One of the most remarkable structures in the Sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi is the Treasury of the Athenians. The city-states used these buildings to store their war booty and offerings to the god Apollo. Several treasuries were located around the temple, including the Treasury of the Sifnians and the Boetians, but the Treasury of the Athenians is the most remarkable surviving treasury to this day. Constructed at the beginning of the 5th century BC, the Treasury was a relatively small building that housed trophies from important military victories of the Athenians as well as many items that had been offered to the temple.
It was symbolic of either the victory of Athens over the Persians in the Marathon Battle or the dominance of democracy in Athens. The temple’s main building material is Parian marble, and its architecture is Doric. The external side features impressive reliefs that depict the adventures of Hercules and Theseus, while the interior features carved hymns to Apollo and some of the most significant political resolutions of the Athenians. The French Archaeological Institute reconstructed this treasury in 1906 with the donation of the Athens municipality, and some of the friezes are housed in the Archaeological Museum of Delphi.
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