Page:An Elementary History of Art.djvu/72

42 Greek Architecture. We can likewise see the result of an Attic modification of the Ionic style in two works of extremely modest proportions, of about the same date as the Temple of Theseus : the ruined temple on the Ilissus, and the Temple of Nike Apteros (Wingless Victory) at the entrance to the Acropolis of Athens. But it is in the third building of the Acropolis — the Erechtheum — that we see the fullest development of the graceful Attic-Ionic style. The original Erechtheum was named after Erechtheus, an Attic hero, and contained his tomb, but it was destroyed by the Persians ; and the second building bearing the same name, which rose on its ruins, was a splendid compound structure, with several chambers and three porticoes, containing not only the sacred image of Athena and the tombs of some of the old heroes of the land, but also many highly-venerated religious relics. It was not until after the death of Pericles that the Erechtheum was rebuilt. The outside of the noble structure of this second building, although much mutilated, is still in a fair state of preservation. On the southern side a small vestibule remains, the entablature of which is supported by six beautiful female statues, or caryatides, instead of columns (Fig. 23). Buildings similar in the development of their architec- ture to those described above were erected in other places, — such as the temple of the goddess Demeter (Ceres) at Eleusis ; the temple of Zeus at Olympia ; and the temple of Apollo Epicurius at Phigalia, in Arcadia. The third period commenced when the power of the republics began to wane, and lasted until the final over- throw of Greek freedom. The buildings erected in this age were fine and numerous, but wanting in the simple,