The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their virgin patron. It was designed by Greek architects, Ictinus and Callicrates, in 447 B.C. and was built by Pericles in 432 B.C. It is still one of the most famous buildings in the world.
Appearance[]
- The fortified acropolis rises 328 ft (100 m) above the city of Athens.
- The carvings on the west side of the Parthenon show a contest between Athena and the god Poseidon to decide who would be honored in the city.
- Once a year, the people of Athens held a great festival in honor of Athena. Part of the festival included a great procession that wound through the city.
- The Parthenon's 46 columns are a type called Doric columns. These simple columns have no decoration on the top.
- With its graceful columns, the Parthenon is a perfect example of classical architecture.
- Inside the Parthenon was a magnificent statue of Athena by the sculptor Phidias, whom many people considered the greatest sculptor in all of Greece.
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 was built to celebrate the Athenian and Greek victory over the Persians in Maraton. 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 archaeo-astronomically 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.
Hydra in the Parthenon
Percy Jackson and the Olympians[]
The Lightning Thief[]
While passing the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Annabeth Chase asks Percy Jackson if he has ever seen the Parthenon. He claims he had only seen it in pictures so Annabeth tells him she plans on seeing it someday leading her to explain that one day she plans on becoming an architect, building a monument to the gods that will last a thousand years.
The Heroes of Olympus[]
The Mark of Athena[]
It is mentioned that the Athena Parthenos used to reside in the Parthenon before being carried off by the Romans. After the seven demigods of Prophecy of Seven recapture the Athena Parthenos, Leo Valdez says that they cannot return it to the Parthenon for good because it would raise too many question from mortals.
The Blood of Olympus[]
In Piper's dream, all the giants were seen gathered up there.
Film[]
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 from the Underworld after Percy rescues his mother. While inside, they were attacked by the Hydra which was sent by Hades to get the lightning bolt.
Gallery[]
