The Siphnian Treasury was a dedicated building to the Greek polis, or city-state of Delphi while the oracle was still popular and in use. Such a dedication was common among city-states in order to win the favor of Apollo. Athens also had a treasury dedicated on the site and it is considered one of the most beautiful of the ancient buildings there today. The people of Siphnos gained enormous wealth from their silver and gold mines and were able to afford this luxurious dedication in the 6th century B.C. The building is similar to the porch of a Greek temple and is used to house the many gifts that were offered to Apollo. The pediment of the treasury shows the story of Herakles stealing Apollo's tripod which is important tool used in his powers of foresight. Around the frieze shows varying scenese from the Trojan War. The columns are not a typical Greek style and are known as caryatids. Caryatids were used to support the building and offer a greater amound of decoration. Caryatids are more popularly recognized in the Erechtheion, a temple atop the Athenian Acropolis. A polis (πολις) — plural: poleis (πολεις) — is a city, or a city-state. ... The amphitheater, seen from above Delphi (Greek Δελφοί - Delphoi) is an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece. ... An Oracle is a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic opinion; an infallible authority, usually spiritual in nature. ... The Acropolis in central Athens, one of the most important landmarks in world history. ... Dedication (Lat. ... The Trojan War was a war waged, according to legend, against the city of Troy in Asia Minor by the armies of Greece, following the kidnapping (or elopement) of Helen of Sparta by Paris of Troy. ... the Caryatid Porch of the Erechtheum, Athens A caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural element such as a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on its head. ... Erechtheum, from SW The Erechtheum, or Erecththeion, is an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens in Greece, notable for a design that is both elegant and unusual. ... The Acropolis of Athens, seen from the hill of the Pnyx to the west The Acropolis of Athens, seen from the north, with the restored Stoa of Attalus in the foreground The south wall of the Acropolis of Athens, seen from the Theatre of Dionysus The Acropolis of Athens, seen...