Religious Survivals in the Erechteion Area: a Diachronic Approach

Abstract

The aim of this paper is twofold: firstly, it attempts to clarify the various chronological phases that occurred in the Erechteion area to better understand its architectural development; secondly, it deals with religious survivals, proposing that the worship practiced within the Classical Erechteion period can be considered a legacy of a complex religious context. It is divided into five sections, each of which examines the different available sources on this area in a precise period of Athenian history. Thus, the paper delineates a potential scenario for each historical phase. Moreover, within this diachronic analysis, a possible religious continuity is underlined. Lastly, the paper proposes that the probable presence of a Mycenaean palace left a mark on this area and that the memory of a Bronze Age A-ta-na-po-ti-ni-ja and of a royal dynasty survived over time, being elements of religious continuity from the Mycenaean era until the Classical age.