What did the original Athena Parthenos look like?
The colossal statue of the Athena Parthenos, which Phidias made for the Parthenon, was completed and dedicated in 438. The original work was made of gold and ivory and stood some 38 feet (12 metres) high. The goddess stood erect, wearing a tunic, aegis, and helmet and holding a Nike…
When was the Athena Parthenos built?
447 BC
Parthenon/Construction started
Who designed the Parthenon?
Ictinus
Callicrates
Parthenon/Architects
Pericles commissioned the renowned Greek architects Ictinus and Callicrates and the sculptor Phidias to design the Parthenon, which became the largest Doric-style temple of its time.
Why was the Athena Parthenos built?
The temple was constructed to house the new gold and ivory cult statue of the goddess by the master sculptor Phidias (also Pheidias) and to proclaim to the world the success of Athens as leader of the coalition of Greek forces in the Persian Wars.
What did the demigods do with the Athena Parthenos?
When the Romans conquered the Greeks’ cities, the Roman demigods took the Athena Parthenos as a way of breaking the Greeks’ and Athena’s spirit. The Roman demigods hid the statue in an underground shrine and swore that it would never again see the light of day.
What happened to Athena Promachos?
Niketas Choniates documented a riot taking place in the Forum of Constantine in Constantinople in 1203 CE where a large, bronze, statue of Athena was destroyed by a “drunken crowd” which is now thought to have been the Athena Promachos.
Why was the Athena Parthenos created?
Why was the Parthenon dedicated to Athena?
As with most buildings on the Acropolis it was dedicated to Athena to thank the Goddess for their success. The Parthenon was finally finished in 432 BC and was to show the world the dominance and power of Athens. The vast majority of the money used in the construction came from the Delian League funds.
How were Greek columns made?
Whilst some stone columns were carved in one piece, as buildings became bigger, columns began to be constructed from separate drums. These were individually carved and fitted together using a wooden dowel or metal peg in the centre of the drum.
What does the Athena Parthenos represent?
Parthenos (“maiden, virgin”) was an epithet of Athena. There have been many replicas and works inspired by the statue, in both ancient and modern times. Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom, warfare, and handicrafts.
How was the Athena Parthenos made?
The massive chryselephantine cult statue, Athena Parthenos, was made out of gold and ivory and measured 12 meters in height. The goddess was depicted as standing, wearing a tunic, aegis, and a helmet and holding a Nike in her right hand and a spear in her left. By her side was a ornamented spear and serpent.
What was the birth of Athena all about?
Birth of Athena Zeus came to lust after Metis, and chased her in his direct way. Metis tried to escape, going so far as to change her form many times; she changed into various creatures such as hawks, fish, and serpents. However, Zeus was both determined and equally proficient at changing form.
Where was the statue of Athena Parthenos located?
Athena Parthenos (Ancient Greek: ἀθηνᾶ παρθένος; literally, Athena the Virgin) is a lost massive chryselephantine (gold and ivory) sculpture of the Greek goddess Athena, made by Phidias and his assistants and housed in the Parthenon in Athens.
Who was the artist who drew the Parthenon?
The drawing is based on that by the German-Austrian architect and archaeologist George Niemann. The areas labled are; North Lobby, Caryatid Porch, and the Parthenon. This image shows the Ereichtheion (Erechtheion and Erechtheum) on the Acropolis at Athens.
Where did the name Parthenon come from for Athena?
The name Parthenon derives from one of Athena’s many epithets: Athena Parthenos, meaning Virgin. Parthenon means ‘house of Parthenos’ which was the name given in the 5th century BCE to the chamber (cella) inside the temple which housed the cult statue, and from the 4th century BCE the whole building acquired the name Parthenon.