Parthenon

The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their virgin patron.

History
Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although decorations of the Parthenon continued until 432 BC. It is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece, generally considered the culmination of the development of the Doric order. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of Greek art. The Parthenon is regarded as an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece and of Athenian democracy and one of the world's greatest cultural monuments. The Greek Ministry of Culture is currently carrying out a program of selective restoration and reconstruction to ensure the stability of the partially ruined structure.

The Parthenon itself replaced an older temple of Athena, which historians call the Pre-Parthenon or Older Parthenon, that was destroyed in the Persian invasion of 480 BC. The temple is archaeoastronomically aligned to the Pleiades. Like most Greek temples, the Parthenon was used as a treasury. For a time, it served as the treasury of the Delian League, which later became the Athenian Empire.

The Lightning Thief
While passing the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Annabeth asked Percy if he had ever seen the Parthenon. He claims he had only seen it in pictures. Annabeth tells him she plans on seeing it someday and one day plans on becoming an architect, making a monument to the gods that will last a thousand years.

The Lightning Thief
During the film, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover visit a replica of the Parthenon in Nashville to find a pearl that would allow them to escape the Underworld. While inside, they are attacked by a Hydra.