What Was Kept in the Athenian Treasury at Delphi?

At the first turn of the Sacred Way in Delphi, a small marble building interrupts the climb to Apollo’s temple. Its two columns and triangular roof give it the appearance of a miniature temple. The name on the site plan identifies the city responsible for this conspicuous spot.

Why did Athens have a treasury at Delphi?

Athens kept offerings dedicated to Apollo here, including spoils taken in war. A gift made at Delphi reached an audience well beyond Athens because people came to the sanctuary from across the Greek world. The ancient traveler Pausanias linked the treasury with the Athenian victory at Marathon. Below its southern side, a dedication on a triangular terrace explicitly names the battle.

What should I look for above the porch?

Find the band of square panels near the roof. These are metopes, small fields of relief sculpture. The Athenian treasury had six across either short end and nine along each long side. The sculptors put scenes from the life of the Athenian hero Theseus on the south and east faces. Heracles appeared on the other two. In the museum, look for the carved panels to see how a struggle could be compressed into a single square.

How did a stone wall preserve ancient Greek music?

Among the inscriptions on the southern wall were two hymns to Apollo. The singers’ words were carved into stone along with signs for the music. They belonged to a procession that Athenians brought to Delphi in 128 BCE, centuries after the treasury went up. The museum preserves the inscribed stone. Once you have seen the building beside the Sacred Way, the music has a setting as well as a surviving score.