The democratic Athenians, people of moderation, letters and arts, admired the bravery of the Spartans and that was the message of the Caryatidεs on the Acropolis.
The Athenians, in order to show their respect and admiration for the women of Sparta who raised brave men, who themselves could not do so effectively, placed the Caryatids, women from the Karyes of Sparta, in the Erechtheion next to the virgin. Also to remind the Athenians and more to the Athenians to think and even to imitate the Caryatidεs.
Caryatis are the names of the sculptures that have a female form and are used to support buildings. The word Karyatis in ancient Greek means Daughter of Karyes, a city near Sparta. It is a variation of Kore and is used in architecture instead of columns as a decorative support on gates, facades, cornices, friezes, roofs and so on. The corresponding architectural element that has a male form is called Atlas.
The Caryatidεs in the Erechtheum of the Acropolis belong to the art school of the rich style and artistically influenced the architectural decorative art until the end of the 19th century. We often find elements of imitation in Mannerism, an artistic flow of the 16th century\
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