If you liked the article that talked about the history and characteristics of the Colosseum in Rome, an impressive monument, you cannot fail to discover the curiosities about the Parthenon in Athens, a symbol of the Greek world that has also survived to this day. This great temple is preserved in the city of Athens, and is one of the most visited monuments in Greece.
Although the current appearance of the Parthenon makes us think of ancient ruins, at the time it was built it was a imposing temple. In addition, many tend to think that it was bare stone, as it is today, when in reality it had many colorful figures.
A little history of the Parthenon
This monument represents the great cultural advance that took place in the XNUMXth century BC C. in Athens, which reached the top with the introduction of democracy. This great temple was devised to honor Athena, the protector of the city. Inside it would house the enormous chrysoelephantine statue of Athena, twelve meters high, a spectacular statue to worship her, which is not preserved today.
The architects Ictino and CalÃcrates were directed by the sculptor Fidias, who was also the creator of the great statue of Athena. Its construction began in the year 447 a. C., on an unfinished temple from which some materials were used. The most curious thing is that despite being a great work they finished it in record time, in just nine years. The famous sculptures of the pediment, which is the triangular upper part of the front, were made six years later. This is how the largest Doric temple in the Greek world was built.
Elements of the Parthenon
This is a temple with a clear rectangular plan, with eight columns on the façade and 17 on the sides, it should not be forgotten that in the Greek world everything was done following the proportions that gave balance to everything, from buildings to sculptures. The crepidoma is the base on which the temple sits, which was not at ground level, but had three steps up to the columns.
In total there are 46 Doric columns that sit on the last step, called stylobate. These columns rise from the ground ending in the capitals. Above these there is a smooth architrave, above this a frieze with vertical grooves and metopes, which are sculptural decorations, finally ending in a projecting cornice. The roof was gabled, with a wooden roof with marble tiles that are not preserved.
One of the most interesting parts of the Parthenon is the fronton. It is a large triangle with an outer cornice that frames it and the tympanum, which is the inner area in which many sculptures were placed, making various representations. Although today they look without color, in the years of splendor each of these figures was painted, so it was a part full of life and color. On the eastern pediment the god Aphrodite was represented, leaning on Artemis, her old enemy, and that Phidias reconciled in her iconography. In the western pediment, better preserved, the struggle of Athena and Poseidon for the dominion of Attica is represented.
Inside we can access through two porticoes, called the Pronaos and the Opistódomos, through which the main nave is accessed. In the Naos or Cella there would be the statue of Athena Parthenon, that twelve-meter statue representing the goddess Athena. It is isolated from the rest of the building by a wall, and in front of the statue there would be a small pond that would give the statue a shine. You can also see the Chamber of the Vestals, a small rectangular chamber in which the treasure of the temple and the Delian League was kept.
Visiting the Acropolis
The Parthenon monument is framed within the well-known Acropolis of Athens, translated as the 'upper city', in which the main places of worship were located and which also had a defensive purpose. That is why it is located in the highest area of ​​the city, and can be seen from almost anywhere in Athens.
Visiting hours are every day from 8:00 a.m. to 20:00 p.m. Besides the amazing Parthenon, we will be able to see other temples. The Propylaea which was the ancient entrance to the Acropolis, a building with more Doric columns. Nor should you miss the Erechtheum, the building that was built in the most sacred place of the Acropolis, where Athena made the first olive tree of the Greek lands flourish. The most characteristic are the Caryatids in the south gallery, which are columns in the shape of women, although they are copies of the originals that are in the New Acropolis Museum to preserve them in better condition. There is also the temple of Athena Nike, to commemorate the victory over the Persians in the famous battle of Salamis.