View of the Messalian Treasury in front of the tholos. The treasury was constructed by Greek Colonists to store sacred offerings, and was one of the most ornate buildings in all of Delphi.
View of the Northeast corner of the Massalian Treasury with the columns of the tholos behind it. The Treasury, also known as the Treasury of Massaliots or the Aeolic Treasury, was constructed by the Greek colonists of Massalia, modern Marseille, to commemorate a victory over Carthaginian or Roman adversaries in the 6th century BC. It was incredibly ornate, and, like other Treasuries at Delphi, housed sacred offerings made by that state. Pausanias, in his writings, mentions this treasury specifically and the presence of bronze votive offerings within it. The tholos is more mysterious, and we do not know its purpose or which deity it was dedicated to. The three columns visible in the image, along with the entablature resting atop them, are reconstructions dating from 1938.
Creation date unknown. Photograph processed July 1978. Notes written on the slide or index: Massiolate Treasury.
