the Siphnian Treasury. Reconstruction by A. Tournaire
The Treasury of the Siphnians is the most important in Delphi. It is dated precisely around 530 B.C., a truly prosperous period for the island of Siphnos, thanks to the gold and silver mines which were discovered there. They dedicated the tithe of their income to Apollo at Delphi.
- the story
With an Ionian-like style, it was the first building made entirely by marble on Mainland Greece. It is among the finest monumental buildings in Delphi. The preserved decorative wealth are unique examples of Ionic architectural sculpture. The entrance of the treasury is located in the west, where was a small courtyard en-toured by polygonal walls.
Delphi, Sanctuary of Apollo: a side-view of the Siphnian Treasury
Two female statues - Caryatids – between the pilasters replaced the columns of the gateway, according to the prototype of the Oriental temples.
The eastern and northern sides of the frieze were in an optimum place and could be seen through the entrance which was visible by the pilgrims ascending the Sacred Way. The stormy scenes of the Trojan War and the Gigantomachy were considered to be the peak of archaic sculptures, as was the pediment with the Delphic legend of Heracles' dispute with Apollo over Pythia's divine tripod.
the East frieze of the treasury as exposed today at the Museum of Delphi
the North frieze of the treasury as exposed today at the Museum of Delphi
At the entrance of the imposing Treasure, which Herodotus describes as «immensely rich», a Delphian resolution was engraved in the 4th century B.C.:
ΔΕΛΦΟΙ ΑΠΕΔΩΚΑΝ ΣΙΦΝΙΟΙΣ ΤΑΝ ΠΡΟ ΜΑΝΤΙΑΝ ΑΡΧΟΝΤΟΣ ΑΡΙΣΤΟΜΑΧΟΥ
which states that the Promanteia's * right was given to the island of Siphnos when the island was under the leadership of Aristomahos (in the 6th century B.C.).
highlight data
The emplacement of the Siphnian Treasury inside the Sanctuary of Apollo
A caryatid (Greek: Καρυᾶτις, pl. Καρυάτιδες) is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term karyatides literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient town on the Peloponnese.
