DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.796#0231
THE AGE OF PERICLES 197
(Hellenica, i. 6, 1), " in the following year in which there
was an eclipse of the moon and the ancient temple of Athena
in Athens was set on fire," as referring to this building and
not to the old Hecatompedon, as Dorpfeld does (122). From
another inscription (C.I.A. ii. 829) commonly dated 395/4
(but dated by Dorpfeld in 406/5 from a different restoration
of the name of the Archon (123)), we learn that repairs were
made on the parts of the building that had been injured by
the fire. When we come to treat of the details of its archi-
tecture and sculpture we shall see that the last finishing
touches to the building were never given. The subsequent
history of the Erechtheum can only be understood in rela-
tion with the plan of the building which must now occupy
our attention.
The Erechtheum is, in its main part, a rectangular struc-
ture, 20.16 metres (66 ft. 2 in.) in length by 11.17 metres
(36 ft. 7 in.) in breadth. Seen from the east, it presents the
appearance of an Ionic hexastyle temple. It is built of
Pentelic marble, except that the frieze had a background
of Eleusinian limestone. The original beauty of the exterior
of the walls, though greatly marred, still excites admiration.
They are built of marble blocks carefully fitted together and
polished, crowned at the top by a richly-decorated moulding
that is continued in the capitals of the antae at the corners.
The lowest course of the wall consists of blocks set up
edgewise and of double the height of the other courses, the
so-called orthostas of a Greek building. This has at the
bottom a projecting concave moulding that gives not only
a finish to the lowest course of the wall, but makes a beautiful
transition to a moulding immediately below it, consisting of
scotia and torus, and crowning the course of marble that
corresponds to the upper step of the stylobate of a peristyle.
Two marble steps lie beneath this upper course, and the
whole encircles the building and produces the effect of the
usual stylobate of a Greek temple with three steps. The
Erechtheum has three porticos. At the east front is a portico
of six Ionic columns, 6.59 metres (21 ft. 7 in.) high, including
the capital ; the other two porticos project from the building
near its western front, opposite to each other. The spacious
north porch had six Ionic columns, four in the front and
(Hellenica, i. 6, 1), " in the following year in which there
was an eclipse of the moon and the ancient temple of Athena
in Athens was set on fire," as referring to this building and
not to the old Hecatompedon, as Dorpfeld does (122). From
another inscription (C.I.A. ii. 829) commonly dated 395/4
(but dated by Dorpfeld in 406/5 from a different restoration
of the name of the Archon (123)), we learn that repairs were
made on the parts of the building that had been injured by
the fire. When we come to treat of the details of its archi-
tecture and sculpture we shall see that the last finishing
touches to the building were never given. The subsequent
history of the Erechtheum can only be understood in rela-
tion with the plan of the building which must now occupy
our attention.
The Erechtheum is, in its main part, a rectangular struc-
ture, 20.16 metres (66 ft. 2 in.) in length by 11.17 metres
(36 ft. 7 in.) in breadth. Seen from the east, it presents the
appearance of an Ionic hexastyle temple. It is built of
Pentelic marble, except that the frieze had a background
of Eleusinian limestone. The original beauty of the exterior
of the walls, though greatly marred, still excites admiration.
They are built of marble blocks carefully fitted together and
polished, crowned at the top by a richly-decorated moulding
that is continued in the capitals of the antae at the corners.
The lowest course of the wall consists of blocks set up
edgewise and of double the height of the other courses, the
so-called orthostas of a Greek building. This has at the
bottom a projecting concave moulding that gives not only
a finish to the lowest course of the wall, but makes a beautiful
transition to a moulding immediately below it, consisting of
scotia and torus, and crowning the course of marble that
corresponds to the upper step of the stylobate of a peristyle.
Two marble steps lie beneath this upper course, and the
whole encircles the building and produces the effect of the
usual stylobate of a Greek temple with three steps. The
Erechtheum has three porticos. At the east front is a portico
of six Ionic columns, 6.59 metres (21 ft. 7 in.) high, including
the capital ; the other two porticos project from the building
near its western front, opposite to each other. The spacious
north porch had six Ionic columns, four in the front and