The Parthenon

The Parthenon is in Athens and is considered a fine example of doric-style construction. The building of the Parthenon began in 447 BCE and continued until 438 BCE so it took about 9 years to build, although some details were finished at a later date. It was built on the site of another temple, which is sometimes referred to as the pre Parthenon. It is believed that many different treasures have

The Parthenon was designed by Phidias, a famous sculptor, at the behest of Pericles, a Greek politician credited with the founding of the city of Athens and with stimulating the so-called "Golden Age of Greece". The Greek architects Ictinos and Callicrates supervised the practical work of the construction. Alternate spellings for these names include Iktinos, Kallikrates, and Pheidias - there is no official transliteration of Greek into English.

Work on the building began in 447 BCE and continued until 438 BCE; some of the decorations were completed later. It was built over the site of an earlier temple, which is sometimes called the Pre-Parthenon.

Many treasures would have been displayed in the building, but the glory of the Parthenon was the gigantic statue of Athena designed by Phidias and made out of chryselephantine (elephant ivory) and gold.

The Arch

                  The Arch of Titus is a commemorative structure built in 81 AD by Emperor Domitian. The emperor dedicated this arch to his brother and previous emperor Titus. The arch also commemorates the victory of Titus when he captured Jerusalem in 70 AD. The Arch is 15 meters high and is the oldest surviving example of a roman arch. The Arch, built at one edge of the Roman forum and was original built of marble. However it has been reinforced and refurbished and certain areas with travertine which allows you tell the original structure from the fixed structure. However the structure lacks solid history because many historical texts neglect to mention or even describe the arch.

                  The arch is very interesting thing to me, because here is this beautiful archway commemorating what is known to be a big political victory for Rome and yet there is barely any history about the arch. There is very little known about it and although most believe it to be built by Domitian for his older brother there are no definite.  I also find it interesting that when rebuilding and fixing the structure to make it stronger and more durable they chose a different material so that you can distinguish the original piece from the new. I am torn between that choices. It is nice to be able to tell the original work from the new but, it would also be nice to be able to see the seamless structure as if it was 81 AD and it had just been constructed. None the less the Arch of Titus is a magnificent arch and a great example of ancient roman architecture.