Parthenon
The Parthenon is a temple in Athens, Greece dedicated to the goddess Athena. It was built in the 5th century BC and is considered a symbol of ancient Greece, democracy, and Western civilization.
Construction:
- Built between 447 and 438 BC
- The largest and most lavish temple on the Greek mainland at the time
- Constructed in white marble to showcase the wealth and power of Athens
Features:
- Richly decorated with sculptures by Pheidia
- The pediments and metopes depict episodes from Greek mythology
- The frieze depicts the people of Athens in a religious procession
- A colossal image of Athena Parthenos made of gold and ivory stood inside the building
Significance:
- A monument to democracy
- A symbol of ancient Greece and Athenian culture
- An enduring symbol of Western civilization
- The culmination of the development of the Doric order, the simplest of the three Classical Greek architectural orders
Damage:
- Damaged by a Venetian bomb during the 1687 siege of the Acropolis
