Parthenon

The Parthenon, which was intended to be the most significant monument on the Acropolis, personifies the splendor of ancient Greece. It is devoted to Athena Parthenos, the goddess who personifies the renown and strength of the metropolis. The Parthenon took 15 years to construct and is the largest Doric temple ever finished in Greece.

Kallicrates and Iktinos were credited for their design, which was finished in time for the Great Panathenaic Festival in 438 BC.

The Parthenon, which was constructed on the Acropolis' highest point, served as both a home for the enormous statue of Athena that Pericles had ordered and a new treasury. At least three older temples honoring Athena were located where it was later constructed.

Eight fluted Doric columns at each end and 17 on each side made up the temple. Its lines were cleverly curled to produce an optical illusion, the foundations are slightly concave, and the pillars are slightly convex to create both looks straight, to attain flawless shape. Sculptors worked on the Parthenon's architectural details, including as the friezes and pediments, which were painted and gilded in vibrant hues, under Pheidias' direction.

The metopes on the western side featured Theseus leading the Athenian boys into battle against the Amazons, while the ones on the eastern side showed the Olympian gods battling the giants. The battle between the Centaurs and Lapiths at a wedding feast was shown in the southern metopes, whilst the sacking of Troy was shown in the northern ones.

Like the Propylaia, the Parthenon had a blue roof that was adorned with gold stars. The holy cella, the inner room of a temple, which was exclusively accessible to a select group of privileged initiates, was located at the eastern end. The Athena Parthenos, also known as Athena the Virgin, is regarded as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and it was for this statue that the temple was constructed. It was built of ivory and gold with a wooden core, was designed by Pheidias, finished in 432 BC, and stood about 12 meters high on its pedestal.

The eyes were made of gems, while the hands, feet, and faces were all made of ivory. The goddess was holding a figurine of Nike, the goddess of triumph, in her right hand, and a spear with a serpent at its base in her left. A sphinx with griffins in relief was perched on her helmet.