It was dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena Parthenos and constructed in the mid-5th century BC ("Athena the Virgin"). The temple is often regarded as the pinnacle of the Doric order, the simplest of the three Classical Greek architectural systems. Athens, Greece's Parthenon. It stands in front of the New Acropolis Museum which opens its doors in 2019.
The building was originally painted red, white, and black (with some additions in silver and gold). Today, most of it is covered with whitewash that preserves it well but also makes it look somewhat monochromatic. The structure itself is made of marble, with traces of red and yellow sandstone used for certain elements of the building such as the Propylaea (Gateway) of the Old Acropolis. It measures 220 feet by 52 feet 6 inches with a total height of 180 feet. The central part of the pediment is missing, probably destroyed during the Persian invasion of 480 BC.
The building was built by Phidias, one of the leading artists of his time. He was commissioned by the city of Athens to create this monument for their new Acropolis museum site. The sculpture itself is considered one of the masterpieces of ancient art: it is a copy of an unknown work by Antenor (or possibly Myron) and was probably meant to be placed on the entrance door of the temple.
The Parthenon is a temple that stands atop the Acropolis hill in Athens. The building is widely regarded as one of the greatest works of art from the Golden Age of Greece.
The Athenians used funds received as an indemnity from Sparta to rebuild their city after it had been destroyed by the Persians. They also used this money to construct many public buildings, including temples. This new generation of architects and sculptors created a more refined style that would come to be known as "Classical Architecture".
The rebuilding of the city was a celebration of freedom from Persia and all it stood for. The architects and builders worked closely with painters and poets who also took part in this celebration of beauty by creating sculptures, paintings, and plays for the people to enjoy.
The Parthenon was built over a period of about 15 years. It was designed by Iktinos and Kallikrates but executed mostly by Phidias and his team. The size of the marble blocks used to build the temple has been estimated at 20 to 30 feet long, 10 feet high, and 6 inches thick. They were transported to the site by oxen or, according to some sources, even elephants.
The Parthenon is a Greek temple in Athens that was erected in the 5th century BC in the Doric Order, Greece's oldest architectural style. In the frieze, a part of the ceiling structure, Doric temples have alternating patterns of triglyphs (panels with three vertical lines) and metopes. The Parthenon's sculptured decoration includes figures of animals, warriors, and other scenes that illustrate myths from Greek mythology.
The center section of the Parthenon, which faces an axis at 90 degrees to both the east and west entrances, holds the most important sculptures and is called the metope field. This area is divided into four parts by columns. The triglyphs are on the central panel of the metope field.
The word "triglyph" comes from the Greek words trios (three) and glyphes (carvings). Thus, it means "three carvings."
In the fifth century BC, when the Parthenon was built, Greek artists and craftsmen were famous for their work. So much quality sculpture was placed in the center section of the Parthenon that this area remains one of the largest and best-preserved examples of Doric architecture in existence today.
The presence of the triglyphs indicates that the building was intended to serve as a temple for Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war.
The Parthenon (/'pa:rth@,nan, -n@n/; Ancient Greek: Parthenon; Greek: Parthenonas, Parthenonas) is an ancient temple devoted to the goddess Athena, whom the Athenians regarded their patron. Construction started in 447 BC, during the height of the Athenian Empire's dominance. The building was completed in 432 BC. It was burned down by the Romans in 80 AD, but it was rebuilt within a few years.
The original architect and builder of the Parthenon is unknown. Some scholars believe that Ictinus, a Corinthians architect, is the likely candidate, while others name Kallicrates, who may have been from Syracuse. However, since both men were well-known artists who worked in gold and silver, it is possible that they received help from other artists. The earliest preserved drawings for the construction show the plan with only minor changes over the years, so it can be assumed that they were guided by Athena herself. She probably gave specific instructions to Ictinus or another architect about what kind of structure she wanted built. The archaeological evidence shows that the cella (inner room) was framed first, then the walls were built up around it. Once this was done, the architects opened up the entrance into the cella through the oculus (eye of God). They also added a second floor with more rooms for worship after seeing how many people came to watch the athletic competitions held inside the temple.
A magnificent temple of the Doric style at Athens, dedicated to Athena, built under Phidias of Pentelicus marble, and considered as the best exemplar of Greek architecture that survives; it is 228 feet long and 64 feet tall. Parthenon is a Greek word that meaning "chamber of the virgin goddess, Athena." The name refers to the fact that the building was originally intended as a temple for the goddess Parthenos, or Virgin Athena.
According to myth, the Athenians asked Hephaestus to build them a temple worthy of their patron goddess Athena; however, they failed to notice that he had built it too big. So, when the building was completed, they could not fit all of its parts together. This is why there are holes inside the structure where you can see the blue sky.
The temple took 10 years to complete and was opened in 438 B.C. by Pericles, who was then the leader of Athens. It was actually built as a replacement for the previous temple which had been destroyed by the Persians during their invasion of Greece. However, even though this new temple was meant to be used by Athena, many people began visiting it because of its great size and beauty. This made the construction managers of the temple decide to keep it open so more people would come and admire it.
In 426 B.C., the Acropolis Museum was built over the site of the original entrance to the temple.
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