The Erechtheum Or Erechtheion Is An Antique Greek Pantheon.
An antique Greek pantheon constructed on the acropolis of Athens within 406 and 421 BCE in the Golden Age of the city in procession to house the ancient wooden cult figure of Athena and generally glorify the royal city at the height of its influence and power.
The Erechtheion has suffered a confusing history of neglect and misuse, but with its extended position above the city and porch of 6 Caryatids, it remains one of the several distinctive buildings from antiquity.
The Erechtheion, named following the demi-god Erechtheus, the mythical Athenian king, was considered as a suitable structure to house the antique wood cult statue of Athena, which reported its religious significance despite the appearance of the gigantic chryselephantine statue inside the nearby Parthenon.
The building also had other though, functions, notably as the shrine centre for other more ancient cults: to Erechtheus, his brother Boutes. The Pandrosos, Ploughman, the mythical first Athenian king Kekrops, half-man, half-snake, and the gobs Poseidon and Hephaistos.
As with the other new structures on the acropolis, the Erechtheion was created from Pentelic sculpture which originated from the nearby Mt. Pentelicus and moved partied for its pure white appearance and subtle grain. It also contains evidence of iron which over time, has oxidized, giving the marble a soft honey colour, a quality particularly evident at sunrise and sunset.