Blue Flag more than once. The shallow waters at Tigaki make this sandy beach ideal for small children and those who are not comfortable in the water. Windsurfers love this place because there are good waves in the open sea, and if you have never windsurfed before but have been wanting to try, there is a training center on the beach.

Marmari

The small fishing village of Marmari is located 15 kilometers west of the city of Kos, on the northern coast of the island, 4 kilometers north of the village of Pyli. Its long sandy beach, sometimes turning into dunes, is very popular and attracts many tourists due to its proximity to the capital and incredibly beautiful scenery. Here you will find everything you need for a great holiday - umbrellas, sun loungers, water activities, beach volleyball and football courts, as well as taverns and restaurants where you can dine at very affordable prices.

Mastichari

Mastichari Beach is located 27 km south of Kos Town and 3 km northwest of Antimachia. Snow-white sand and emerald waters give this place a tropical exoticism. In the center of the beach you will find many sun loungers and umbrellas, as well as several aquatic species sports. Mastichari is especially popular among windsurfing fans - here you can catch a good wave. A long line of trees line the beach and provide excellent shade on the sand. The village is located around a natural bay and offers many amenities for tourists - apartments and hotels, restaurants, cafes and shops. And from the small port of the village there are daily flights to the island of Kalymnos. Mastichari is famous for its fresh fish; many fishermen have their own fishing bases here, which means that everything served on the table in local taverns was caught in the morning. Many tourists claim that Mastichari has the best beach and the best sea on the island.

Thermal beach

The thermal beach is 8 km from the Psalidi area and about 10 km from Kos Town. This is one of the most unusual places to visit on the island. Small sandy beach surrounded steep cliffs. The thermal beach is famous for its hot springs that come out into the sea directly from the mountains. The bathing area is a natural pool surrounded by large stones where hot water mixes with sea water. It is an ideal place to relax your mind and body, and is a good therapy for those suffering from various ailments. Hot springs are a real treasure trove of microelements, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur and chlorine. Water is perfect for treating rheumatism, arthritis and any gynecological diseases.

Kefalos

Kefalos has popular beaches, 40 km west of Kos Town. They are surrounded by a lot of greenery, the water here is cold and crystal clear. Kefalos is located around a natural bay and hosts every year large number tourists. Along the promenade you will find many taverns offering fresh fish, as well as cafes with great view at sea. In addition, in Kefalos, literally right here on the beach, you can touch the ruins of ancient temples or, if you are a good swimmer, visit the most famous island of Kos - Kastri, and there, making a wish, ring the bell of the small church of Agios Nikolaos.

Paradise Beach

Paradise Beach is one of the most popular beaches on the island of Kos, located 30 km from Kos Town and 7 km from Kefalos. It lives up to its name: the combination of white sand and crystal clear turquoise water attracts many tourists here. It is worth visiting this beach if only for the famous air bubbles formed by the volcano on the neighboring island of Nisyros - they rise from the bottom of the sea. The beach is equipped with umbrellas, sun loungers, and there is a Water sports center. There are also numerous taverns serving fresh fish and Greek cuisine. Even local residents go to Paradise Beach as soon as possible.

Kardamena

Kardamena Beach is perhaps one of the best places for swimming and sunbathing on the island. It is located 30 km southwest of Kos town. The beach is covered with soft sand and extends for a full 3 km to the seaport. Its beautiful crystal clear waters and well-developed infrastructure attract many visitors, and its fine sand and shallow waters are perfect for children. Kardamena is the most "touristy" part of Kos, and although the narrow stretch of sand to the west of town is too close to main road, this is a quieter place, as the beach becomes noisier and more crowded closer to the city. Kardamena lives a rich cultural life, you definitely won’t get bored here - every summer the town hosts the Alasarnia festival, as well as many other events: theatrical performances, concerts, art exhibitions, folk dances, scientific and practical conferences and performances, cycling competitions , chess and a fun “sea week”.

Lambie

Lambi Beach is located 4 km northwest of Kos Town and is over a thousand meters long. It's easy to get here from the island's capital with a rented bicycle. Lambi is ideal for those looking for a quiet beach to spend the day in privacy.

Psalidi

The beautiful beach of Psalidi is located just 3 km east of Kos town, on the road leading to Agios Fokas and the thermal baths. This long, organized beach consists of sand and pebbles and is lined with many luxury hotels and inns. It can be windy here (not like Mastichari or even Tigaki, but still), so it is ideal for windsurfing. In summer you can see large groups of surfers here almost every day. There is also a large diving center on the beach, and nearby you can try Greek cuisine and fresh fish in cozy taverns. A little further from Psalidi you can also find the pebble beach of Agios Fokas - a great place for romantic walks.

The Erechtheion is another ancient temples- a monument of ancient Greek architecture. It is also part of the ensemble of the Athenian Acropolis and is located north of the Parthenon. It was built in 421 - 406 BC. Basic distinctive feature The Erechtheion is the application of the Ionic order in architecture.

The word "Erechtheion" means "temple of Erechtheus". This small temple of a very elegant and airy design was erected in honor of the supreme goddess Athena, the god of the seas Poseidon and King Erechtheus, who ruled Athens at that time.

Temple architecture.

During the Peace of Nikiev, another temple was erected on the Acropolis. Opposite the northern colonnade, like a bright star burning, illuminated by the sun south wall Erechtheion. At the edge of the wall, six marble maidens support the ceiling. This is the famous “Porticus of the Caryatids”.

The caryatids are made in the form of girls with burdens on their heads. They are tall and slender, but absolutely all the same - their figures lack the freedom inherent in the brilliant creations of the sculptor Phidias. It is in the monotony of the sculptures that the viewer feels passivity and submission to external force.

The Erechtheion is located exactly in the place where the rock of the Acropolis drops sharply to the north - westward. Due to the peculiarities of the relief, the portico on the north side is higher than on the east. The large northern portico protrudes further than the eastern one, and this balances the building and makes it picturesque and unique.

During the time of the sculptor Phidias, Doric columns were common in antiquity, characterized by greater heaviness and monumental outlines. But already from the end of the 5th century BC in Athens they preferred the Ionic order when building columns.

The cult significance of the temple.

The northern portico leads to the sanctuary of the goddess Athena - where the wooden statue that supposedly fell from the sky was kept. From the sanctuary of Athena, a door led into a small courtyard where one olive tree grew, the only one on the entire Acropolis. It was at this place that Athena allegedly performed her miracle, and the tree is that same sacred olive.

The eastern portico led to the sanctuary of the god of the seas - Poseidon, where three grooves could be seen, which were supposedly traces of the trident of the Lord of Water. The Erechtheion was built on the site where, according to ancient greek mythology There was a dispute between the goddess Athena and Poseidon.

It was in this temple that the most valuable cult relics of the entire city - the polis of Athens - were kept:

  • a wooden statue of the goddess Athena that fell from the sky;
  • statue of the god Hermes;
  • a golden lamp made by Callimachus, which had the truly mystical ability to burn all the time, although oil was added to it only once a year.

History of the Erechtheion.

The history of the construction of the Erechtheion is interesting and dramatic in its own way. Its construction began in 421 BC, and the temple was completed in 406 BC, just before the collapse of the city - the polis of Athens.

The Peloponnesian War ended in 404 BC with the defeat of Athens and the destruction of the city walls and harbor. However, the Greeks considered it a shrine important for all of Ancient Hellas, so the sanctuary and all its temples were not damaged.

In the first half of the 5th century BC, Athens remained the center of science and the arts of Ancient Greece. The Hellenistic kings who followed Alexander considered themselves gods. They demanded that statues be erected in their honor in cities, at the foot of which holidays would make sacrifices.

In the 2nd century BC Ancient Greece conquered by the Romans. The conquerors realized how superior Greek culture was to their own. A century later, the Roman authorities began to take special care of the famous sanctuaries. The Romans treated Hellas' democratic past as their own prehistory.

By the end of the 4th century AD, Greece was devastated by the warlike tribes of the Visigoths, who caused great damage to the cultural heritage of antiquity. So, they destroyed the bronze statue of Athena the Warrior, simply melting it down like a piece of metal. However, the barbarians generally treated the buildings of the Athenian Acropolis with indifferent respect.

With the advent of Byzantine rule, the Erechtheion became christian temple, and this is what allowed this unique masterpiece of architecture to survive almost until the end of the 17th century. However, in 1687 the temple was seriously damaged during the siege of Athens by Venetian troops.

Subsequently, the destroyed fragments were put back in place, but since then the Erechtheion has been nothing more than ruins, because there was no talk of a full restoration of the building. Of the entire structure, the portico on the north side of the temple is the best preserved. It is by its luxurious decoration that one can judge the former splendor and majesty of the Erechtheion.

Erechtheion (Greece) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

  • Tours for May to Greece
  • Last minute tours to Greece

Previous photo Next photo

The Erechtheion Temple, located on the northern side of the Acropolis, is one of the main temples of ancient Athens. It was built in 421-406. BC e. and is rightfully considered one of the most valuable architectural monuments in the Greek capital.

According to ancient Greek myth, the goddess Athena had fierce disputes with Poseidon about who should rule and rule in Athens. In the very place where Poseidon struck with his trident in anger, and Pallas Athena showed the olive tree to the Athenians, the Erechtheion was built.

The olive tree at the western façade of the temple still grows today, although it was no longer planted ancient greek gods, and restorers at the beginning of the 20th century.

Historians and researchers have had many questions about why the temple, dedicated to the goddess Athena, is called Erechtheion, which literally means “temple of Erechtheus”. The most popular legend tells that in ancient times there was a salt spring in the temple, which Poseidon carved out of the rock with his trident. In the temple itself there was kept a wooden statue of Athena, which fell here from heaven, a golden lamp made by Callimachus, a statue of Hermes, as well as an altar of the god of crafts Hephaestus. Among other things, the mythical king of Athens Erechtheus was buried here, and the temple was named in his honor.

There are no traces of these valuable artifacts left, and it is not even known whether they actually existed, but to this day, near the western facade of the temple you can see the tomb of the first king of Attica, Cecrops, the son of Erechtheus.

What to see

The Erechtheion is not like the others ancient greek temples- due to its small size and unusual asymmetry, it rather resembles a residential building. The asymmetry of the building is primarily due to the uneven terrain of the land, as well as the abundance of sanctuaries that were located here in ancient times.

The temple itself was built in the Ionic style and had two main entrances, from the north and east, which were marked by small porticoes on Ionic columns. The doorway of the northern portico is decorated with rosettes and other carved details, and today it is one of the best preserved examples of architrave from the time of Pericles. The eastern part of the Erechtheion was dedicated to the goddess Pallas Athena, and the western part to Poseidon.

During the reign of Byzantium, a Christian chapel was built in the Erechtheion, which stood in good condition until the 17th century. But in 1687, during an attack by the troops of Venice, the temple was very badly damaged and has since been in ruins.

The architrave is supported by caryatids - six marble female figures, each 2.10 m high, the main attraction of the Erechtheion. Today, all six caryatids have been replaced with exact copies, and the originals have been sent to museums. Five caryatids are kept in the Acropolis Museum, and one in the British Museum.

The entire architectural structure was surrounded by a frieze with overhead figures, which has not survived to this day. The found debris is also kept in the Acropolis Museum. Nothing has survived from the interior decoration of Echterion, so one can only guess how luxurious it was.

Erechtheion included in the list World Heritage UNESCO and open to tourists.

Practical information

Address: Athens, Acropolis.

Opening hours:

  • in summer: from 8:00 to 20:00 (last entry at 19:30), on Fridays - until 22:00;
  • in winter (November 1 - March 31): Monday to Thursday - from 9:00 to 17:00, on Fridays - from 9:00 to 22:00, on weekends - from 9:00 to 20:00.

Entrance: single ticket for visiting the Acropolis - 20 EUR. Prices on the page are as of September 2018.

Every stone in sunny Greece can tell its story to an interested listener. Myths, legends and heroes are firmly intertwined in this beautiful ancient country.

Capital of Greece

Tourists visiting Greece do not ignore its beautiful capital - Athens. The ancient city amazes with its subtle beauty, snow-white beaches and architectural monuments that everyone read about in their school years.

What is the Erechtheion?

Tourists often ask this question, but city residents know exactly the answer. The Erechtheion Temple was an amazing fusion of several Greek cults. According to historical facts, the Greeks built their temples and sanctuaries for one of the figures of the pantheon of gods. The most revered were Athena and Zeus. Monumental churches were built in their honor, colorful celebrations and processions were held.

Ancient architects, creating the Acropolis and the Erechtheion temple, made it their main treasure. Even now it is the best preserved of all those presented on the hill. Its value for scientists lies in the fact that the Erechtheion temple was not intended to be visited ordinary people. Only clergy had the right to enter there, and inside the temple there were three sanctuaries dedicated to Athena, Poseidon and King Erechtheus.

Erechtheion: description of the temple

The unification of several cults in itself made the temple unique in its kind. Neither before nor after the Hellenes built such monumental structures.

At the site where the sanctuary was built, there was previously another temple, which was completely destroyed and burned by the Persians during the Greco-Persian War. By order of the great Pericles, the foundation of a new temple complex. The construction itself began after the death of Pericles and, according to some sources, lasted more than fifteen years. The architect of the temple is considered to be the Greek Mnesicles. Although historians cannot reach a unanimous opinion on this issue. The architect had to show all his talents to design and build this miracle of architectural thought.

The soil on which the Erechtheion temple stands has significant differences in elevation. Therefore, the building is located on several levels at once. This ingenious discovery of Mnesicles fit perfectly into the concept of the temple complex - serving several religious cults.

During construction, the Hellenes used snow-white Pentelic marble and dark stone to decorate the frieze. The sunlight brilliantly illuminated the amazing marble carvings surrounding the façade of the temple. The architect applied completely new solutions to the temple colonnade. According to the tradition of the Greeks, temples were decorated on all sides with massive columns. During the construction of the Erechtheion, this tradition was abandoned. It was surrounded on three sides by beautiful porticoes, each differing from the other in its style and size. Some scholars suggest that there was a fourth portico. But archaeologists have never found evidence of this.

What did the temple look like?

Now it is quite difficult to imagine what the temple looked like immediately after construction was completed. Although authoritative historians in scientific circles claim that the Erechtheion temple was never completed. They believe that during the construction process the original plan was changed and simplified several times. Due to the protracted Peloponnesian War, the Greeks were in a hurry to complete the costly construction and left some parts of the sanctuary unfinished. Despite these assumptions, our contemporaries were able to make a description of it. The plan of the Erechtheion temple has been recreated in sufficient detail.

The total area of ​​the temple is almost three hundred square meters. And this does not take into account the porticoes framing the sanctuary! The temple was divided into three wings, each of which had a separate roof and was dedicated to its own deity.

The eastern part belonged entirely to Pallas Athena, the guardian of the ancient city. Its facade was adjacent to six columns, the height of which was about six and a half meters. In this part of the Erechtheion temple there was a beautiful statue of the goddess, illuminated day and night by the light of a golden lamp. It should be noted that it itself is of considerable interest to scientists. Its creator, Callimachus, invented a special design that made it possible to add oil to the lamp only once a year. This amount was enough for exactly three hundred and sixty-five days.

The northern wing could be entered through the main door of the temple. The entrance was framed by four richly decorated marble columns.

The western wing was framed by four semi-columns, overlooking a magnificent façade with frescoes. The entire facade was decorated along the perimeter with marble carvings with images of three Attic deities. Four tall window openings fit perfectly into the proportions of the west wing and complemented this magnificent ensemble.

Adjoining the southern part of the Erechtheion temple was the Pandroseion portico, which has been perfectly preserved to this day. It was named in honor of one of the daughters of Kekrops, a half-man, half-snake. The townspeople revered him as the founder of Athens. The portico was devoid of columns; it was supported by four graceful sculptures of caryatid girls. The Caryatids of the Erechtheion Temple represented an innovative technique in world architecture. For the first time in history, the Greeks used sculptures to support load-bearing structures. Subsequently, architects all over the world began to use this technique in their works. The Caryatids still amaze tourists with their magnificent execution: every facial feature and piece of clothing is carved from white marble with the greatest skill and authenticity.

Now there are exact copies of these sculptures on the Acropolis. The originals can be seen in the Acropolis Museum. There are also fragments of bas-reliefs from the facade of the Erechtheion temple. One of the caryatids was secretly taken by an English lord to his homeland and is now on display in the British Museum.

There were sanctuaries in all parts of the temple. The main ones were dedicated to Athena, Poseidon and Erechtheus. War trophies and relics, strictly revered by the Athenians, were kept on the territory of the Erechtheion.

Legends and myths of the ancient sanctuary

What was it really famous temple Erechtheion in Athens? History has carefully presented legends that are closely intertwined with each other.

According to one of them, the temple was erected on the site of a dispute between Athena and Poseidon. Two deities were arguing about who would protect beautiful city. For a long time they were unable to resolve this issue. The townspeople offered the obstinate gods to give the city a gift. The one whose gift will be the most useful will be recognized as the patron of the city. Poseidon split the hill with a blow of his trident, and brought down a stream of sea water on the city. Athena, in turn, grew an olive tree, which later became a symbol of Greece. The townspeople gave primacy to the goddess of wisdom, and in honor of this dispute they erected the Erechtheion temple. The Hellenes still show tourists one of the walls of the structure, on which there is a deep mark left by the trident of the god of the seas.

King Erechtheus occupies a special place in Greek history. Under his imperious hand, Athens achieved the highest prosperity, and the cult of the goddess acquired unprecedented influence throughout Greece. After the death of the legendary Erechtheus, they buried him on the territory of the temple and created a sanctuary.

It was believed that inside the Erechtheion temple there was a cave where the serpent of the goddess Athena lived. The priestesses of the cult always monitored the mood of this serpent. If he refused the food brought, then the city was promised serious troubles. According to some Greek myths the snake was the embodiment of the legendary king.

Inside the temple there is a well with salt water. The Greeks say that it was this water that poured out of the rock during the dispute between Poseidon and Athena. This well was especially protected and revered by the cult of Poseidon. It was believed that until the water in the well dried up, Athens would receive the protection not only of its goddess, but also of the controversial Poseidon. All these are, of course, funny legends. But scientists still cannot explain the origin of the salty sea water on the high hill of the Acropolis. She was exposed various studies and laboratory tests. Proven to be true sea ​​water, which could not possibly end up in the well. Moreover, the water level virtually always remains the same.

Destruction of the Erechtheion Temple

The decline of Hellenic civilization practically destroyed this amazing architectural monument. Until the seventeenth century, it suffered only minor destruction, but the barbaric actions of the Venetians changed its appearance beyond recognition.

For many years rituals were celebrated in the temple Christian priests, and the Turks who came later made it a harem for the Sultan’s wives.

Despite this, archaeologists managed to find quite a lot of valuable artifacts during excavations, which are now on display for tourists in the Acropolis Museum.

Greece gave the world the greatest architectural monuments, which tourists from all over the world strive to see. The Acropolis is recognized as the most beautiful heritage of Greece, the Erechtheion temple has become a rare pearl, which serves as the best decoration of this monument to the Hellenic civilization.

The Acropolis is one of the three hills on which it was located ancient city Athens. At its top there is a steep stone cliff suitable for the construction of a fortification. Here the Athenians built a fortress back in the Mycenaean period.

Inside the powerful walls was the home of the first Athenian kings. Here, in the northern part of the Acropolis, the townspeople erected a temple adjacent to the rulers’ home, dedicated to the goddess Athena, the patroness of the city, where the sacred gifts of the gods were kept: the source of Poseidon and the olive tree of Athena.

The Erechtheion Temple, which will be discussed, is located exactly on the very spot where the first one stood ancient temple goddess Athena.

History of the temple

During the Greco-Persian wars, all the Acropolis temples were destroyed and burned. After the expulsion of the Persians from Greece, the Athenian ruler Pericles and his friend, the sculptor Phidias, develop a plan for the restoration of ancient shrines.

They decide not to recreate the old appearance of the destroyed temples, but to build new ones in their place. The main condition for the construction was the careful preservation of all places and relics sacred to the townspeople.

The construction of the complex was carried out in stages, since the funds allocated for it from the city treasury were strictly limited, since many other destroyed objects were also subject to restoration.

The first to be built was the central temple of the Virgin Athena, the Parthenon, which became an example of classical architecture.

Then work began on the construction of the grandiose and majestic entrance gate - the Propylaea.

Construction of the second temple on top of the Acropolis began after the death of Pericles, in 421 BC. It continued intermittently until 406. Mnesicles was chosen as the chief architect, under whose leadership all the work took place.

The location for construction was not chosen by chance. It has long been considered by the inhabitants of the city the most sacred on the Acropolis.

Here was the grave of the city’s founder, King Kekrops.

A dispute between Athena and Poseidon for patronage of the city took place here. The legendary Athenian king Erechtheus lived here, who built the first temple of the goddess Athena on the Acropolis.

He was the son of the god Hephaestus and the goddess Gaia, and the story of his birth was described by the legendary Homer.

Broken marble - a trace from the lightning strike of Zeus

As the Athenian king, Erechtheus became the favorite of all the inhabitants of Athens. During a religious war with the city of Eleusis, whose inhabitants worshiped the goddess Demeter, he killed the leader of the Eleusinians, Eumolpus, the son of Poseidon. The angry Poseidon persuaded supreme god Zeus, and he struck Erechtheus with his lightning.

There is a trace of this lightning strike on the Acropolis - it broke several marble slabs.

The grieving inhabitants of Athens buried the king here and named one of the constellations in his honor - Auriga.

Later, next to the tomb of Erechtheus, on a site sacred to Athens, the architect Mnesikles built a temple and named after him - the Erechtheion.

Description, plan of the Erechtheion temple

Ancient temple of Eirechtenon

The Erechtheion has an unusual architecture, uncharacteristic of most temples of classical antiquity. Main building

divided into two unequal parts located at different levels. Its eastern part, which has a separate entrance, is dedicated to the patroness of the city, goddess Athena.

Inside, in the altar, stood a sacred wooden statue of the goddess, who, according to legend, fell from the sky, which was worshiped by the inhabitants of the city almost from its very foundation. An unquenchable golden lamp burned in front of her. Some people confuse it with the statue of Athena Parthenos, which stood in a completely different temple - the Parthenon. But Athena Parthenos was created by Phidias in 437 BC, especially for the Parthenon. Naturally, she could not be in the temple, dedicated to Athena Poliade and be like that ancient shrine, like a sacred wooden statue, which by that time was already more than a thousand years old.

In the western part of the temple, which had three entrances and located three meters lower than the eastern one, there were altars of the gods Hephaestus and Poseidon, as well as the brother of King Erechtheus - But, who was the first priest of the goddess Athena. The main entrance to this part of the temple was on the north side and was designed in the form of a portico with six columns. Inside it flowed the sacred spring of Poseidon with salt water. A little lower, in the courtyard, was the altar of Zeus. Here on the rock were visible traces of the trident of the god of the seas, with which he created the sacred spring. Nearby is the trace of the lightning of Zeus the Thunderer and the grave of Erechtheus.

On the south side of the temple one could exit onto a balcony, the roof of which was supported by sculptures of six Caryatids. The central exit led to a courtyard adjacent to the base of the temple, where the legendary olive tree grew, which grew from the spear of the goddess Athena.

From the same courtyard one could get to the tomb of King Kekrop, the founder of the city. It was located under the slabs of the temple on the western side.

Caryatids their history

The most famous and beloved part of the building by all tourists is the portico of the Caryatids. The Caryatids were priestesses of the goddess Artemis. During the festivals dedicated to her, they performed ritual dances with baskets on their heads filled to the brim with fruit.

The temple of the goddess Artemis Vravronskaya was also located on the Acropolis before its destruction by the Persians, but the worship of Artemis was not historically associated with the city of Athens. It flourished in the region of southern Attica, and main temple was located in the picturesque valley of the town of Vravrona. In Athens, the cult of Artemis became widespread during the reign of the tyrant Pisistratus, who came from those places - many images of the Caryatids appeared in the city, which decorated squares, houses, and temples. They were even used as tombstones. When reconstructing the destroyed Acropolis, it was decided not to dedicate a separate temple to Artemis, but the architects who created the new Acropolis complex could not help but pay tribute to the goddess, whom the townspeople had worshiped for more than two hundred years.