Parthenon Architecture: Design, Structure, and Symbolism

Architectural Details of the Parthenon

Under the HAD moldings, which are considered regular, six drops hang from each. Likewise, the lower element of the CORNISA features straight moldings called Mutula, each with 18 drops arranged in 3 rows of 6.

Pediments and Sculptural Decoration

The entablature supports a two-slope roof, originating from the front and rear triangular spaces known as pediments. The interior of the tympanum receives sculptural decoration in the form of reliefs, while Acroteria were placed at the vertices.

The roof of the temple interior forms the front wall, where the tympanum is decorated. The exterior pediment depicts the dispute between Athena and Poseidon for dominance over Athens, while the interior pediment illustrates the birth of Athena.

The decorative elements of the Parthenon are distinguished by their formal Doric style and the reliefs found on the metopes, pediments, and the interior frieze.

Structural Composition

Greek temples were typically small, as they were intended to house the image of the divinity. Religious ceremonies were held outdoors, around an altar, within a sacred precinct known as the temenos, which featured monumental access via the Propylaea.

Essential Structural Parts

• Pronaos: The entrance gateway.
• Naos (Sanctuary): The interior is divided into two communicating rooms. The largest room is divided into three naves by superimposed Doric columns; the central nave houses the statue of Athena Parthenos. The smaller naves house the chryselephantine statue, which could only be admired from the outside on specific days.
• Opisthodomus: A custody room for the treasury, inaccessible from the naos.

The Parthenon is a rectangular peripteral temple (surrounded by columns) and octastyle (8 columns per facade). It follows classical proportions, utilizing the formula of double the number of columns plus one on the main facade. It is also amphiprostyle, with hexastyle porches for both the pronaos and the opisthodomos.

Religious Significance

The primary role of the Parthenon was religious; it was a temple specifically designed to house the statue of the deity, Athena. The name Parthenon translates to the "Temple of the Goddess Athena," dedicated to the goddess of wisdom and the arts who protected the polis. The statue was only visible to the public on specific days when the great bronze doors of the temple were opened.