How much did the statue of Athena cost?

How much did the statue of Athena cost?

We read that the solid gold of the gown of Athena Parthenos made the cost of this statue 1,000 talents. A talent was equivalent to roughly $6,000, so this Phidias statue alone cost $6,000,000 [in 2012 the cost equivalent would be $1.4 trillion]; and then the Parthenon building 700 talents ($4,200,000).

Who is Phidias ancient Greece?

Phidias or Pheidias (/ˈfɪdiəs/; Ancient Greek: Φειδίας, Pheidias; c. 480 – 430 BC) was a Greek sculptor, painter, and architect. His Statue of Zeus at Olympia was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Phidias is often credited as the main instigator of the Classical Greek sculptural design.

What sculptures did Phidias make?

Among works for which Phidias is famous are three monuments to Athena on the Athenian Acropolis (the Athena Promachos, the Lemnian Athena, and the colossal Athena Parthenos for the Parthenon) and the colossal seated Zeus for the Temple of Zeus at Olympia; none of these survives in the original.

Is the Athena Parthenos still missing?

The Athena Parthenos, a colossal gold and ivory statue of the goddess Athena created between 447 and 438 BC by the renowned ancient Athenian sculptor Pheidias (lived c. In fact, it is only famous today because of its ancient reputation, since the statue itself has not survived.

How much did the Acropolis of Athens cost to build?

The Acropolis Museum, with over 4,000 exhibits and built on the slopes of Acropolis, opened its doors to the public for the first time during an astonishingly grand opening ceremony. This $175 million project, with a total square-foot area of 250,000 feet, took about 8 years to complete.

Who is in Athena’s hand?

The statue represented Athena standing majestic, fully armed and holding a 4 cubit tall statue of Nike in her right hand. Athena wore a peplos which was tucked into a belt.

How long did Phidias live?

Phidias was an Athenian sculptor, the son of Charmides, and is generally acknowledged as the greatest ancient Greek sculptor and instigator of the classical style of the 5th and 4th centuries BC. Although few facts are known about his life, it is believed he lived from around 490 until 430 BC.

What is Phidias famous for?

Phidias was renowned for his massive chryselephantine statues, which unfortunately no longer remain. His creations included the chryselephantine cult statue of Zeus for the cella in the Temple of Zeus at Olympia and the Athena in the Parthenon, which are known through copies completed on a much smaller scale.

How did Phidias build the statue of Zeus?

Phidias set up a workshop west of the Temple at Olympia where he would complete most of the work on the Statue of Zeus. The size of the Statue of Zeus was so large that if Zeus stood up he would have put his head through the roof of the temple.

Who picked up the flute after Athena threw it away?

The myth runs as follows. The goddess Athena invented the flute, but threw it away because it distorted her face to play it. Marsyas, a satyr, picked it up and having taught himself to play, rashly challenged Apollo to a musical contest. Needless to say the musical god Apollo won and Marsyas was killed for his cheek.

Does the Parthenon have a statue of Athena?

Athena Parthenos (Ancient Greek: Ἀθηνᾶ Παρθένος) is a lost massive chryselephantine (gold and ivory) sculpture of the Greek goddess Athena, made by Phidias and his assistants and housed in the Parthenon in Athens; this statue was designed as its focal point. Parthenos (“maiden, virgin”) was an epithet of Athena.

How was the Acropolis paid for?

Made from 20 thousand tons of marble quarried from nearby Mount Pentelicus, the huge cost of the building was partly financed from the treasury of the Delian League, which caused great resentment among many of Athens’ allies, who were to be the source of many future troubles…

Why is Phidias important to Greek sculpture?

Phidias is generally regarded as one of the greatest sculptorsof Classical Antiquity, and the greatest carver of High Classical Greek sculpture. Also a painter and architect, Phidias was celebrated for his bronzes and especially his chryselephantine statues (in gold and ivory).

What is the story behind the statue of Athena?

Phidias began work on the statue in 447 BCE and it survived until the 5th century CE when it is presumed destroyed in fire. Ancients describe the statue as being made of ivory, silver and gold. The Goddess Athena is standing, a tunic reaches to her feet and the head of Medusa is worked in ivory on her breast.

What did Phidias do at the Parthenon?

In Athens, Phidias made his most famous images of the goddess Athena and oversaw the creation of the Parthenon frieze. He made the bronze sculptures of Athena Promachos and the Lemnian Athena and the gold and ivory image of Athena Parthenos inside the Parthenon.

Where is the statue of Athena Promachos?

Statue of Athena Promachos. Phidias other most famous work was the Athena Promachos (or Parthenos), which was originally housed in the Parthenon in Athens. Phidias began work on the statue in 447 BCE and it survived until the 5th century CE when it is presumed destroyed in fire.