The first temple of Athena was built during the 6th century BC, during the Archaic period, and was destroyed in 480 BC by the Persians. After the Athenian victory in the same year of the Battle of Salamis, the Athenians built a second temple nearby. The religious need for balance and equality among the gods after the victory of Athena against Poseidon on the Acropolis hill imposed at the Temple of Athena should be less impressive and at a lower level than the one of Poseidon. Its architectural design is quite unusual, with an iconic style colonnade surrounding only the eastern and the southern sides of the temple. In the interior, there were four columns, two for the stability of the roof and two for decorative purposes, contributing to the symmetry and the analogy of the room. Only the eastern side, where the entrance was placed, was crowned with a pediment from marble. The honorary statue has not been found, and during the Roman period the temple was destroyed. Its marble was transferred to Athens, and it was used for the construction of the Roman Agora.