Older Parthenon
Videos
Page
The Older Parthenon or Pre‐Parthenon, as it is frequently referred to, constitutes the first endeavour to build a sanctuary for Athena Parthenos on the site of the present Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens. It was begun shortly after the battle of Marathon upon a massive limestone foundation that extended and leveled the southern part of the Acropolis summit. This building replaced a hekatompedon and would have stood beside the archaic temple dedicated to Athena Polias.
The Older Parthenon (in black) was destroyed by the Achaemenids in the Destruction of Athens, and then rebuilt by Pericles (in grey).
Foundation of the Older Parthenon, below the platform of the newer Parthenon
Older Parthenon column drum in the North wall of the Acropolis.
Column drums of the destroyed Older Parthenon, reused in building-up the North wall of the Acropolis, by Themistocles.
Athena Parthenos
Videos
Page
The statue of Athena Parthenos was a monumental chryselephantine sculpture of the goddess Athena. Attributed to Phidias and dated to the mid-fifth century BCE, it was an offering from the city of Athens to Athena, its tutelary deity. The naos of the Parthenon on the acropolis of Athens was designed exclusively to accommodate it.
The Varvakeion Athena reflects the type of the restored Athena Parthenos: Roman period, 2nd century CE (National Archaeological Museum of Athens).
Fragment of the accounts relating to the realization of the statue of Athena Parthenos, IG I3 458, Museum of the Acropolis of Athens.
Medusa Rondanini, Munich Glyptothek, No. 252.
Plaster molding of the "Strangford shield" (Roman copy of the outside of the shield of the Athena Parthenos), Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts.