Plate 7. The Temple of Theseus at Athens

The Theseus Temple* is a six-columned Peripteral with thirteen columns on the long side. It is built of Pentelic marble, and is one of the best preserved, even parts of the marble roof remaining in place. We see in this Temple the richest expression of the Doric style as it was developed in Athens and Attica. It has very harmonious proportions, although the architect in striving therefor has sacrificed in certain instances the Doric forms.

The columns are placed on a base of two marble plinths and a sub-base of limestone. They are 5[…] diameters in height, and spaced a little more than 1[…] diameters apart. The taper is less than […] of a diameter, and therefore the entasis is slight.

The profile of the echinus became from now on higher and stiffer, and the spread of the capital less, the extreme width on this example being a little under 1 1-6 lower diameters. The base of the antæ appears crude in comparison with the weak capital.

The height of the entablature without the cyma is 2 diameters. The cyma is not preserved, our plate showing a restoration. The metope reliefs represent the deeds of Theseus and Hercules. One of the tympani was decorated with sculpture, of which nothing remains.

The preservation of this Temple can presumably be attributed to the fact that it was used by the later Grecians as a church of Saint George, though at present it serves as a museum for ancient art.

*It is now ascertained to be a Temple of Hephaestus (Vulcan).- Sturgis' Dictionary of Architecture.