The Parthenon was a temple of Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Acropolis of Athens. Being the best known remaining building of Ancient Greece, it has been praised as the finest achievement of Greek architecture. Its decorative sculpture is considered one of the high points of Greek art. The Parthenon is an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece, Athenian democracy and it is regarded as one of the world's greatest cultural monuments.
The name of the Parthenon likely derives from the monumental cult statue of Athena Parthenos housed in the eastern room of the building. Sculpted in ivory and gold by Phidias, Athena's epithet parthenos refers to the goddess's unmarried and virginal status.
The Parthenon replaced an older temple of Athena that had been destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC. Like most Greek temples, the Parthenon was used as a treasury, and for a time served as the treasury of the Athenian Empire.
In the 6th century AD the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church dedicated to the Virgin and was converted into a mosque after the Turkish conquest. In 1687 a Turkish ammunition dump inside the building was ignited by a Venetian cannonball and the explosion severely damaged the Parthenon and its sculptures. In the 19th century, Lord Elgin removed some of the surviving sculptures and took them to England. These sculptures, known as the Elgin Marbles, are on display in the British Museum.
In 447 BC, the temple’s construction began in 447 BC, and the building was substantially completed by 438 BC, but work on the decorations continued until at least 433 BC. It is regarded as the finest example of a Doric temple and is reputed to be the most perfect Doric temple ever built.
The stylobate, the platform on which the columns stand, curves upwards slightly for optical reasons. Entasis, the slight swelling of the columns as they rise, counters the optical effect of looking up at the temple. The effect of these subtle curves is to make the temple appear more symmetrical than it actually is.
Measured at the top step, the dimensions of the base of the Parthenon are 69.5 meters by 30.9 meters. The cella was 29.8 meters long by 19.2 meters wide, with internal Doric colonnades in two tiers, structurally necessary to support the roof. On the exterior, the Doric columns measure 1.9 meters in diameter and are 10.4 meters high. The corner columns are slightly larger in diameter. The stylobate has an upward curvature towards its center of 2.36 inches on the east and west ends, and of 4.33 inches on the sides. Some of the dimensions form the golden rectangle expressing the golden ratio, praised by Pythagoras in the previous century.
Ninety two Doric metopes were carved in high relief, a practice employed until then only in treasuries or buildings used to keep votive gifts to the gods. The metopes of the east side of the Parthenon, above the main entrance, depict the Gigantomachy or the fight of the Olympian gods against the Giants. On the west side, the metopes show the Amazonomachy, the mythical battle of the Athenians against the Amazons. The metopes of the south side show the Thessalian Centauromachy, the battle of the Lapiths aided by Theseus against the half-man, half-horse Centaurs. On the north side of the Parthenon, the metopes are poorly preserved, but the subject seems to be the sack of Troy.
Stylistically, the metopes present surviving traces of the Severe Style in the anatomy of the figures' heads. Several of the metopes still remain on the building but with the exception of the ones in the northern side, they are severely damaged. Some of them are located at the Acropolis Museum, others are in the British Museum and one can be seen at the Louvre Museum.
The East pediment of the Parthenon narrates the birth of Athena from the head of her father, Zeus, whereas the West pediment presents the dispute of Athena and Poseidon over the city of Athens. The work on the pediments lasted from 438 to 432 BC.
