in the "suprise" of the interior (Gilbert 379). It is only when viewing the inside that one can truly appreciate the amazing architectural design and workmanship of this building. Another remarkable attribute of this temple to the gods is that it is still in use today with much of the original materials intact. The columns, the marble paneled walls, the floor, and the two enormous bronze doors are all originals, making the Pantheon the best preserved surviving Roman structure. The Panthenon can be viewed at the following site which shows many pictures of the interior and exterior of this truly remarkle building: http://www.kent.wednet.edu/curriculum/soc_studies/rome/Pantheon.htmlDedicated to the goddess Athena, the warrior maiden, the Parthenon is a Doric style temple (Gilbert 368). It took about 15 years to complete this strucutre (Gilbert 370). A lot like the Roman Pantheon, it had many columns surrounding the interior and exterior of this structure. This place was decorated with many sculptures along the inner roof top. It was painted in vivid colors, such as red and blue (Gilbert 370). Refered to as the cella its inner chamber housed the monumental statue of the Goddess Athena. Pheidias' hisself created this thirty foot high statue of Athena Parthenos, consisting of a frame made of wood, metal, clay, and plaster. Athena's clothing was of gold-plate, made removable in case of emergency. Athena's face, hands, and feet were of ivory, her eyes of jewels. She stood wearing a floor length dress and a helmet, a crowned symbol of victory in her right hand and a spear in her left. A picture of the statue, along with a picture of the Parthenon can be viewed at the following site: http://jcccnet.johnco.cc.ks.us/~jjackson/parII.html. It's a shame none of Pheidias' original works exsist today. Although many other scupltures remain from the Parathenon, they were not the original works of Phidias, rather those of his students (Gilbert 370). The ...
