Parthenon
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"Today, for the first time after many centuries of barbarism, Your Majesty has again set this high fortress back on the path of civilization and renown, on the path of Themistocles, Aristides, Cimon and Pericles, and this will and must be perceived in the eyes of the world as a symbol of the blessed period of Your Majesty’s government and of that which you have decided for this rocky stronghold. The traces of a barbaric age, its rubble and formless debris, will disappear here as everywhere in Hellas, and the remnants of a glorious past will arise in new splendor as the surest stanchion of a glorious present and future."[1] --Leo von Klenze in a speech addressed to Otto of Greece in 1834 |
Photo: North-Western face of the Parthenon, said to be taken by H. Beck in 1872
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The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the maiden goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron. Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although decoration of the building continued until 432 BC. It is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece, generally considered the culmination of the development of the Doric order. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of Greek art. The Parthenon is regarded as an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece, Athenian democracy, western civilization and one of the world's greatest cultural monuments. The Greek Ministry of Culture is currently carrying out a program of selective restoration and reconstruction to ensure the stability of the partially ruined structure.
See also
- Kyriakos Pittakis
- Ancient Greek architecture
- Ancient Greek temple
- List of Ancient Greek temples
- List of megalithic sites
- Destruction of the Parthenon
- Parthenon, Nashville – Full-scale replica
- Temple of Hephaestus
