Parthenon

The Parthenon is the remains of a temple to the Greek goddess Athena, the patron goddess of the ancient City of Athens. The Parthenon is a temple located on the Acropolis. Work on the building began in 447 BCE and continued until 438 BCE; some of the decorations were completed later. It was built over the site of an earlier temple which is sometimes called the Pre-Parthenon. Many treasures would have been displayed in the building, but the glory of the Parthenon was the gigantic statue of Athena designed by Phidias and made out of chryselephantine (elephant ivory) and gold. The statue now lays in disrepair, worn faceless by the ages. The glory of this great building can still be felt, though over half of it no longer stands.