Forty years after the final defeat of the Persians in 479 BC at the Battle of Plataea, the Athenians decided to rebuild the temple. The classical temple, which we can see today, was built between 444 and 440 BC on a terrace constructed from limestone, the material of the destroyed archaic temple. The new temple was made from marble coming from the nearby area called Agri Leza. This marble does not contain iron and that's why it does lose its white color.