Theban Treasury (Delphi)

The Treasury of the Thebans at Delphi was built in the Doric order and made entirely out of local limestone from the quarries of St. Elias close to the town of Chrisso.

[1] Shortly after their victory against the Lacaedemonians at the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC, a landmark of the brief Theban supremacy in the political life of Greece, the Thebans dedicated at the sanctuary of Apollo a treasury built in the Doric order.

[2] It was the largest treasury in dimensions of Delphi, situated close to the SW corner of the sanctuary.

It was constructed entirely out of local limestone from the quarries at St. Elias, a particularly hard stone with bluish-grey shades, which accentuates the austere style of the Doric building.

[3] The current views, however, suggest that it was a uniform building, without columns, possibly with two entrances on the narrow sides and with a vertical wall functioning as boulder.