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. Rectangular in plan, measuring 12.29 by 7.21 meters, it stood on a crepis with two steps. 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. Thus, the Treasury of the Thebans made a visual contrast to the nearby Siphnian Treasury, with its colourful and decorative Ionian style. A frieze with metopes and triglyphs ran all around the building.
Several opinions have been expressed regarding its actual architectural form.[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. An opening along the western wall provided natural lighting in the building.[4]
.jpg)
