Editing Eleusinion (section)

===Temple of Triptolemus===
[[File:Temple of Athena Nikè from Propylaea, Acropolis, Athens, Greece.jpg|thumb|The [[Temple of Athena Nike]], an Ionic tetrastyle amphiprostyle temple, similar to Margaret Miles' reconstruction of the Temple of Triptolemus in the City Eleusinion.]]
The temple faces north–south and is 17.813 m long and 11.065 metres wide.{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=35}} The entrance was at the south end (i.e. opening onto the upper terrace). Traces of the foundation and roof have been found; nothing from the superstructure survives,{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=40}} but it was probably made of marble, like the roof.{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=44}} Margaret Miles proposes that the dimensions and materials indicate that it was an [[Ionic order|Ionic]] [[tetrastyle]] [[amphiprostyle]] temple, i.e. with four Ionic columns at the north and south ends. This is the same design used for the later [[Temple of Athena Nike]] on the Acropolis.{{sfn|Miles|1998|pp=44-45}} The columns would have been about 1.10 m in diameter at the base.{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=48}} Construction began on the temple between 500 and 490 BC, as shown by pottery evidence from the foundations. The remnants of the roof seem to date to 475-450 BC.{{sfn|Miles|1998|pp=39-40}} This date coincides with the proliferation of images of Triptolemus in Athenian art.{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=53}} The chief of works may have been [[Coroebus]], who also oversaw the construction of the 5th century Telesterion at Eleusis.<ref>[[Inscriptiones Graecae|IG]] I<sup>3</sup> 32</ref>{{sfn|Miles|1998|pp=41-42}}

The foundations are made of gray kara [[limestone]], but yellow [[poros]] and limestone from the Acropolis were also used in the walls.{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=35}} Because of the steepness of the slope, the south end of the temple sits directly on the bedrock, while the north end required ten courses of masonry.{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=39}} The cuttings in the bedrock for the temple's foundations are still visible on the western side.{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=35}} The foundations were built of high-quality [[polygonal]] masonry, without clamps or dowels.{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=35}} The foundation blocks survive for the whole north side and parts of the western and eastern sides.{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=36}} The foundations of the cross-wall that separated the [[pronaos]] from the [[cella]] are partially preserved.{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=36}} An extension was added to the east side of the temple during construction, which measures 2.20-2.355 m wide and is composed of red crystalline blocks originally cut for use in some other context.{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=36}} The addition may have been made so that the width:length ratio of the temple would be closer to the [[golden ratio]], which became popular in temple construction at this time.{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=38}}

The remains of the roof consist of 88 fragments from marble tiles (30 cover tiles, 58 pan tiles, 1 end ridge tile) and 4 marble [[antefix]]es. The workmanship is of a very high standard.{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=40}} The palmettes of the antefixes resemble the archaic [[Telesterion]] at Eleusis (510-500 BC), and especially those from the roofs of the treasuries in the sanctuary of Apollo at [[Delos]] (478-450 BC).{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=40}} 
[[File:Triptolemos Kore Louvre G452 full.jpg|thumb|Depiction of [[Triptolemus]] and [[Persephone|Kore]] on a mid-5th century BC Attic red-figure cup.]]
The archaeological remains are identified as the temple of Triptolemus mentioned by Pausanias because his account indicates that it was in the outer part of the sanctuary and archaeology shows that the entrance to the Eleusinion in his time was through the propylon next to this temple.{{sfn|Miles|1998|pp=48-51}} In mythology, Triptolemus was the first human to receive the gifts of farming and initiation into the Eleusinian Mysteries from Demeter. He then rode around the world in a winged chariot, informing all people of these gifts.{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=53}}

Pausanias states that there was a statue of Triptolemus inside the temple. This has not been discovered archaeologically, but is probably one of the symbols depicted on fourth-century BC [[Panathenaic amphora]]e. There are examples from 364/3 onwards showing the statue standing in a winged chariot holding a branch, with a snake next to the chariots wheels. {{sfn|Miles|1998|p=52}} Pausanias also mentions statues of the semi-legendary seer [[Epimenides]] and of a bull in front of this temple. The latter probably depicted the bull with gilded horns which was the standard sacrificial offering for Triptolemus according to the late fifth-century [[First-Fruits decree]].<ref>
''I Eleusis'' 28a; [https://www.atticinscriptions.com/inscription/IEleus/28a translation] on ''Attic Inscriptions Online''.</ref>{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=52}} To the east of the temple, there are the limestone foundations of altar (1.10 x 2.70 metres), probably built in ca. 500 BC.{{sfn|Miles|1998|pp=62-63}} East of this is a 2.20 metre long monument base of yellow poros, running east–west, which was built in the period 450-425 BC; it seems to have been intended to support a set of inscribed stelae (no longer present).{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=63}}