Parthenon essays

Parthenon essays The Parthenon of Athens, which is located in Greece, has probably received more attention from than any other ancient structure. Words and photographs cannot do this great accomplishment justice. The Parthenons construction, history, sculptures and its dreadful condition all tells a story, a story of a creative triumphant victory for the Greeks. An Internet source states, the name Parthenon refers to the worship of Athena Parthenos, the 'Virgin Athena' who issued fully grown from the head of her father Zeus. The maiden goddess and patroness of Athens, she represents the highest order of spiritual development and the gifts of intellect and understanding. Pure in body, mind and heart, Athena is the symbol of the universal human aspiration for wisdom. The Parthenon has suffered greatly from time, so that it is only a portion of its original self. The Parthenon survived into the early modern era almost entirely in tact. It was preserved because the building remained in constant use; first converted into a church in the sixth century, and then into a mosque after the Islamic conquest by the Turks. Unfortunately, during the late seventeenth century the Parthenon was also used as a powder magazine. In 1687, in their battle to take Athens from the Turks, the Venetians shelled the Acropolis. In spite of being rather terrible shots, theVentians after three days of shelling finally made a direct hit. The resulting explosion blew the roof off the Parthenon and knocked huge holes on all four sides. The building suffered further in the first decade of the nineteenth-century when the British envoy to Ottoman Court, Lord Elgin, removed a great deal of the sculpture and brought it to England. Air pollution especially during the last half-ce ntury has also contributed to the degradation of the building and forced the removal of most of the remaining sculptures. The condition we find the Parthenon in today is largely due to late ...