How The Construction of Parthenon Started and Why It is The Athenian's Pride

The Parthenon: An Icon of Ancient Greek Civilization

The Parthenon, constructed between 447 and 438 BCE, is one of the most famous monuments of ancient Greek civilization. It exemplifies the greatest works of Greek architecture, history, and ancient Greek religious beliefs. Although now it lies mostly in ruins, it stands towering above Athens, continuing its legacy as one of the greatest examples of the country’s power and wealth.

How The Construction of the Parthenon Started and Why It is the Athenian's Pride

Work began on the Parthenon in 447 BCE, built on the Acropolis, to replace a temple that was destroyed by the Greek’s rivals, the Persians, in 480 BCE. The construction of the Parthenon cost Greece 469 silver talents, and the work commenced under the order of Pericles, who wanted to showcase the wealth and exuberance of Athenian power to rivaling nations. The name “Parthenon” is derived from a cult statue titled “Athena Parthenos” that was to be housed in the east room of the building. The Parthenon, crafted with ivory and gold, was sculpted by the renowned sculptor of that time, Phidias. Following the reason behind most of the buildings constructed on the Acropolis, the Parthenon is dedicated to the goddess Athena.

To truly make the Parthenon an outstanding architectural monument, many people were involved in its construction, including Pericles, Phidias, Kalamis, Ictinus, and Calibrates. As stated earlier, Pericles was the leading statesman of the time. Phidias and Kalamis were both in charge of the design of the sculptures and decorations. Ictinus and Calibrates were the chief architects for the entire project. Most of the funds that were used to build the Parthenon went towards transporting the materials needed, such as the stone from Mount Pantelakos, which was 16 kilometers from Athens to the Acropolis.

The architecture holds many resemblances to Doric design with many iconic architectural features. The architects, Ictinus and Calibrates, used ingenious visual effects in their models of the Parthenon, making the building appear more symmetrical than it actually is. This innovative design was so influential that it was used in later century architecture, particularly during the Roman era. The Parthenon held many different architectural elements such as the colonnade of fluted, baseless columns with square capital stands on a base that supports the roof, consisting of bands of stone. The colonnade also contains eight columns on both the east and west sides of the building and 17 on the north and south sides. All these columns were made to enclose a rectangular chamber called the cella. Behind the cella was another small room that wasn't connected to the cella but individually placed on the west side. It also consists of a frieze (an artistic mosaic) of vertically grooved blocks and plain blocks to help relieve the decoration on the wall. The only light that entered the Parthenon was from the east doorway, except for some that sneaked in through the marble tiles in the roof and ceiling.

The Parthenon is a prime example of an extraordinary number of architectural refinements, which combined give a look of plastic, sculptural appearance to the building. The sculptural decorations on and inside the Parthenon gave the building a more delicate look despite its large and overpowering exterior. Many different images were portrayed on the building, such as a battle between gods and giants; on the south side of the Parthenon, Greeks and centaurs; on the west, more Greeks and Amazons were depicted. Unfortunately, all the decorations on the north side lay in ruins. The decorations continue in a frieze around the top of the cella wall, representing the annual Panathenaic procession of citizens honoring the goddess Athena. On the east end is a depiction of a priest and priestess of Athena flanked by two groups of gods seated before them. The pediment groups, carved in the round, shown on the east end, depict the birth of Athena. On the west end, her contest with the god of the sea, Poseidon, for dominion of the region around Athens is portrayed. The entire work is a fantastic composition that was later enhanced with bronze accessories.

The Parthenon remained intact until about the 5th century CE when Phidias’s colossal statues were removed, and the temple was turned into a Christian church. By the 7th century, the interior of the Parthenon was changed as well. In 1456, the Turks seized the Acropolis and took the Parthenon for themselves, transforming it into a mosque without having to change too many of the architectural elements that made it so great, other than raising the minaret at the southwest corner. Not long after, the center of the building was blown up and destroyed in 1687 by Venetians fighting the Turks. Between 1801 and 1803, a large part of the sculpture that was left after the battle was removed by a British nobleman named Thomas Bruce and was sold in 1816 to the British Museum in London, where it remains today. Other pieces and ruins are on display in the Louvre Museum in Paris, Copenhagen, and many other famous museums throughout the world, but the Parthenon still stands in Athens today, available for tourists to explore.

Now that we know the history and architectural elements that went into making this marveled temple known as the Parthenon, I want to discuss some other interesting facts about this historic monument. Though many consider the Parthenon to be a temple to the goddess Athena, the Greeks intended it to be a treasury for all of Athens' wealth. Because it was seen as a bank for the Greeks, this is why they placed one of the greatest pieces of art they had, the gigantic sculpture of Athena dressed in chryselephantine (elephant ivory) and gold, one of the most priceless artifacts of that time. To accommodate such an array of treasures, the Parthenon measured 111 feet by 228 feet, or 30.9 meters by 69.5 meters.

The Legacy of the Parthenon

The Parthenon survived many battles, and though damaged, it remains one of the most proud and exquisite pieces of architecture in Athens. Today, tourists journey from far and wide to walk up the steps of the Parthenon and admire all of its beauty in detail. Though it lies in ruins, it still towers over Athens, reminding everyone of the great power and wealth that once characterized the great city.

References:

• Boardman, J., & Finn, D. (1985). The Parthenon and Its Sculptures. University of Texas Press.
• Neils, J. (2005). The Parthenon: From Antiquity to the Present. Cambridge University Press.
• Stuttard, D. (2014). The Parthenon: Power and Politics on the Acropolis. British Museum Press.