Dear Morgan,
As you know, I am touring Athens during the Golden Age. As of several other places I
visited, I enjoyed the Parthenon. as you probably know, the Greeks were among the most
talented architects of the ancient world. The most famous structure they built was the
Parthenon. It is considered the most glorious building from the ancient world. The Parthenon
is a temple in honor of Goddess Athena. It was built to celebrate the end of Athena’s war
with Persia. It is constructed completely out of marble from a near by mountain. It is 237 feet
long, 110 feet wide, and 60 feet high. It has 8 columns in the front and the back and 17
columns on each side. The structure is about 2,500 years old and still standing because of its
superior workmanship. You see, the architects who designed the Parthenon so make optical
illusions. The height of each column was 5 times the diameter so the columns look slender.
The architects also slanted the roof on the building, making a triangle shaped piece on either
end of the building called a pediment. The east pediment showed a scene of Athena’s birth.
The west pediment shows the contest between Athena and Poseidon which determined who
would be the ruler of Athens. Another cool feature of the Parthenon was a 525 foot band of
sculpture which surrounded the top of the temple. It also contained a 35 foot high gold and
ivory statue of Athena. Citizens believed that worshipping and leaving offerings at the foot of
the statue would ensure Athena’s protection of Athens and its people. In all, the Parthenon
was an awesome pace to visit. You should make sure you make it there when you tour Athens
during the Golden Age.
You’re Friend,
Marissa