When the city of Athens was sacked during the Persian Wars of the fifth century B.C., many of the buildings on the Acropolis were destroyed. Following the defeat of Persia, the Athenian statesman Pericles began rebuilding the area as a display of Athens' wealth and power. "Acropolis" means "upper city," and this high, rocky piece of land had long served as the city's cultural and religious center. The building of the Parthenon was just one of the projects Pericles undertook to honor Athena, the champion of Athenian military power. The temple was begun in 447 B.C. and dedicated in 438 B.C.

What inspired the Parthenon's design?
Like many Greek architects of their time, the designers of the Parthenon were inspired by the Doric order, one of three Greek architectural traditions. One feature of Doric order temples is a series of columns with minimal detail. Ictinus, the chief architect of the Parthenon, called for eight columns, instead of the usual six, on the east and west ends of the temple, and seventeen instead of thirteen along the sides. The result was a vast structure–101' 228 ft. in size–that conveyed Athenian pride and strength.




Historical Comparisons
In Europe and the United States, there are many fine examples of how the Parthenon inspired the architecture of 19th-century public buildings. Among the finest examples are the Second National Bank of the United States in Philadelphia, the United States Patent Office in Washington, D.C., and the Mausoleum of Antonio Canova in Possagno, Italy. The uses of these buildings were different from those of the Parthenon, but their homage to the Parthenon's form is readily apparent.

Credits: Parthenon © SuperStock.

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