The Parthenon
, a temple of ancient Greece that stood on the Acropolis of Athens. It was dedicated to Athena Parthenos (Athene the Maiden, or Virgin), patron goddess of Athens. The Parthenon is considered the finest expression of ancient Greek architecture. The surviving ruins are roofless, but the exterior of the building is largely complete except for decorative sculpture.
The Parthenon was built of white marble. The rectangular temple was 228 feet (69.5 m) long and 101 1/2 feet (30.9 m) wide, and rested on a platform three steps high. The sides of the structure were formed by fluted Doric columns, which supported the entablature, pediments, and gable roof. The temple rose about 60 feet (18 m) above its surrounding pavement.
The central area of the building was walled and divided into two rooms, each with a single door opening to the end, where a second row of columns standing back from the outer colonnade formed a portico entrance. The larger room, occupying more than half the area, contained a great ivory and gold statue of Athene by the sculptor Phidias. The smaller room was used apparently as a storeroom. The porticoes, enclosed by metal grilles between the columns, served as treasuries.
The sculptured decoration of the Parthenon was supervised and partially executed by Phidias, and is considered among the finest known. The pediments were filled with sculpture, and there were friezes around both the entablature and the walls. Sculptures and ornamentation of the upper part of the temple were painted in bright colors, with red and blue predominating.
HistoryThe Parthenon was built during the time of Pericles, 447–432 B.C. The architects were Ictinus and Callicrates, under the supervision of Phidias as master sculptor. The Parthenon was the most important structure on the Acropolis, replacing an earlier, smaller temple of Athene.
In the fifth century A.D. the Parthenon was altered slightly to become a Byzantine Christian church. After Greece fell to the Turks in the 15th century, the church was converted into a mosque. In 1687 the Turks in Athens were besieged by the Venetians. A portion of the Parthenon was being used as a powder magazine, and when a shell fell into it the interior of the building was destroyed. In 1801–03, the British diplomat Lord Elgin had many Parthenon sculptures removed to England. In the 1920's the Greek government began restoration of the temple.