2020 IB Extended Essays

16

Analysis on ‘Athena Parthenos’ by Phidias (438BCE)

Figure 12: Varvakeion Athena. Roman reflection of the ‘Athena Parthenos’ 2 nd century CE.

Figure 11: Reproduction of the ‘Athena Parthenos’ Nashville.

A temple, the Parthenon (447-432BCE) , on the Acropolis in Athens was built to house

the Athena Parthenos. Although now lost, many accounts of this sculpture through

engravings in coins and gems have supported its location and its appearance. Built by the

famous Greek sculptor, Phidias, the Parthenon featured a 12-metre high chryselephantine

sculpture of the goddess of wisdom, Athena. This sculpture contains many detailed

battles and depictions of famous mythological characters that contributed to the overall

theme of the Greeks remaining superior overall. The countless illustrations emphasise

the ‘us versus them’ mentality when making a clear divide between the winning

supremacy of the Greeks and others. The purpose of the sculpture was to celebrate the

Greeks and their victory in the Persian Wars (480BCE). The Athena Parthenos represents

the supremacy of the Greeks both religiously through the use of myths, and in relation to

real-life events.