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.

The Parthenon is the perfect topic for research into Greek studies because it demonstrates the function of religion in the life of ancient Greeks. To the ancient Greeks, their gods and goddesses played a role in their everyday lives. The gods and goddesses actively intervened in the lives of the ancient Greeks. Furthermore, the Greeks,...

The Greeks respected the search for knowledge. The Parthenon demonstrates this affection in two ways: first, it is a temple to the goddess of knowledge; second, its architecture and design embody specialized types of knowledge. Furthermore, because the Parthenon was built on the Acropolis of Athens, it demonstrates that religion was never far-removed from everyday life, especially war. What was to become the center of worship for the people of Athens began as a fortress against invaders. Finally, the Parthenon demonstrates the vitality of the culture of the ancient Greeks, even in the face of various conquerors. While the Greeks were conquered and the Parthenon was no longer the temple of Athena, it survived and became one of the early Christian churches, and then eventually a mosque. It demonstrates how other cultures have built on Greek history and incorporated it into their own cultural and religious traditions. Finally, the fact that people visit the ruins of the Parthenon to this day demonstrates the permanence of the Greek culture in modern society.
Works Cited

Parthenon." Wikipedia. 2005. Wikipedia. 12 Mar. 2005 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenon.

Parthenon, Athens, Greece." Places of Peace and Power. 2005. Sacredsites. 12 Mar. 2005 http://www.sacredsites.com/europe/greece/parthenon.html.

Silverman, David. "The Parthenon." Humanities. 2005. Reed College. 12 Mar. 2005 http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110Tech/Parthenon.html.