DOI article:
Fowler, Harold North: The Erechtheion at Athens
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.8560#0255
THE ERECIITHEION.
233
in the chamber of the goddess was something remarkable. The
altar of Butes and the pictures of Butadae were, however, not out of
place in the temple, for Butes and his descendants were Athena's
priests quite as much as Poseidon's.* The official name of the tem-
ple, 6 vews ev w to dp^alov dyaXp.a {CI. A., I. 322, line 1), shows that
the building was regarded as a temple of Athena, in which the other
divinities were but guests. It is, therefore, not to be wondered at
that no separate cella appears to have been set apart for Poseidon-
Erechtheus, whose altar stood in the eastern chamber.
Having mentioned the altar of Poseidon, Pausanias proceeds to
mention the other objects connected with that god before saying
anything about Athena: Kou {ZnvXovv ydp eo-ri to ot«7y/xa) ko.1 v8u>p
icTTtv cvSov OaXdcrcriov iv cf>peaTt (tovto jxkv 6avp.a ov fieya' kcu ydp octol
/xecroyaiai/ olkov(tlv dXXois t€ ecrri koL Kapcrtj/ 'A<ppo8i<TLevcnv dXXd tooY
to (f>peap e? (Tvyypacf>r]v 7rape^eTai kv\xdru)v rj-^ov iirl votu) irveva-avTi) kcll
Tpiaivrjs icrrlv iv rfj irlTpa. cr^rj^a. ravra Se Xe.ye.rai IToo"etSa)i/t pLaprvpia
es rr]v dpJ<f>i(rfii'iTr)cn.v Tr}s ^(wpa? <pavrjvat. The building is double;
and there is therein sea-water in a well. Now this is no great
wonder, for the Karian Aphrodisians and others who inhabit the
interior have the same. But the well in question is noted for giving
forth a sound of waves when the south wind blows. There is also the
mark of a trident in the rock. These are said to have appeared as
signs for Poseidon when he was contending for the country.
Pausanias does not mention the objects of interest in the Erech-
theion in the order in which he saw them, that is, in a purely local
order, but rather in the order in which they would naturally present
themselves to the mind of one who knew their mythical relations.
Immediately after mentioning the altars which he saw upon entering,
he remarks that "the building is double," and then mentions the well
of sea-water; this must mean that the altars were in one part of the
double building and the well in the other. This agrees exactly with
what has been said above concerning the cistern under the Prosto-
miaeon. The expression "the building is double " offers no difficulty.
Although there are remains of two cross-walls, the western one was,
as has been explained above, probably little more than a row of
* Apollod., III. 15, I : T\o.vb"iovos 5e a.-rroQavovros o'i ircu^es to. Trarp'-^a ifiepl-
aavro Kal Trjv /uLev ficuriXe'iav 'Epex^eus Xa/x^avei, rrjv 5e Ispcoavvqv rrjs 'AOrivas Ka\
rov TloattSuii/os rod 'Epe^Oews Bovttjs. Similar statements are found elsewhere.
233
in the chamber of the goddess was something remarkable. The
altar of Butes and the pictures of Butadae were, however, not out of
place in the temple, for Butes and his descendants were Athena's
priests quite as much as Poseidon's.* The official name of the tem-
ple, 6 vews ev w to dp^alov dyaXp.a {CI. A., I. 322, line 1), shows that
the building was regarded as a temple of Athena, in which the other
divinities were but guests. It is, therefore, not to be wondered at
that no separate cella appears to have been set apart for Poseidon-
Erechtheus, whose altar stood in the eastern chamber.
Having mentioned the altar of Poseidon, Pausanias proceeds to
mention the other objects connected with that god before saying
anything about Athena: Kou {ZnvXovv ydp eo-ri to ot«7y/xa) ko.1 v8u>p
icTTtv cvSov OaXdcrcriov iv cf>peaTt (tovto jxkv 6avp.a ov fieya' kcu ydp octol
/xecroyaiai/ olkov(tlv dXXois t€ ecrri koL Kapcrtj/ 'A<ppo8i<TLevcnv dXXd tooY
to (f>peap e? (Tvyypacf>r]v 7rape^eTai kv\xdru)v rj-^ov iirl votu) irveva-avTi) kcll
Tpiaivrjs icrrlv iv rfj irlTpa. cr^rj^a. ravra Se Xe.ye.rai IToo"etSa)i/t pLaprvpia
es rr]v dpJ<f>i(rfii'iTr)cn.v Tr}s ^(wpa? <pavrjvat. The building is double;
and there is therein sea-water in a well. Now this is no great
wonder, for the Karian Aphrodisians and others who inhabit the
interior have the same. But the well in question is noted for giving
forth a sound of waves when the south wind blows. There is also the
mark of a trident in the rock. These are said to have appeared as
signs for Poseidon when he was contending for the country.
Pausanias does not mention the objects of interest in the Erech-
theion in the order in which he saw them, that is, in a purely local
order, but rather in the order in which they would naturally present
themselves to the mind of one who knew their mythical relations.
Immediately after mentioning the altars which he saw upon entering,
he remarks that "the building is double," and then mentions the well
of sea-water; this must mean that the altars were in one part of the
double building and the well in the other. This agrees exactly with
what has been said above concerning the cistern under the Prosto-
miaeon. The expression "the building is double " offers no difficulty.
Although there are remains of two cross-walls, the western one was,
as has been explained above, probably little more than a row of
* Apollod., III. 15, I : T\o.vb"iovos 5e a.-rroQavovros o'i ircu^es to. Trarp'-^a ifiepl-
aavro Kal Trjv /uLev ficuriXe'iav 'Epex^eus Xa/x^avei, rrjv 5e Ispcoavvqv rrjs 'AOrivas Ka\
rov TloattSuii/os rod 'Epe^Oews Bovttjs. Similar statements are found elsewhere.