Copies of the shield include the 'Strangford shield', a 3rd century version now in the British Museum, London, and scenes of the Amazons are strikingly depicted on 2nd century CE Roman relief slabs from a Piraeus wreck which are now on display in the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus.The Goddess of war strategy, Athena, has always been the “perfect daughter” of Zeus. The statue of Nike in Athena's hand was also much copied, notably in a full-size copy from Cyrene now in Philadelphia. Petersburg and a red jasper intaglio from the 1st century BCE now in Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Rome. Detailed depictions of the head appear on a 4th century BCE gold medallion in St. Other full figures, albeit with some damage, include the 'Lenormant statuette', another Roman copy, 2nd or 3rd century CE, 42 cm tall (also in Athens) the 86 cm tall 'Patras statuette' (in Patras) a 1.54 m tall figure now in Boston, and a Hellenistic version from Pergamon which is 3.1 metres tall and preserves some partial figures on the base (Berlin). It is estimated the statue cost the city around 5,000 talents, a truly huge sum of money which made it more expensive than the construction costs of the Parthenon itself.Īs mentioned above the best preserved and most complete representation of Pheidias' lost masterpiece is the ''Varvakeion statuette' which is a 1.05 metre tall Roman copy in marble from the 2nd century CE and which now resides in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Extra embellishments were rendered using glass, copper, silver, and jewels. The gold parts could also be easily removed if necessary in times of financial necessity.

The Athena Parthenos was, then, a gigantic statue which, according to Pliny, was around 11.5 metres tall (26 cubits) and was made of carved ivory for flesh parts and gold (1140 kilos or 44 talents of it) for everything else, all wrapped around a wooden core.

The sculptor was already famous for his colossal bronze statue of Athena Promachos which stood on the acropolis and was reportedly visible from Cape Sounion, and he was commissioned by Pericles to create a statue worthy of the greatest city in Greece and its patron deity. Indeed, there is evidence that the temple was built to measure in order to accommodate the chryselephantine (gold and ivory) statue of Athena by Pheidias. Although richly decorated on the outside with magnificent decoration, the most important sculpture was always intended to be the giant statue of Athena inside it.Īlthough richly decorated on the outside with magnificent decorative sculpture, the most important sculpture was always intended to be the giant statue of Athena inside it.

Athena dmg build 1