Parthenon
The Parthenon is a temple in the middle of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece (Europe). It was a temple to honor the god Athena for nearly 900 years, and originally had a huge idol to her. The name Parthenon means the virgin's place in Greek.[1] It was built between 447 BC and 432 BC during the reign of Pericles.[1] It is considered one of ancient Greece's greatest architecture accomplishments.[1]
The building was constructed using limestone foundations and 22,000 tons of marble. The building was designed by the architects Ictinus and Callicrates.[1] It has 46 Doric columns which support the roof, with 8 across the front and back, and 17 on each side.[1]
In 1687 a gunpowder explosion damaged the building. Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin took some of the sculptures, now called the Elgin Marbles, from the Parthenon in 1759. They have been on display in the British Museum since 1816.
References
Ancient Greece: Arts and Culture | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sculpture |  | |
| Painting and pottery | ||
| Sports and Games | Boxing • Gymnasium • Heraia • Kleomedes of Astypalia • Kottabos • Milo of Croton • Olympic Games • Palaestra • Pankration • Theogenes • Wrestling • | |
| Architecture | ||
| Theater | Aeschylus • Aristophanes • Comedy • Euripides • Greek chorus • Satyr play • Sophocles • Theatre of ancient Greece • Tragedy • | |
| Literature | ||
| Places | ||
| People | Alcibiades • Aristotle • Galen • Herodotus • Hippocrates • Pausanias (geographer) • Pericles • Plato • Plutarch • Socrates • Xenophon | |
| Miscellanea | ||
