Parthenon Lecture Script

Instructor Welcome. Today we’ve partnered with the Center for Planetary Observation to visit the Parthenon.

The instructor points to Greece on the Globe. Greece highlights and zooms into an aerial view of the Acropolis.

Instructor The Parthenon is located on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. The Acropolis is a large, rocky platform that acted as the center of religious life in ancient Athens. Today, it plays an essential role in the appreciation and conservation of Greek culture.

The instructor zooms in again onto a picture of the Parthenon.

Instructor Despite being in ruins, the Parthenon itself is still incredibly significant. A symbol of Greek ingenuity, it has become a symbol of democracy and a free-thinking world. Today we’re going to experience it.

Before we go, does anyone have any questions?

Give students time to ask questions.

Instructor Alright! Let’s go to the Acropolis.

A portal opens. The light fills the room spilling over the students. As it dims, they see they are now on rocky ground and under an open sky. Their desks are now marble and arranged in neat rows. The Parthenon stands before them, but is difficult to see in full. Tourists surround the Parthenon, and the students are behind a crowd of people blocking their view.

Instructor As I said, the Acropolis still plays an important role today, and is one of the most frequented tourist attractions in Athens. Fortunately, through the magic of VR, we get an exclusive pass.

Instructor snaps, and the crowd disappears, leaving only a Parthenon in ruins. Despite its condition, it’s scale and detail is breathtaking.

⁠

Instructor Much better!

The Parthenon has survived earthquakes, fires and explosions. It has seen conquerors, tyrants and wars. It’s been a Pagan temple, a cathedral and a mosque. When much of the ancient world has been lost, the Parthenon still stands tall.

Originally built to honor the city’s patron, Athena, the Parthenon has proven to be the absolute paradigm of Greek architecture. Because of its association with democracy, it has served as inspiration for many buildings all over the Western world. The Lincoln Memorial was modeled after it, as were many of our government buildings. It was designed and sculpted by Phidias, the most influential sculptor in ancient Greece, and remains the greatest repository we have of his work.

There are virtually no straight lines in the Parthenon. Many optical illusions were built into the Parthenon to ensure it looked straight and strong. For instance, the four corner columns were slightly wider to compensate for looking thinner against the blue sky. This prevented the appearance of sagging. Can you see it?

I know it’s hard because the Parthenon is no longer intact. Here, let me help.

The instructor snaps, and the Parthenon changes. It is now in its full glory. The students look up at the brightly-colored statues. The marble glows brightly in the Mediterranean sun.

⁠

Instructor Pericles ordered the construction of the Parthenon as part of a massive rebuilding program. He is commonly credited for Athen’s golden age and the development of Athenian democracy. Construction on the Parthenon began in 447 BCE. The building itself was completed in 438 BCE, with the external sculpture completed in 432 BCE. Phidias oversaw the project, with Ictinus and Callicrates acting as the architects.

The exterior of the Parthenon had 46 Doric columns, six at the entrance and back, 15 on each side and four in the corners. The columns were 38 feet tall and approximately 6.2 feet in diameter.

As you can see, the Parthenon was originally in color. On the exterior, there were three main sculptural details: the metopes, the pediments and the frieze.

The painted band around the exterior are the metopes. Each side of the metopes tells a different story, from the Olympian gods fighting giants to the Trojan War.

The triangular structure on the East and West side are the pediments. The East pediment is dedicated to the Olympian pantheon. Zeus sits on a throne in the center surrounded by the other 11 gods and goddesses. The West pediment shows the epic battle fought on this very ground between Athena and Poseidon. The prize was the patronage of this city, and Athena won.

The frieze is the painted strip of sculptures that run behind the columns. They depict the Panathenaic process, a celebration of Athena held on this very spot. To learn more, feel free to navigate to the highlighted spots.

Students are given an allotted time to explore the exterior.

Instructor I hope you enjoyed your exploration of the exterior. Does anyone have observations you’d like to share?

Allow students to share.

Instructor Time to go inside!

The instructor snaps their fingers again, and all the students are transported inside the temple. They are seated at marble desks in the same neat rows as before.

A large golden and ivory statue of Athena stands before them. She’s 39 feet tall. Her right hand is outstretched. A large circular shield is at her side. Her helmet has three large griffins. Double columns surround her on both sides, adding to her impressive scale.

Instructor Meet Athena Parthenos. She was carved by Phidias, who also carved the statue of Zeus at Olympia, hailed as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. She is wrought with symbolism. Her pedestal shows the story of the first woman Pandora. The snake at her side is her adopted son, Erichthonius... Wait. Where’s the snake?

Everyone looks around.

A hissing sound echoes throughout the room. Between the double columns to the right of Athena, a long, gold tail hangs free. A head emerges from the shadows. A forked tongue darts out and the hissing sound grows louder. The head moves down, followed by a long, gold body, spiraling down the large column. The snake lands on the marble floor and slithers across the floor. It winds between the desks, hissing at the students. It then slithers up the aisle to the pedestal and resumes its position between Athena and the shield.

Instructor Something else is missing. Does anyone know what else it is?

Allow students to answer.

The papery sound of wings fills the room. A golden woman, six-foot-five, with large wings and a tall spear, walks between the rows of seated students. She stretches out her wings, a twenty-foot span, and flies upward in a loud rustling of wings. She leans the spear against Athena’s side, then flies to Athena’s outstretched hand. She rests gracefully into Athena’s hand and assumes her pose. Athena smiles wide, showing ivory teeth, and then rests her face back into its strong neutrality.

Instructor Fascinating. Phidias was truly talented. He was also very clever. The Parthenon was built to serve two purposes. The first is here, the Temple. A place to worship. The second is behind the wall: the treasury. That is how he was able to convince the Athenians to give the gold and ivory for the statute. It would be part of the treasury, and they would be able to remove the valuable material in times of economic difficulty. In total, the gold weighed about 2,400 pounds.

In 295 BCE, Lachares, the tyrant of Athens, stripped the gold and ivory from the Athena Parthenos to fund his army and for his own personal gain. He also removed the Persian shields Alexander the Great had installed at the East entrance in 334 BCE. The Greek geographer Pausanias wrote that Lachares was “of all the tyrants, the most inhuman towards men, and the most sacrilegious towards the gods.” Imagine the masterpiece Athena Parthenos reduced to a wooden core... What a shame.

Now we will take time to explore this important place. As you can see, there are highlighted areas where you can learn more. Before I let you explore on your own, does anyone have any questions?

Students are given an allotted time to explore the interior.

Instructor I hope you enjoyed your exploration of the interior. Does anyone have observations you’d like to share?

Allow students to share.

Instructor Excellent! I have one more thing to show you.

Instructor snaps and everyone is once more outside in front of the Parthenon. It is shiny and new and beautiful.

Instructor It took nine years to build the Parthenon. While the Parthenon changed over the years, it remained intact for more than 2,000 years, until 1687. During the Siege of the Acropolis in 1687, the Ottomans were holding the Acropolis from the Venetians. General Commander Francesco Morosini, knowing there was gunpowder stored in the Parthenon, ordered his soldiers to fire on the temple. One of the shells broke through the roof and ignited the gunpowder, causing a large explosion in the middle section of the temple, destroying the roof and most of the walls.

The Parthenon blows up behind the instructor. Burning pieces of stone and tile rain around the students. Fire blazes around them and the air is filled with smoke. As the smoke settles, the Parthenon is once again in ruins.

Instructor A Swedish attache wrote of the event: "How it dismayed His Excellency to destroy the beautiful temple which had existed three thousand years!". Morosini himself called it a "fortunate shot".

Thank you for joining us on today’s tour. Before we go, any questions?

Instructor

Welcome. Today we’ve partnered with the Time Travel Institute to visit the Parthenon.

The instructor points to Greece on the Globe. Greece highlights and zooms into an aerial view of the Acropolis.

Instructor

The Parthenon is located in the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. The Acropolis is a large, rocky platform that acted as the center of religious life in ancient Athens. Today, it plays an essential role in the appreciation and conservation of Greek culture.

The instructor zooms in again onto a picture of the Parthenon.

Instructor

Despite being in ruins, the Parthenon itself is still incredibly significant. A symbol of Greek ingenuity, it has become a symbol of democracy and a free-thinking world. Today we’re going to experience how it is and how it once was.

Before we go, does anyone have any questions?

Give students time to ask questions.

Instructor

Alright! Let’s go to Acropolis.

A portal opens. The light fills the room spilling over the students. They are transported to rocky ground. They are now sitting at marble desks in neat rows. The Parthenon, in ruins, stands before them. Even in ruins, it is breathtaking in its size and detail.

⁠

Instructor

The Parthenon has survived earthquakes, fires and explosions. It has seen conquerers, tyrants and wars. It’s been a Pagan temple, a cathedral and a mosque. When much of the ancient world has been lost, the Parthenon still stands tall.

Originally built to honor the city’s patron, Athena, the Parthenon has proven to be the absolute paradigm of Greek architecture. Because of its association with democracy, it has served as inspiration for many buildings all over the Western world. The Lincoln Memorial was modeled after it, as were many of our government buildings. It was designed and sculpted by Phidias, the most influential sculptor in ancient Greece, and remains the greatest repository we have of his work.

Pericles ordered the construction of the Parthenon as part of a massive rebuilding program. He is commonly credited for Athen’s golden age and the development of Athenian democracy. Construction on the Parthenon began in 447 BCE. The building itself was completed in 438 BCE, with the external sculpture completed in 432 BCE. Phidias oversaw the project, with Ictinus and Callicrates acting as the architects.

The exterior of the Parthenon had 46 Doric columns, six at the entrance and back, 15 on each side and four in the corners. The columns were 38 feet tall and approximately 6.2 feet in diameter.

There are virtually no straight lines in the Parthenon. Many optical illusions were built into the Parthenon to ensure it looked straight and strong. For instance, the four corner columns were slightly wider to compensate for looking thinner against the blue sky. This prevented the appearance of sagging. Can you see it?

I know it’s hard because the Parthenon is no longer intact. Here, let me help.

The instructor snaps, and the Parthenon changes. It is now in its full glory. The students look up at the brightly-colored statues. The marble glows brightly in the Mediterranean sun.

⁠

Instructor

As you can see, the Parthenon was originally in color. On the exterior, there were three main scultural details: the metopes, the pediments and the frieze. The painted band around the exterior are the metopes. Each side of the metopes tell a different story, from the Olympian gods fighting giants to the Trojan War. The triangular structure on the East and West side are the pediments. The East pediment is dedicated to the Olympian pantheon. Zeus sits on a throne in the center surrounded by the other 11 gods and goddesses. The West pediment shows the epic battle fought on this very ground between Athena and Poseidon. The prize was the patronage of this city, and Athena won. The frieze is the painted strip of sculptures that run behind the columns. They depict the Panethenaic process, a celebration of Athena held on this very spot. To learn more, feel free to navigate to the highlighted spots.

Before you wander on your own, let’s go inside.

The instructor snap their fingers again, and all the students are transported inside the temple. They are seated at marble desks in the same neat rows as before.

A large golden and ivory statue of Athena stands before them. She’s 39 feet tall. Her right hand is outstretched. A large circular shield is at her side. Her helmet has three large griffins. Double columns surround her on both sides, adding to her impressive scale.

Instructor

Meet Athena Parthenos. She was carved by Phidias, who also carved the statue of Zeus at Olympia, hailed as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. She is wrought with symbolism. Her pedestal shows the story of the first woman Pandora. The snake at her side is her adopted son, Erichthonius... Wait. Where’s the snake?

Everyone looks around.

Instructor

Nike is also missing. Nike, the goddess of Victory, is supposed to be standing in her right hand. Does anyone see Nike?

A hissing sound echoes throughout the room. Between the double columns to the right of Athena, a long, gold tail hangs free. A head emerges from the shadows. A forked tongue darts out and the hissing sound grows louder. The head moves down, followed by a long, gold body, spiraling down the large column. The snake lands on the marble floor and slithers across the floor. It winds between the desks, hissing at the students. It then slithers up the aisle to the pedestal and resumes its position between Athena and the shield.

The papery sound of wings fills the room. A golden woman, six-foot-five, with large wings and a tall spear, walks between the rows of seated students. She approaches the instructor who stands in front of the pedestal.

Nike

Excuse me.

Instructor

Of course.

The instructor moves hastily to give Nike space. She stretches out her wings, a twenty-foot span, and flies upward in a loud rustling of wings. She leans the spear against Athena’s side, then flies to Athena’s outstretched hand. She rests gracefully into Athena’s hand and assumes her pose. Athena smiles wide, showing ivory teeth, and then rests her face back into its strong neutrality.

The instructor smiles brightly and moves back to their original place in front of the Athena Parthenos.

Instructor

Fascinating. Phidias was truly talented. He was also very clever. The Parthenon was built to serve two purposes. The first is here, the Temple. A place to worship. The second is behind the wall: the treasury. That is how he was able to convince the Athenians to give the gold and ivory for the statute. It would be part of the treasury, and they would be able to remove the valuable material in times of economic difficulty. In total, the gold weighed about 2,400 pounds.

Now we will talk time to explore this important place. As you can see, there are hotspots you can travel to in order to learn more. Before I let you explore on your own, does anyone have any questions?

Instructor

Welcome. Today we’ve partnered with the Time Travel Institute to visit the Parthenon.

A large glowing globe is centered in the room. The instructor points to Greece on the Globe. Greece highlights and zooms into an aerial view of the Acropolis.

Instructor

The Parthenon is located in the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. The Acropolis is a large, rocky platform that acted as the center of religious life in ancient Athens. Today, it plays an essential role in the appreciation and conservation of Greek culture.

The instructor zooms in again onto a picture of the Parthenon.

Instructor

Despite being in ruins, the Parthenon itself is still incredibly significant. A symbol of Greek ingenuity, it has become a symbol of democracy and a free-thinking world. Today we’re going to experience how it is and how it once was.

Before we go, does anyone have any questions?

Give students time to ask questions.

Instructor

Alright! Let’s go to the Acropolis.

A portal opens. The light fills the room spilling over the students. They are transported to rocky ground. They are now sitting at marble desks in neat rows. The Parthenon, in ruins, stands before them. Even in ruins, it is breathtaking in its size and detail.

⁠

Instructor

The Parthenon has survived earthquakes, fires and explosions. It has seen conquerers, tyrants and wars. It’s been a Pagan temple, a cathedral and a mosque. When much of the ancient world has been lost, the Parthenon still stands tall.

Originally built to honor the city’s patron, Athena, the Parthenon has proven to be the absolute paradigm of Greek architecture. Because of its association with democracy, it has served as inspiration for many buildings all over the Western world. The Lincoln Memorial was modeled after it, as were many of our government buildings. It was designed and sculpted by Phidias, the most influential sculptor in ancient Greece, and remains the greatest repository we have of his work.

Pericles ordered the construction of the Parthenon as part of a massive rebuilding program. He is commonly credited for Athen’s golden age and the development of Athenian democracy. Construction on the Parthenon began in 447 BCE. The building itself was completed in 438 BCE, with the external sculpture completed in 432 BCE. Phidias oversaw the project, with Ictinus and Callicrates acting as the architects.

The exterior of the Parthenon had 46 Doric columns, six at the entrance and back, 15 on each side and four in the corners. The columns were 38 feet tall and approximately 6.2 feet in diameter.

There are virtually no straight lines in the Parthenon. Many optical illusions were built into the Parthenon to ensure it looked straight and strong. For instance, the four corner columns were slightly wider to compensate for looking thinner against the blue sky. This prevented the appearance of sagging. Can you see it?

I know it’s hard because the Parthenon is no longer intact. Here, let me help.

The instructor snaps, and the Parthenon changes. It is now in its full glory. The students look up at the brightly-colored statues. The marble glows brightly in the Mediterranean sun.

⁠

Instructor

As you can see, the Parthenon was originally in color. On the exterior, there were three main sculptural details: the metopes, the pediments and the frieze. The painted band around the exterior are the metopes. Each side of the metopes tell a different story, from the Olympian gods fighting giants to the Trojan War. The triangular structure on the East and West side are the pediments. The East pediment is dedicated to the Olympian pantheon. Zeus sits on a throne in the center surrounded by the other 11 gods and goddesses. The West pediment shows the epic battle fought on this very ground between Athena and Poseidon. The prize was the patronage of this city, and Athena won. The frieze is the painted strip of sculptures that run behind the columns. They depict the Panethenaic process, a celebration of Athena held on this very spot. To learn more, feel free to navigate to the highlighted spots.

Before you wander on your own, let’s go inside.

The instructor snaps their fingers again, and all the students are transported inside the temple. They are seated at marble desks in the same neat rows as before.

A large golden and ivory statue of Athena stands before them. She’s 39 feet tall. Her right hand is outstretched. A large circular shield is at her side. Her helmet has three large griffins. Double columns surround her on both sides, adding to her impressive scale.

Instructor

Meet Athena Parthenos. She was carved by Phidias, who also carved the statue of Zeus at Olympia, hailed as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. She is wrought with symbolism. Her pedestal shows the story of the first woman Pandora. The snake at her side is her adopted son, Erichthonius... Wait. Where’s the snake?

Everyone looks around.

Instructor

Nike is also missing. Nike, the goddess of Victory, is supposed to be standing in her right hand. Does anyone see Nike?

A hissing sound echoes throughout the room. Between the double columns to the right of Athena, a long, gold tail hangs free. A head emerges from the shadows. A forked tongue darts out and the hissing sound grows louder. The head moves down, followed by a long, gold body, spiraling down the large column. The snake lands on the marble floor and slithers across the floor. It winds between the desks, hissing at the students. It then slithers up the aisle to the pedestal and resumes its position between Athena and the shield.

The papery sound of wings fills the room. A golden woman, six-foot-five, with large wings and a tall spear, walks between the rows of seated students. She approaches the instructor who stands in front of the pedestal.

Nike

Excuse me.

Instructor

Of course.

The instructor moves hastily to give Nike space. She stretches out her wings, a twenty-foot span, and flies upward in a loud rustling of wings. She leans the spear against Athena’s side, then flies to Athena’s outstretched hand. She rests gracefully into Athena’s hand and assumes her pose. Athena smiles wide, showing ivory teeth, and then rests her face back into its strong neutrality.

The instructor smiles brightly and moves back to their original place in front of the Athena Parthenos.

Instructor

Fascinating. Phidias was truly talented. He was also very clever. The Parthenon was built to serve two purposes. The first is here, the Temple. A place to worship. The second is behind the wall: the treasury. That is how he was able to convince the Athenians to give the gold and ivory for the statute. It would be part of the treasury, and they would be able to remove the valuable material in times of economic difficulty. In total, the gold weighed about 2,400 pounds.

In 295 BCE, Lachares, the tyrant of Athens, stripped the gold and ivory from the Athena Parthenos to fund his army and for his own personal gain. He also removed the Persian shields Alexander the Great had installed at the East entrance in 334 BCE. The Greek geographer Pausanias wrote that Lachares was “of all the tyrants, the most inhuman towards men, and the most sacrilegious towards the gods.”

The wooden core of the Athena Parthenos was later removed after it was converted to a Christian Church during Justinian’s reign. Many of the metopes were removed with chisels, and many of the pediment statues were taken down. One metope, a sculpture of Athena and Hera, remained intact due to their close appearance to the Christian figures Mary and Elizabeth. A spiral staircase and bell tower were installed, and the Parthenon was consecrated to St. Sophia. It was later rededicated to Mary and called “Our Lady of Athens”.

In 1456 AD, the Parthenon came under Ottoman control. Mehmed II the Conquerer came to admire the Parthenon. Not long after, it was converted into a mosque and the bell tower became a minaret.

During the Siege of the Acropolis in 1687, the Ottomans were holding the Acropolis from the Venetians. General Commander Francesco Morosini, knowing there was gunpowder stored in the Parthenon, ordered his soldiers to fire on the temple. One of the shells broke through the roof and ignited the gunpowder, causing a large explosion in the middle section of the temple, destroying the roof and most of the walls. A Swedish attache wrote of the event: "How it dismayed His Excellency to destroy the beautiful temple which had existed three thousand years!". Morosini himself called it a "fortunate shot".

Further destruction befell the Parthenon between the years 1801 and 1804 when Lord Elgin infamously removed 56 slabs of the frieze, 15 metopes and 28 pediment statues for his personal use. He also removed one of the Caryatids from the Porch of Maidens in the Erechthium. The legality of his actions are still under debate to this day. Lord Elgin eventually suffered imprisonment for other charges and financial ruin. Some say he was cursed for separating the Caryatid from her sisters. He was forced to sell the Parthenon marbles to the British Museum, where they are still housed to this day.

In 1832, Greece became an independent country and regained control of the Parthenon. That same year, the first photograph of the Parthenon was published. Throughout the late nineteenth century, the Parthenon grew in prominence and was broadly recognized as an influential monument to art, architecture and democracy. It is also embraced by the Greek people as a symbol of their culture, history and resiliency.

Since Greece declared independence, a Hellenic flag has flown at the Acropolis. A flagpole was erected at the base of a medieval Belvedere tower. During the Nazi occupation, a Nazi flag flew over the Acropolis, a harrowing symbol over the birthplace of democracy. Two teenagers, Lakis Santas and Manolis Glezos, using encyclopedias and textbooks, researched the terrain of the Acropolis to find hiding place. The night of May 30, 1941, two teenagers, broke curfew, ascended the Acropolis strategically, snuck past armed guards and tore the Swastika down. It was the first major act of resistance against the German army and led to many more. The Nazis sentenced the unknown offenders to death in absentia, but the Greek citizens never disclosed their names and they were never caught. Both men continued to resist in various ways, and both lived long lives and died as old men.

In 1975, Greece began restoration efforts. In 1983, they began their campaign for the return of the Parthenon marbles from the British Museum. Both efforts continue to this day.

Now we will take some time to explore this important place. As you can see, there are hotspots you can travel to in order to learn more. Before I let you explore on your own, does anyone have any questions?

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