"Caryatids" Natural Recordings by Native Speakers
Caryatids are sculptural or architectural figures that are used as a support for a structure, typically a column or an entablature. They are typically female and are often mythological figures, usually with their arms stretched out to hold up a structure. The term "caryatid" comes from the Greek myth of the Caryatids, three sisters who were transformed into columns to serve as a monument to Athena and were used as a support for the Porch of the Erechtheion in the Parthenon in Athens.
A caryatid is a sculptural figure, typically a female, that supports a roof or other structure in place of a pillar or column. The term comes from the Greek mythological figure, Caryatis, who, with her sisters, was transformed into a column to make up the frieze of the Erechtheion in Athens. In architecture, the use of human figures as structural supports is known as a caryatid porch.