Parthenon, Athens
Location
About
The Parthenon, crowning the Acropolis of Athens, was the defining temple of Athena Parthenos — the virgin warrior goddess of wisdom who served as Athens's divine patron and protector. Built between 447 and 432 BCE under the direction of Pericles and designed by the architects Ictinos and Callicrates with sculptural program by Pheidias, it represented the artistic and political apex of Athenian democratic culture. Its Doric colonnade, perfectly calibrated optical refinements (no truly straight lines), and 160-meter Panathenaic frieze created the most celebrated building of the ancient world.
Significance
The Parthenon embodied Athenian civic religion, democratic self-confidence, and artistic achievement simultaneously. The colossal gold-and-ivory cult statue of Athena by Pheidias stood inside, its scale and splendor expressing divine and human greatness together. The Panathenaic Games, held every four years, culminated in a procession to the Parthenon to present a new woven robe to Athena. The building has served as symbol of Western civilization and democratic ideals from the Renaissance to the present.
History & Historical Arc
An earlier Parthenon was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BCE. Pericles rebuilt the Acropolis in marble following Athens…
Archaeological Notes
The Parthenon's optical refinements — slight curvature in the stylobate, column entasis, inward lean of columns — were d…
Key Features & Structures
- Doric colonnade (8×17 columns)
- Panathenaic frieze (160m)
Visitor Information
The Acropolis and its museum are Athens's premier archaeological attraction; the Acropolis Museum nearby displays origin…
Related Figures
In the Bible
Source References
- Plutarch, Life of Pericles 12–13
- Pausanias, Description of Greece 1.24
- Thucydides, History 2.13