The Parthenon: architecture and historical significance

¶ … Parthenon

In its day, the Parthenon was considered the finest example of a Doric order temple. "The building has stood atop the Acropolis of Athens for nearly 2,500 years and was built to give thanks to Athena, the city's patron goddess, for the salvation of Athens and Greece in the Persian Wars" ("Parthenon"). The Parthenon was built to replace two temples, which had been destroyed by the Persians in the Persian Wars. "One of these, of which almost no trace remains today, stood south of the Parthenon (between the Parthenon and the Erechtheum). The other, which was still being built at the time of the Persian sack in 480, was on the same spot as the Parthenon" (Silverman).

The Parthenon was built in the 5th century BCE, under the initiative of Pericles, an Athenian politician. Pericles was an influential Athenian leader during the Golden Age of Athens, the period between the Persian and Peloponnesian wars. Pericles was responsible for an extensive amount of building in Athens. However, Pericles is famous for another reason: he is one of the fathers of democracy. Pericles began his career in politic at a young age. Concerned that he would be perceived as a tyrant because of his social standing, Pericles promoted the interests of those in the middle and lower classes.

Pericles' main political rival was a wealthy man named Kimon, who gained favor with the Athenian people by spending his own money to help Athenians in need. To counter Kimon's popularity with the Athenian people, Pericles spent public money on several building projects in Athens. Due to the success in his building projects, Pericles was able to have Kimon banished until Kimon was needed to lead the Athenians in battle.

The Parthenon was built on the Acropolis of Athens. While there are many Acropolises, or high cities, in Greece, the Acropolis is the most famous of them. Surrounded by cliffs on three sides, the Acropolis served as a natural fortress. After serving as a fortress, the Acropolis then became the cult center of the city of Athens. However, during invasions, it continued to serve its purpose as a fortress.

Construction on the Parthenon was begun in 447 BCE, and the building was substantially completed by 438 BCE. The architects in charge of the Parthenon were Iktinos and Kallikrates, and it was built under the general supervision of the sculptor Pheidias. Pheidias made the chryselephantine cult statue of the goddess Athena, which stood in the Parthenon.

The name Parthenon refers to the worship of Athena Parthenos, the 'Virgin Athena' who issued fully grown from the head of her father Zeus" ("Parthenon, Athens, Greece"). Athena was the maiden goddess and patroness of Athens. She represented the gifts of intellect and understanding. Because of her purity in body, mind, and heart, Athena was considered "the symbol of the universal human aspiration for wisdom" ("Parthenon, Athens, Greece"). The topographical location, geometry, and astronomical orientation of the Parthenon reinforce the symbolism of the Parthenon as a shrine to the quest for wisdom. The temple itself was built to embody Athena's presence, both in its intention and in its physical construction.

For example, the columns used in Greek temples were the Doric, Ionic, and the Corinthian. The Doric was "not only a type of column, but an 'order'; this means that the temples of the Doric order not only have this type of column, but also have a certain structure at the upper levels" (Silverman). Furthermore, there were other stylistic elements of the Parthenon that demonstrated its religious significance. The Metopes were a series of small structures on the sides of the Parthenon. The Metopes depicted various battles between order and chaos. The Pediments on the Parthenon, which are relief sculptures that are larger than the Metopes, depict events in the life of Athena. In addition, there is a frieze running along the upper edge of the wall of the Parthenon. The frieze contains a procession of figures that served a variety of ritual functions. The actual subject of the procession is the topic of vehement scholarly debate. Some scholars believe that the frieze depicts an actual procession that occurred at the time that the Parthenon was built, while others believe that it depicts a mythological procession.