Parthenon In Ancient Greek Art

The Early and High Classical period of Ancient Greece was a time of great art, architecture, and war. One of the greatest structures built during this period was the Parthenon located in the Acropolis of Athens. Inside the structure was a large sculpture that depicted Athena, the cities patron saint, called the Athena Parthenos. Due to years of war, the statue was destroyed and only replicas are found around the world. The replicas created are the product of analyzations of ancient text by historians. The replica of the Athena Parthenos located in the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee is considered very close to the original. This essay will focus on the reliefs and embellishments on the Parthenos as described in ancient texts and their significance

The Athena Parthenos from the 5th BCE is the original cult statue that influenced the creation of the Athena Parthenos currently residing in the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee. As Athenians walked into the grand Parthenon, the Athena Parthenos would greet them as the center art piece of the temple. The original statue was created by Pheidias, a famous Greek sculpture who also assisted with the creation of the Parthenon. Some historians described Pheidias as the Homer of sculptures of his time due to his skill. The creator of the statue in Nashville is Alan LeQuire stays true to the original, as described from historical documents, by following the same proportions used in the fifth century BCE and making scale models before officially starting the sculpture. The original statue was a hollow 13.5m high chryselephantine statue. Chryselephantine statues made of a wood base with an outer layer of gold and ivory. The visible parts of Athena’s body were ivory, and her outfit consisted of small gold plates. Athena was dressed in a traditional sleeveless robe called a Doric peplos with a slit on the right side, a

Pandora was first mentioned by Hesoid, an epic poet, and she is considered the first mortal woman and mother, but she is not mentioned much after his writings. The base of the statue depicts twenty-one figures of gods as they witness the “birth” of Pandora as a fully figured woman. The Nashville replica shows this scene of twenty-one individuals on the sculpted and casted base as a golden frieze against ivory. The actual “birth” of Pandora involved her being formed clay. A clear reason as to why Pandora is depicted on the base of the Parthenos is not known. Some historians theorize the depiction of the two women conveys Pheidias’ attempt to say something about gender. Women were not seen as equals among men nor technically considered citizens in Ancient Greece. A woman’s place was behind a man. Although women were stifled in man aspects of life, they were able to own business, make sacrificial offerings with men to the gods, functioned as priestesses for cults, etc. The social norms may have influenced Pheidias to display such important women in a grandiose way. He was pushing the idea of the need for Athena, as well as Nike, and Pandora. Another theory is Pandora is displayed as the Anti-Athena. Pandora was described to be a femme fatale that men could not escape from. Her blatant sexuality and prowess allowed