Definition:
The archaeological site in the ancient Greek capital of Athens called the Parthenon was a shrine to the Greek Goddess Athena, built between 472 and 433 BC.
The temple is a Doric peripteral temple with some Ionic components; and it is one of the several places visited by the travel writer Pausanias in the 2nd century AD.
Known pretty much throughout historical times, the site was excavated by Wilhelm Dorpfeld in the late 1880s when he was Director of Athens branch of the Deutsche Archäologische Institut.
Sources
Stevenson, Tom 2003 Cavalry Uniforms on the Parthenon Frieze? American Journal of Archaeology 107(4)
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
