The Parthenon

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how in its day, the Parthenon was considered the finest example of a Doric order temple and how it was built in the 5th century BCE to give thanks to Athena, the city's patron goddess, for the salvation of Athens and Greece in the Persian Wars.

From the Paper:

""The name Parthenon refers to the worship of Athena Parthenos, the 'Virgin Athena' who issued fully grown from the head of her father Zeus" ("Parthenon, Athens, Greece"). Athena was the maiden goddess and patroness of Athens. She represented the gifts of intellect and understanding. Because of her purity in body, mind, and heart, Athena was considered "the symbol of the universal human aspiration for wisdom" ("Parthenon, Athens, Greece"). The topographical location, geometry, and astronomical orientation of the Parthenon reinforce the symbolism of the Parthenon as a shrine to the quest for wisdom. The temple itself was built to embody Athena's presence, both in its intention and in its physical construction."

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