The Parthenon is a former temple on Greece's Acropolis dedicated to the goddess Athena, whom the Athenians considered their patron. The Parthenon was largely utilized as a treasury. It functioned as the treasury of the Delian League, which subsequently became the Athenian Empire, for a while. 31 years after its construction, the Persian army under Xerxes invaded Attica and destroyed much of Athens in order to get at the treasures inside the temple of Athena Parthenos.
In addition to being a repository of wealth, the Parthenon was also used as a court building, an assembly room, and even a prison. Today, it remains the largest surviving example of Greek architecture. The original structure was built 438 BC, but it was remodeled and expanded several times over the next 300 years. It was finally demolished by the Ottoman Turks in 1668.
Inside the Parthenon are many sculptures and paintings depicting various aspects of Athenian life and mythology. There are also some beautiful buildings including a library, an art museum, and offices where members of the government worked. However, because of damage caused by time and vandalism, many parts of the site is now inaccessible or visible only with permission from the Ministry of Culture.
The Parthenon is a marble temple dedicated to Athena, the goddess of wisdom. It is situated on a hill with a view over Athens. This location was chosen to demonstrate the temple's authority and to bring the temple closer to Athena and the gods. The building itself is shaped like a Greek temple with cella (inner room) and opisthodomos (outer porch or portico).
The construction of the Parthenon began in 447 B.C. and it was completed in 432 B.C. The Athenian treasury paid for most of the construction costs with funds donated by wealthy citizens who wanted to show their support for the project. The size of the building makes it one of the largest works of architecture in the world and its style is called "architecture without a master builder". There were probably about 500 people working on the project at any given time. They were mainly masons and sculptors but also included painters, carpenters, metalworkers, and stonecutters.
The original design of the building was prepared by Ictinus and Callicrates. However, during construction, disagreements arose between them and another architect named Kallicrates so they all left the project together to start their own firms. The work was continued by Myson, Kallikrates, and Myron.
The Parthenon is a temple that tops the Acropolis hill in Athens. It was dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena Parthenos in the mid-5th century BC ("Athena the Virgin"). The building is covered with an elaborate frieze and has a central cella or hall where the altar would have been placed.
Built around 438 BC, the Parthenon was completed by Phidias and his team of sculptors and painters. The original structure was painted white with blue decorations, but now much of this paint has faded over time.
The temple was built at the end of the 5th century BC, during the Peloponnesian War, when Athens was suffering financial difficulties. As part of its military budget, the city government had hired the famous sculptor/builder Phidias to design and construct this monument as an offering to Athena for saving Athens during her war against the Persians. The statue itself was made of gold and ivory; it was one of the largest statues ever created at the time. It was so impressive that visitors still comment on how large it looks even today.
The original purpose of the temple was to house the Parthenon Marbles which were taken by the British in 1770 and are now in London's British Museum.
In the middle of the fifth century, the Parthenon was an expression and embodiment of Athenian luxury, as well as a symbol of Athenian political and cultural dominance in Greece. It was bigger and more luxurious than any previous temple built on the Greek mainland. The building of the Parthenon is said to have been initiated by King Pericles and finished by his successor, Kimon. The total cost of the project can't be estimated accurately but was probably close to 200 million drachmas ($9.5 million today).
The building of the Parthenon was part of an effort by Athens to celebrate its victory over the Persians at the Battle of Marathon. This battle had a profound effect on Greece and Athens in particular. Before this victory, Athens was not even a city state but a small town located inside a territory dominated by Sparta. After this victory, Athens became the leader of Greece and started to build many public buildings and monuments to show what it could do. One of these projects was the construction of the Parthenon.
The aim of the building was to house the goddess Athena, who wasn't allowed to come down from her throne in the Acropolis because there was no room for her there. The Parthenon was therefore designed as a replica of the Acropolis, with its pediment depicting Athena's profile and containing openings through which sunlight would shine on the altar below.
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