The Treasury of the Athenians at Delphi

The word treasury literally means a place where the funds of the government, of a corporation, or the like are deposited, kept, and disbursed. It can also be a building, room, chest, or other place for the preservation of treasure or valuable objects. One function of the treasury in antiquity was to hold “gifts to gods” (Agard 1923, 179).

The Treasury of the Athenians also represented “the new democratic government” who's purpose was to “extend control over the religious activities of its elite citizens”(Neer 64). Upper class citizens donated many of their own personal possessions to the treasury, it thought of as civic pride rather than pride over ones own contribution. The gifts that were housed in a treasury could have been anything from weapons such as shields or swords to more luxurious items like jewelry and precious metals.

There were many treasuries in Delphi including the Treasury of the Athenians, the Siphnian and the Sikyonian treasury. All three treasuries lined the Sacred Way to the Temple of Apollo. The date, function, and architectural style are all components that may one day give clues as to who the architect was for each of these buildings, but for now historians can only theorize based on historical clues.

The date of the Treasury of the Athenians has been one of great discussion since its excavation and reconstruction by the French in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s (Partida 51). During the reconstruction some columns or pieces of the building may have been accidentally placed on the wrong building, making the date even more problematic. Many scholars believe that sculptures found in the building may have been placed there a great deal after it had already been built. The buildings materials include Parian Marble, limestone, and various bronze statues. Only pieces of sculptural decoration, including fragments of some metopes, are preserved. The metopes on the Treasury of the Athenians feature Theseus and Herakles—two popular Athenian heroes. Other metopes from the Athenian Treasury included scenes from battles with the Amazons which was another fashionable myth at the time.

The Athenian Treasury is one the most remarkable buildings at Delphi as it has given scholars clues to Delphi’s past and has revealed what kind of monetary system was used in ancient Athens. Specific gifts to gods, which possessions they prized, which gods were important, as well as how citizens chose to honor the gods were all integral clues as to what the culture of Delphi was like.