Introduction to Ancient Greece - The Parthenon

Introduction

The Parthenon is one of the most famous icons not just of Athens, but of the whole of Greece. This giant marble temple dates from the fifth century B.C., and it appears on guidebooks, stamps, menus, olive oil bottles…anything to do with Greece or with the Greek world. Even if you do not know the temple itself, you will surely be familiar with banks, museums, or even town halls closer to home whose fluted columns and pedimental roofs are meant to ‘quote’ the Parthenon and the tradition of the Greek temple building. Athens and the Parthenon have an important past which stretches far back into history — so important that we still connect with this temple and its ideology today. In this module, we are going to explore the history of the Parthenon. We will see what this single monument can tell us about the history of Athens in the fifth century B.C., and how its meaning is entangled in a world of artistic, religious, and political struggles.

This resource explores a Greek temple called the Parthenon and how we can use temples to understand what life was like in Ancient Greece. The activities will introduce you to the history and archaeology of Athens, 5th Century BC.

Objectives
• To explore how the Parthenon can be used in different ways to describe the art, religious ideas and politics of Ancient Greece