Parthenon: history of creation. What you need to know about Athens' greatest temple, the Parthenon? What does the Parthenon and Pantheon look like?

The Parthenon Temple is one of the symbols of Greece, a monument of ancient architecture, located in the central part of the Athens Acropolis.

The Parthenon is an ancient temple, the main symbol of the capital of Greece, Athens, and the entire country. Together with other buildings of the Athens Acropolis, the Parthenon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple is dedicated to the patroness of the city, Athena the Virgin, who is also considered the patroness of the entire Attica - the area around the city.

Translated from ancient Greek, the Parthenon means “most pure”, “virgin”. Athena was awarded this epithet for her virginity, which was one of the fundamental qualities of the goddess. Scientists believe that the Christian cult of the Virgin Mary subsequently grew from the cult of the warrior maiden Athena.

The temple is located in the center of the Acropolis of Athens - the upper city of Athens. The Acropolis of Athens is a hill in the center of the city, which is a rock 150 m high above sea level with a flat top. On the upper platform of the acropolis, measuring 300 m by 170 m, various temples, palaces and sculptures have been located since archaic times.

Parthenon architecture

Thanks to the developed culture of the Athenian polis, history has brought down to this day the names of the people who built the temple. The marble tablets on which the city authorities wrote down their decrees indicate who built the Parthenon. The author of the project is the architect Iktinus, the architect Callicrates supervised the construction of the temple, the great sculptor Phidias carried out the external decoration of the building and was the author of the sculptures that decorated the pediments and the interior of the temple. The general leadership was carried out by the great statesman and founding father of Athenian democracy, Pericles.

The Parthenon is a classical ancient Greek temple, rectangular in its base, surrounded on all sides by a Doric colonnade.

The Parthenon is interesting primarily for its unique architectural design used in the construction of the temple. In order to avoid optical distortions, the authors of the project resorted to innovative architectural techniques: the columns were thicker in the central part, and the corner columns were also inclined towards the center of the temple and had a slightly larger volume. During the construction of the temple, the principle of the golden ratio was used. Thanks to the techniques used by the architects, the impression of absolutely straight lines of the temple and its perfect appearance is created.

The temple was almost entirely built from expensive Pentelic marble, and gold was widely used in the initial decoration. The temple stands on three steps one and a half meters high; from the central western façade of the building the steps used to enter the building were cut out. The total length of the building is 70 m, width - 31 m, height - 14 m.

Not all the treasures of the Parthenon have survived to this day: such a masterpiece of the temple as the 13-meter statue of Athena Parthenos by the great sculptor Phidias, which once stood in the center of the Parthenon, has been lost forever to humanity. Of the many sculptural groups representing scenes from the life of ancient gods and decorating the pediments of the building, only 11 have survived to this day; another 19 sculptures were barbarously cut down in the 19th century and taken to Great Britain, where they are now kept in the British Museum.

History of the Athens Parthenon

Marble tablets, on which the city authorities wrote down their decrees and orders, have preserved for us the exact date when the Parthenon was built. The start of construction was 447 BC. e. The construction of the temple took 10 years, after which in 438 BC. e. it was open. The construction of the temple dedicated to the goddess Athena cost the city treasury 700 talents - more than 18 tons of silver.

In the 3rd century BC. e. Athens survived the Heruli invasion, during which the Parthenon was sacked and burned. The roof, ceilings and doors of the temple were damaged. During the restoration, ancient builders did not strive to restore the Parthenon to its original form, so architectural distortions were introduced into it.

For about a thousand years, the Parthenon was a pagan temple, however, after the collapse of the Roman Empire and the formation of Byzantium, it was converted into a Christian church, presumably in the 6th century AD. e. During the turbulent medieval history of the Balkans and Athens in particular, the Parthenon either became a Catholic church or returned to the disposal of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople.

In the 15th century, Athens and all of Greece were conquered by the Ottoman Turks, after which the Parthenon was turned into a mosque, and a military garrison, a pasha's palace and even a harem were located on the territory of the Athenian Acropolis. The Great Turkish War between the Christian states of Europe and the Ottoman Empire was a heavy blow to the Parthenon. During the storming of Athens by the Venetians in 1687, the Parthenon was destroyed. The territory of the acropolis was fired from cannons, after which the temple, in which the gunpowder warehouse was located, exploded.

The Venetians who captured the city noted the colossal damage caused to the Parthenon by their own artillery. Three dozen columns were destroyed, the roof collapsed, some of the sculptures were destroyed, and the central section of the building collapsed. From that time on, the Parthenon fell into ruins and was never used as a temple again.

Throughout the 18th century, the Parthenon slowly collapsed: local residents used the ruins of the building as building material, and numerous European hunters for antique values exported elements of sculptures and decoration of the building to their countries. The picture of the destruction of the Parthenon was completed by the British ambassador to Turkey, Thomas Bruce, who at the beginning of the 19th century took to Great Britain more than 200 boxes with sculptures, fragments of columns and other artifacts of the Parthenon.

As a result, it is impossible to give a definite answer to the question “Who destroyed the Parthenon?” The destruction of the great temple was the work of many people: from the Ottoman rulers of Greece and the inhabitants of Athens to connoisseurs of ancient art from Europe.

After Greece gained independence in the first half of the 19th century, the area of the acropolis was cleared of later buildings such as a minaret, a medieval palace and even sculptures from the Roman period. The restoration of the temple began in the 19th century, but it was prevented by the earthquake of 1894, which further destroyed the building. The reconstruction of the Parthenon by Greek architects continued from the beginning of the 20th century until the middle of the century, after which the temple acquired its modern appearance. However, restoration and archaeological work did not stop after this and continues to this day.

What now

Nowadays, the Parthenon is the main attraction of Athens, one of the national shrines of Greece and the heritage of all mankind. The ideal appearance of the temple, although not completely preserved to this day, not only gives an idea of the cultural and technical achievements of ancient Greece, but is also a symbol of the possibilities of human genius. The Parthenon annually attracts millions of tourists to Athens, and since 1987, together with the entire territory of the Acropolis of Athens, it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Where is the Parthenon

The Parthenon is located on the territory of the Acropolis of Athens in the very center of the Greek capital. In order to get to the Upper Town Hill, you need to get to the center of Athens. When traveling by Athens Skytrain, you need to get off at Akropolis station on the Athens Metro Red Line. Also, the large pedestrian street Dionysiou Areopagitou leads to the hill with the temple located on it.

Excursions to the Acropolis

You can visit the territory of the acropolis on your own; to do this, you need to purchase a ticket at the ticket office at the entrance to the territory of the archaeological site.

Opening hours of the Acropolis of Athens: 8:00 - 20:00, seven days a week.

Ticket price: 12 EUR, ticket is valid for 4 days from the date of purchase.

When visiting the acropolis, it is strictly forbidden to touch ancient buildings with your hands, including columns.

Ordering an individual tour of the Acropolis and visiting the main attractions with a Russian-speaking guide will cost 320 EUR. This excursion also includes a sightseeing tour of Athens. Duration of the excursion: from 2 to 5 hours.

The Parthenon Temple in Athens is one of the greatest religious buildings of mankind. And in Greece it is one of the most visited sites by tourists.

For decades, the Parthenon was the main temple of ancient Athens. After all, it was dedicated to the very goddess who gave the city its name and was its patroness. “Parthianos” meant “Most Pure One”.

The goddess Athena in ancient mythology, thus, was the direct predecessor of the “Most Pure Virgin Mary” in Christian mythology (more precisely, one of the predecessors). Athena Parthianos is also the Greek version of the global archetype of the “mother goddess”.

In whose honor was the Parthenon Temple built?

According to legend, Athena emerged from the head of Zeus. The Thunderer swallowed his pregnant wife Metis (Wisdom), because he was afraid that she would give birth to a son who, according to the prophecy, would kill him. But it all worked out - a daughter was born, who came out of the broken skull of Zeus (he himself ordered his head to be cut, as he was suffering from pain) and immediately began to teach people wisdom: she gave them science and crafts, taught them to solve problems peacefully, without war, showed them how to write fair laws. She taught women how to weave.

Athena, the Greeks believed, was the founder of the intellectual life of mankind. The Athenians valued intellect, so they decided to build her such a temple - the Parthenon Temple, the grandest of which would not have been in the whole world.

The Parthenon Temple and its architects

On where the Parthenon now stands, there were several more temples dedicated to Athena. One of the most famous (and not found to this day) is the Hecatompedon (translated as “hundred-foot”). Only a few elements have been found from it; Previously, the foundation discovered on the Acropolis was also attributed to him, but later it was proven that it belonged to a completely different building. The name Hekatompedon was also passed on to the Parthenon - that was the name of its naos, that is, the sanctuary.

The construction was carried out by the most prominent architects of their time - Callicrates (chief architect), Iktin (creator of the project) and Phidias (construction manager and author of the sculptural decoration of the temple). The Parthenon was part of the extensive program of the Athenian ruler Pericles to improve his capital.

Construction of the Parthenon Temple began in 447 BC. and ended 9 years later in 438 BC. e.

What does the Parthenon Temple look like?

You should not think that the Parthenon in the architectural sense is an “ordinary” Greek temple. The list of unusual decisions that shocked the Athenian public at one time (and continue to amaze to this day) is quite extensive.

The Parthenon Temple was built from Pentelic marble, which has a beautiful shade. This stone was quite expensive, but there was enough money in the treasury: Athens at that time had reached its greatest prosperity, brutal wars had ended and it became possible to spend money on peaceful purposes, including on monumental art.

Pentelic marble tends to turn yellow when exposed to sunlight, which explains the “golden” color of the temple. The northern side of the structure looks grayish because the Parthenon receives less radiation there.

The Parthenon is built from beautiful Pentelic marble, which was quarried nearby.

The location of the Parthenon on the Acropolis is also non-standard for that time: it is rotated so that the façade of the building is clearly visible from three sides. Moreover, due to the fact that it is built on the southeastern side of the mountain, it seems small to observers, and as they approach, it seems to “grow” in front of them.

The ancient Greek architect of the Parthenon, Ictinus, used unusual optical techniques in his project, trying to capture the imagination of the public. From the outside it seems that he is perfectly straightforward. But in reality, there is almost no straight line in its architecture - most of the details have a certain slope. That is why, when looking at the building, there is no sense of perspective.

The stylobate, that is, the upper part of the steps, bends slightly upward in the center, and it seems to the observer that it is level. The columns have a slight entasis - a thickening in the center, so they appear straight. The corner columns are slightly thicker than the others, otherwise they would appear thinner; in cross-section they are not round. The pediments slope inward while the entablature slopes outward. All these and other techniques, including the arrangement of sculptures and wall paintings inside the temple in accordance with the laws of optics, helped the creators produce a truly unusual effect.

Art historians even introduced a special term - “Parthenon curvatura”; behind this cacophonous concept lies precisely the system of curvatures and irregularities, thanks to which it seems ideally even.

It has been established that the Parthenon was primarily designed to be viewed from the outside, from the city center. The blocks from which the building was constructed were carefully processed and polished on the outside, while the inside was left almost unprocessed: this saved time, effort and money.

The blocks themselves were carefully adjusted to each other, but no mortar was used in their connection: the stones were laid dry. The larger ones are located below, and smaller stones are laid on them. However, the blocks were securely fastened together with iron pins, which were inserted into special holes and filled with lead. In those days, as we know, there was no cement, but the Romans were already using something resembling modern concrete. The Athenians apparently did not know such technology, but their methods also made it possible to firmly fasten elements together.

The most sacred place in the Parthenon was the center, where the 13-meter statue of Athena was located. It was created from ivory and gold, and had a wooden base. This was a very generous gift to the beloved goddess. Unfortunately, this monument has not survived to this day.

The Parthenon, like other Greek temples, was brightly colored in ancient times. The main colors were red, gold and blue. Now, of course, this beauty has not been preserved.

János Korom Dr. / flickr.com Parthenon in Athens (Panoramas / flickr.com) János Korom Dr. / flickr.com Chris Brown / flickr.com Parthenon, 1985 (Nathan Hughes Hamilton / flickr.com) The Parthenon rises on the Acropolis (Roger W / flickr.com) jjmusgrove / flickr.com Nicholas Doumani / flickr.com claire rowland / flickr. com Dennis Jarvis / flickr.com Parthenon at night (Arian Zwegers / flickr.com) psyberartist / flickr.com George Rex / flickr.com Reconstruction of the Parthenon (Emiliano Felicissimo / flickr.com) Comrade Foot / flickr.com In front of the Parthenon (Kristoffer Trolle / flickr.com)

The Parthenon Acropolis of Athens is the most outstanding religious building and the greatest monument of ancient Greek architecture. Built in the 5th century. BC, the temple amazed contemporaries with its size and grandeur, and continues to amaze and interest eyewitnesses of the modern era.

What is the Parthenon - what was its significance in Ancient Greece?

The Temple of the Virgin Athena in the city named after her was the most important cult object of the ancient Hellenes. For the residents of the city of Athens, it became consonant with the meaning of the words prosperity and well-being.

This reverent attitude is explained by the fact that it was dedicated to the goddess Athena, who was considered the patroness of the city and ancient Greece.

The word “Parthenon” in the language of the ancient Hellenes meant “most pure.” In other words, Athena became the forerunner of the “Most Pure Virgin Mary” in the Christian religion. The goddess was also an ancient Greek invariant of the common “mother goddess” archetype.

Legend of the Goddess Athena

Interestingly, Athena was given birth to by Zeus himself. According to ancient Greek myths, the supreme god of Olympus was foretold of death at the hands of his son.

In front of the Parthenon (Kristoffer Trolle / flickr.com)

Fearing the fulfillment of the words of the prophecy, the Thunderer swallowed his wife Metis, who was carrying a child under her heart.

However, the prediction did not come true - a daughter was born who came out of the head of Zeus (the heavenly ruler himself ordered his skull to be cut because he could not stand the torment).

Athena, like her brother Ares, became the patroness of wars. But unlike her divine relative, she stopped injustice and advocated the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

According to ancient Greek mythology, it was Athena who gave people crafts, in particular, she taught women how to weave. In addition, the goddess contributed to the development of science and philosophy.

The Hellenes, who valued the intellectual factor of life above all else, decided to thank their patroness by erecting in her honor the most majestic temple in the history of mankind.

Where is the Parthenon?

The temple of the warrior maiden is located in the very center of the modern capital of Greece, on the Acropolis of Athens and is visible even from the most remote point of the city. The word "Acropolis" meant "Upper City". And this city performed defensive functions - the Athenians hid behind its walls, waiting out the siege.

Acropolis - abode of the gods

One glance at the Acropolis is enough to understand that the gods played a primary role in the lives of the inhabitants of ancient Greece - its entire territory is dissected by temples and sanctuaries dedicated to almost all the gods of Olympus.

The buildings of the Acropolis amaze with the genius of architectural thought and serve as classic examples of the use of the golden ratio in construction.

The Greeks valued the correctness and proportionality of forms so much that they even applied the rules of the golden ratio in plastic art.

The Parthenon in Athens is not the first Acropolis structure erected in honor of Athena. Even 200 years before him, the goddess was glorified in the Hekatompedon temple.

According to ancient historians, both sanctuaries actually existed in parallel until the first fell into decay.

Today, the monastery of Athena is a ruin, carved with traces of numerous destructions, but they still bear the stamp of their former greatness. The temple is the hallmark of Athens and all of Greece.

Every year, crowds of tourists interested in history flock to the foot of the Acropolis to touch history.

Acropolis of Athens (© A.Savin, Wikimedia Commons)

Who built the Parthenon?

The construction of the main temple of Athens, the Parthenon, dates back to 447 BC. e. The building was designed by the famous ancient architect Ikten. The construction was carried out by Callicrates, the court architect of the ruler Pericles, who took the initiative for the construction.

Under the leadership of the master, other objects of the Acropolis and more than a dozen civil objects of Athens were also erected. All the master’s projects are built in the best traditions of the architecture of Ancient Greece - using the principle of the golden ratio.

The temple of the goddess Athena was originally part of the extensive program of the Athenian ruler Pericles to improve the city.

An interesting fact is that it took 450 talents to build it. Considering that for 1 talent one could build 1 warship, we can say that Pericles left his empire without a navy, but gave the world one of the unique architectural monuments.

Construction of the temple lasted 9 years, and in 438 BC. e. he opened his doors. However, finishing work was carried out for another 6 years, led by Phidias, who went down in history thanks to an interesting fact of his creative biography.

Parthenon at night (Arian Zwegers / flickr.com)

The master is the creator of one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the sculpture of Zeus in Olympia. For the new temple, the sculptor created a statue of Athena Parthenos - an eleven-meter statue made of ivory and gold. This was a rich gift for the revered goddess.

The monument has not survived to this day, and we can judge its beauty only from surviving ancient sources.

The interior of the temple was filled with numerous sculptural compositions and statues of gods. Many of them are irretrievably lost. Some are kept in museums around the world. Statues from the Parthenon can be seen in the Hermitage.

Most of the surviving heritage is in the London Museum - these are statues and metopes bought back in the 19th century. from the Ottoman government. Currently, Greece is working to return the exhibits to their native lands.

Features of the architectural solution

The Parthenon Temple was in many ways an innovative building. Its appearance and design findings amazed contemporaries at one time and still arouse research interest.

Architecture of the Parthenon (George Rex / flickr.com)

The temple was actually built entirely from Pendelic marble, which cost a lot of money, and the decoration was replete with gold.

Under the influence of sunlight, the southern facade acquired a golden hue over time. The northern side of the building, which was less exposed to radiation, had its original gray color.

The temple of the warrior goddess is located at the highest point of the Acropolis, and the rays of the setting sun create a visual effect of a golden glow.

At the same time, observers get the impression that the temple is small in size. As you approach, the panorama expands and the building “overwhelms” with its massiveness.

Hyperbolic diagram of the curvature of the Parthenon (© A.Erud, Wikimedia Commons)

From the outside, a visual image emerges that the building has an ideal straight structure. In fact, most architectural elements are devoid of straight lines:

the upper parts of the steps have a slight deflection in the center, the columns are somewhat thicker in the center, and the corner ones have a larger volume compared to the rest;
The pediments of the Parthenon face inward, while the entablatures protrude outward.

All these optical techniques actually made it possible to create the illusion of perfect straightness. In addition, the principle of the golden ratio was used in the construction of the temple.

The external facade of the structure was decorated with numerous metopes - relief images of the gods: Zeus, Apollo, winged Nike, etc. The Parthenon, like all sanctuaries of ancient Greece, was painted in bright colors.

The dominant colors in the color palette were shades of red, blue and gold. Over time, they have worn out and we can judge the beauty of the building only according to the words of ancient scrolls.

Parthenon – Temple of Three Religions

The fate of the Parthenon was such that it became a place where the words of three religions were heard - paganism, Orthodoxy and Islam. The history of the greatness of the temple did not last long.

Parthenon, Acropolis of Athens (Carole Raddato / flickr.com)

The last ruler who revered the wise goddess was Alexander the Great. Subsequently, Athens was subjected to numerous seizures. The temple was looted, the gilding was removed from the statues, and the sculptures themselves were barbarously destroyed. However, the cult of the goddess Athena was so high among the Athenians that the sanctuary was restored by the incredible efforts of the townspeople, despite the fact that the treasury was actually looted.

After restoration, the temple operated for another 800 years and became the last refuge of paganism in the territory of modern Greece. With the advent of Christian power, pagan traditions were still strong in the city. In order to stop idolatry in the 4th century. n. e. The monastery of Athens was turned into an Orthodox church in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The building was rebuilt in accordance with the canons of Orthodox architecture, but in general it looked the same as before. In its new form, the temple began to attract pilgrims from all over the Orthodox world. Emperors and generals came running for words of support for the servants of the new “old” shrine.

Reconstruction of the Parthenon (Emiliano Felicissimo / flickr.com)

In the 15th century Greece came under the influence of the Ottoman Empire. The new authorities first hastened to get rid of Christian symbols, and this time the Parthenon acquired the features of Muslim mosques. However, apart from the excision of Christian subjects and words, no fundamental changes occurred in the appearance of the temple. In the 17th century During the military clash between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League, the walls of the Parthenon were practically destroyed.

In 1840, restoration work began, which breathed new life into the religious building. The restoration process continues to this day with varying degrees of success.

Today, the fate of the Parthenon is again under threat. Financial problems that began after the country joined the EU became the main obstacles to the revival of the greatest historical monument.

The Parthenon is one of the most famous monuments of ancient architecture. This 2,500-year-old magnificent temple on the Acropolis in Athens has survived earthquakes, fires, explosions and repeated looting attempts. And although the Parthenon was in no way an engineering breakthrough in construction, its style became the paradigm of classical architecture.

1. Acropolis in Athens

The Acropolis in Athens, where the Parthenon is located, is also called the "sacred rock" and was used for defensive purposes.

2. Cultural layers

Cultural layers discovered on the slopes of the Acropolis indicate that there were settlements on the hill since 2800 BC, that is, long before the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures.

3. The Acropolis was a sacred place

Long before the construction of the Parthenon, the Acropolis was a sacred place and there were other temples on it. The Parthenon replaced the old Temple of Athena, which was destroyed during the Persian invasion in 480 BC.

4. House Parthenos

The name "Parthenon" is derived from one of the many epithets of Athena (Athena Parthenos), and it means ""house of Parthenos"". This name was given to the temple in the 5th century BC because a cult statue of Athena was installed inside it.

5. Construction of the Parthenon

Construction of the Parthenon began in 447 BC. and was completed in 438 BC, but the final decoration of the temple continued until 432 BC.

6. Ictinus, Callicrates and Phidias

The Parthenon, which was built by the architects Ictinus and Callicrates under the supervision of the sculptor Phidias, is considered by most modern architects and historians to be the highest expression of ancient Greek architectural genius. The temple is also considered the culmination of the development of the Doric order, the simplest of the three classical Greek architectural styles.

7. 192 Greek warriors

Several modern historians (including art historian John Boardman) believe that the frieze above the Doric columns of the Parthenon depicts the 192 Greek soldiers who died at the Battle of Marathon against the Persians in 490 BC.

8. Stones from Pentelikon

Some of the financial records of the construction of the Parthenon have been preserved, which show that the largest expense was the transportation of stones from Pentelikon, which was located sixteen kilometers from the Acropolis of Athens.

9. The Greek government and the EU have been restoring the Parthenon for 42 years

The Parthenon restoration project (which is funded by the Greek government and the European Union) has been ongoing for 42 years. It took the ancient Athenians only 10 years to build the Parthenon.

10. 12-meter statue of the goddess Athena

The rectangular building, 31 meters wide and 70 meters high, was built of white marble. Surrounded by forty-six columns stood a 12-meter statue of the goddess Athena, made of wood, gold and ivory.

11. Tyrant Lahar

Although much of the structure remains intact, the Parthenon has suffered significant damage over the centuries. It all started in 296 BC, when the Athenian tyrant Lacharus removed the gold covering from the statue of Athena in order to pay the debt of his army.

12. In the fifth century AD, the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church

In the fifth century AD, the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church, and in 1460 a Turkish mosque was located in the Parthenon. In 1687, the Ottoman Turks placed a gunpowder warehouse in the temple, which exploded when the temple was shelled by the Venetian army. At the same time, part of the temple turned into ruins.

13. 46 external columns and 23 internal

The Parthenon had 46 outer columns and 23 inner columns, but not all remain today. In addition, the Parthenon used to have a roof (it currently does not).

14. The Parthenon's design is earthquake resistant

The Parthenon's design is earthquake-resistant, even though the temple's columns are quite thin.

15. The Parthenon was used as a city treasury

The Parthenon was also used as the city's treasury, like many other Greek temples of the era.

16. The construction of the Parthenon was not financed by the Athenians.

Even though the Parthenon is the most popular Athenian building of all time, its construction was not financed by the Athenians. After the end of the Persian Wars, Athens became, in 447 BC, the dominant power in what is now Greece. Funds for the construction of the temple were taken from the tribute paid to Athens by other city-states of the Delian League.

17. Delhi League deposits were kept in an opisthodome

The monetary deposits of the Delian League, which was ruled by Athens, were kept in the opisthodome - the rear closed part of the temple.

18. The Parthenon, Erechtheion and the Temple of Nike were built over the ruins of the Acropolis.

During the "classical period" not only the Parthenon, but also the Erechtheion and the Temple of Nike were built over the ruins of the Acropolis.

19. The first theater in history

Besides these structures, another important monument at the foot of the Acropolis is the "Theater of Dionysus", which is considered to be the first theater in history.

20. The Parthenon had a multi-colored facade

From 1801 to 1803, part of the remaining sculptures of the temple were taken away by the Turks (who controlled Greece at that time). These sculptures were subsequently sold to the British Museum.

23. A full-scale replica of the Parthenon is located in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Parthenon is the most copied building in the world. There are many buildings around the world that were created in the same style. There is also a full-size replica of the Parthenon located in Nashville, Tennessee.

24. The opening of the Acropolis Museum took place in 2009

More than half a million people visited the new Acropolis Museum within the first two months of its opening in 2009.

25. Golden Rectangle of the Parthenon

A rectangle's length to width ratio of 1.618 was considered most pleasing to the eye. This ratio was called the "golden ratio" by the Greeks. In the world of mathematics, this number is called "phi" and it was named after the Greek sculptor Phidias, who used the golden ratio in his sculptures. From the outside, the Parthenon is a perfect “golden rectangle”.

Name: Παρθενών (el), Parthenon (en)

Location: Athens, Greece)

Creation: 447–438 BC.

Architect(s): Callicrates, Iktin

Customer / Founder: Polis of Athens during the reign of Pericles

Parthenon architecture

Entablature. The orders of stone temples were borrowed by the Greeks from ancient wooden buildings. They are based on a simple connection of load-bearing parts (column with capital) and supporting floor beams - an entablature. In the classical era (V-IV centuries BC), the order system reached perfection.
Architrave. Each stone beam of the architrave (the lower part of the entablature) is 6 centimeters narrower in the center than at the edges. Hewn along a curved line, from a distance they look absolutely flat.
Frieze. Inside the temple, directly under the beams of the peristyle, there was a carved marble frieze. The marble reliefs of the Parthenon depict Athenian horsemen, mythological characters, competitions of the gods, heroic battles of the Greeks with the Amazons, and episodes of the siege of Troy. The main theme of the frieze is the solemn procession in honor of the celebration of the Day of the Great Panathenaia, dedicated to the goddess Athena. In 1801-1803, the frieze panels were dismantled. In the upper part of the frieze, the sculptural images are made in more relief. This technique softens the impression of a sharp reduction in figures that appears when viewed from below.
Doric order. The Parthenon is surrounded by monumental columns of the Doric order. The column trunk is cut along its entire height by vertical grooves - flutes. They create a special play of light and shadow and emphasize the volume of the column.
Corner column. Corner columns are thicker than others. They are moved closer to the neighbors and slightly inclined towards the center of the building - otherwise the structure would seem to be falling apart. The remaining columns are also inclined inward by 6 cm relative to the vertical axis.
steps. The Parthenon stands on a podium, the curved surface of which rises towards the center. The steps are also curved. The harmony of the Parthenon is based on complex geometric calculations.
Entasis. The columns of the Parthenon are slightly convex in the middle. If they were straight, they would appear concave from a distance. The Greeks called the “correction” for optical illusion entasis.
Athena statue. The statue of Athena, the patroness of the city, was made by Phidias from gold and ivory. She stood opposite the eastern entrance and was illuminated by the rays of the rising sun. The height of the statue is 12.8 m.

Symbolic interpretation of the Parthenon structure

In the Parthenon, the maximum number of columns perceived from one point, for example from the Propylaea, is 24 (8 +17-1 angular, common for two facades), which directly correlates with the number of hours that make up a day.
The number of drums in the column is 12, which directly correlates with the number of months in the year.
Each triglyph consists of three protruding parts, which corresponds to the division of the month into three decades of ten days, customary in Ancient Greece. The total number of triglyphs-months along the entire perimeter of the temple is 96, which corresponds to the eight-year calendar cycle widespread in antiquity. The triglyphs seemed to contain time, real time: an eight-year cycle composed of decades and months.
In between the triglyphs and metopes, mythological time was placed - the history of the struggle of the Greek tribe of Lapiths with the centaurs. Behind the Doric frieze containing the eight-year cycle, in the depths of the peripter on the wall of the cella, closer to Athena, the main deity of the temple, there is a relief frieze depicting the Panathenaic procession, which took place every four years. Behind the external general calendar eight-year cycle is hidden a private four-year cycle of time, the most important specifically for the temple of Athena.
Under each triglyph there is a board with 6 droplets: 6 droplets above the column and 6 droplets above the intercolumnium. It can be assumed that each step of the columns contained a year consisting of 12 drop-months. The total number of drops around the perimeter of the temple: 96 boards of 6 drops each equaled 48 years - a period that was a multiple of the eight-year cycle, and possibly correlated with the average human lifespan of that time.
Under the cornice shelf there were also stone drops hanging from the mutul boards: 6 rows of three in each row. If we assume that each of them corresponds to a decade, then we get six months of three decades. In this case, for each step of the columns (two boards - 3 × 12 drops) there is again a year, consisting of 12 months of three decades each. The Latin name of these drops is “regula” (from “regulo” - to direct, to order) indicates the continuity of tradition in the understanding of time as a universal regulator of life.

This is far from a complete analysis of the development of the Doric tradition in the Parthenon, but it already reveals this temple as a complex, harmoniously balanced spatial-temporal system containing both archaic and later, modern for its builders, ideas about the world order.

In the Parthenon, a person, having ascended the steps of the stylobate, found himself not only in sacred space, but also in sacred time, approved by the rhythm of the columns and the flow of flutes flowing to the floor.

About the Parthenon as a monument of its era and the features of its composition

N.I. Brunov

Moscow, “Art”, 1973

The Parthenon was a treasury depository, a state bank.
Various proceeds flowed into the treasury of the goddess Athena on the acropolis: precious metal vessels, income from the lands that belonged to the goddess, parts of military booty, a tenth of the production of silver mines. In total, this amounted to a very large sum, which constituted the state fund. The treasury of Athena was actually at the disposal of the state. The goddess was a banker...

The main building material of the Parthenon is Pentelic marble, the quarries of which are located near Athens in the Pentelikon mountain range. The changes that this marble undergoes under the influence of sunlight are very significant. In the quarry it is white, similar in color to sugar. The surface of the stone is crystalline, fine-grained, transparent, so that the eye penetrates a little deeper, which gives the stone a unique transparent texture. Due to the fact that there are microscopic pieces of metal inside marble, and microscopic mosses develop in it under the influence of sunlight, the stone turns golden-yellowish in air when exposed to air, which is very beautiful and gives it a warm tint...
Architectural and artistic composition of the Parthenon
- The dismemberment of the architectural mass of the Parthenon is the fruit of analytical architectural thinking. What is most significant for the architecture of the Parthenon is that this analysis is combined with a holistic emotional perception of the architectural composition. This is the similarity of the Parthenon architecture with the architecture of eastern despotism, and this is its difference from many works of architecture of subsequent eras...
- In the Parthenon, the relationship between the column and the human figure, observed in other classical temples, is expressed with particular conviction. In this respect, the Greek column continues a tradition dating back to the distant past. ultimately to a primitive upright stone as a funerary monument or monument erected in memory of some event...
- Pentelic marble in a quarry, in nature, or even a piece of it exposed to sunlight, is significantly different from what the architects did with it in the building itself. They, of course, deeply took into account the natural properties of Pentelic marble and those changes. Which subsequently causes the action of sunlight in it. However, depending on the inclusion of Pentelic marble in the architectural and artistic composition, its figurative quality has undergone significant changes. In accordance with the tripartite dialectical structure of the Parthenon, it is necessary to separately consider the interpretation of the building material in the crepid, columns and entablature...
- A characteristic feature of archaic and classical peripters, especially clearly expressed in the Parthenon thanks to its system of eight columns on the end sides, is the compactness of the outer volume, the main part of which is not adjacent to any additional volumes. In ancient times, this feature must have been especially evident, since a complex asymmetrical composition dominated in urban residential buildings...
- What is new in the Parthenon, compared to geometricism in Egyptian architecture, is the synthetic combination of geometricity and organicity. In classical Greek architecture a living sense of matter is very strongly expressed...
- The peripteral form of the building creates an interpenetration of mass and surrounding space. The latter is integrated into the architectural volume, forming external porticoes. It is impossible to tear them away from the surrounding space and from the landscape, to which beautiful views open in all directions from the porticoes. True, both when contemplating the Parthenon from the outside, and when looking at nature from the porticoes, the massive column trunks dominate the spaces between them, the columns come to the fore and squeeze the intercolumnia with their volume. However, the columns are arranged in relationship with the space surrounding the temple, and with the opening landscapes, which serve as the necessary background for the perception of the columns themselves...
- In the Parthenon, the process of crystallization of the unity of the outer volume of the peripterus, which began in the archaic era, was completed... The unity of the volume of the Parthenon is greatly enhanced by the inclination of the columns towards the naos, giving the entire volume a slightly tapering upward shape. This narrowing increases in a more vertical form from the ground to the three steps of the crepida, continues and ends with flatter slopes of the roof. The result is a curving curve of the silhouette of the building...

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