Erechtheum

views updated Jun 08 2018

Erechtheum a marble temple of the Ionic order built on the Acropolis in Athens c.421–406 bc, with shrines to Athene, Poseidon, and Erechtheus, a legendary king of Athens. A masterpiece of the Ionic order, it is most famous for its southern portico, in which the entablature is supported by six caryatids.