| Athenian Treasury | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Treasury |
| Architectural style | Doric |
| Location | Delphi, Greece |
| Construction started | 507 BCE to post-470 BCE |
| Completed | 502 BCE to post-470 BCE |
| Owner | Delphi Archaeological Museum |
| Height | 9.75 metres (32.0 ft) |
| Dimensions | |
| Diameter | 6.68 metres (21.9 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Parian marble columns |
The Athenian Treasury (Greek: Θησαυρός των Αθηναίων) at Delphi was constructed by the Athenians to house dedications and votive offerings made by their city and citizens to the sanctuary of Apollo. The entire treasury including its sculptural decoration is built of Parian marble. The date of construction is disputed, and scholarly opinions range from 510 to 480 BCE.[1] It is located directly below the Temple of Apollo along the Sacred Way for all visitors to view the Athenian treasury on the way up to the sanctuary.[2]
Pausanias mentions the building in his account of the sanctuary, claiming that it was dedicated from the spoils of the Battle of Marathon, fought in 490 BCE against the Persians. The Battle of Marathon can be seen in some of the images of the metopes which compare their victory to mythology. By using the founder of Athens, Theseus, to show the victories of Athens, the treasury established Athens as one of the most powerful polis (city-states) of Greece. The Athenian treasury metopes display the earliest known presence of Theseus in a large-scale sculpture.[3] Prior to this treasury, Theseus had been depicted on vase paintings, but no architectural depictions have been found. Although Herakles was also depicted in the metopes, the added heroic character showed the Athenian's increasing devotion to Theseus.[4] The pairing of the two heroes was a metaphor alluding to the Battle of Marathon.[5] The metopes show Athenian identity and how they viewed their enemies both foreign or domestic.
The Athenian treasury was the first at a Panhellenic sanctuary that was dedicated by Athens.[4] Several other city-states built treasuries at Delphi.
The building was excavated by the French School at Athens, led by Pierre de La Coste-Messelière, and reconstructed from 1903 to 1906.[6] The structure is still visible in situ, although the metopes are reproductions; the originals are in the museum of Delphi.
- ^ Spivey, Nigel (1996). Understanding Greek sculpture : ancient meanings, modern readings. New York: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 978-0500237106. OCLC 36645523.
- ^ Neer, Richard (2004-04-01). "The Athenian Treasury at Delphi and the Material of Politics". Classical Antiquity. 23 (1): 63–93. doi:10.1525/ca.2004.23.1.63. ISSN 0278-6656.
- ^ Smith, Allison Elizabeth (2019). The juxtaposition of styles in the metopes of the Athenian treasury (Thesis). doi:10.17615/2ze8-4t05.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
:12was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Gensheimer, Maryl B. (2017). "Metaphors for Marathon in the Sculptural Program of the Athenian Treasury at Delphi". Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. 86 (1): 1–42. doi:10.2972/hesperia.86.1.0001. JSTOR 10.2972/hesperia.86.1.0001. S2CID 193754955.
- ^ La Coste-Messelière, Pierre de (1923). "Observations sur les sculptures du Trésor des Athéniens". Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique (in French). 47 (1): 387–419. doi:10.3406/bch.1923.3019.