The Sanctuary of Zeus Polieus

To the East of the Erechtheion, the Athenians built the open-air sanctuary of Zeus Polieus (Zeus the City-Protector) around 500 BCE. It was a walled trapezoidal area with several entrances and a pediment over its main entrance. The walls contained an area for the annual ritual of Bouphonia during which the sacrifice of oxen took place. It is believed that the east wing of the walled area was where the oxen were held. No building foundations have been found, and the sanctuary’s layout is deduced from the rock cuttings on the site.