Customer Reviews

Parthenon (Wonders of the World)

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It is the most famous building in Western history. Yet, in _The Parthenon_ (Harvard University Press), Mary Beard reminds us that there are great voids of mystery about it, that we don't know what large portions of it looked like when it was built, and that much of what we see when we look at the ruin now is a controversial restoration. Beard's serious, academic, but witty monograph makes us look at the ruin again, and realize the role it has played in imagination and in objective Western history. Not only is the Parthenon an amazing and influential building, but it has a few thousand years of history and controversy (starting from before it was built). Beard gives us all the details in a lively account.

Beard, a classicist, reminds us that we have to do a lot of guesswork about the Athenian government of the fifth century BCE, even though it looms large in our imagined history of democracy. There were rumors of financial and sexual scandal connected to the project, which was attacked as a colossal waste of money and "dressing up Athens like a whore." The temple was not for worship such as occurs in our churches and mosques (both of which, in time, the Parthenon became). It was a strongbox, a place to keep not only the valuable statue secure, but also plenty of other treasures. The friezes were attacked by Christians when it was turned into a church, and had milder defacement from the Turks when it afterward became a mosque. The temple was more or less intact, though, until 1687, when Christians blew up the gunpowder the Turks were storing there. The ruin we see now on the Acropolis is not the ruin that was left. We now see columns running between the pedimented ends of the building, but this is a reconstruction from the 1920s. To put it mildly, this restoration did not meet the current standards for historic preservation, although it was heartily approved at the time. It is not an accurate reconstruction but "a plausible fiction" made of materials that were to hand, and it inexcusably injured the ancient blocks. Current reconstruction will position them as well as current research methods can direct.

Of course the history of the Lord Elgin and his theft or rescue of the sculptures is recounted here in very fair detail. What happened to them in the twentieth century, however, shows how large a role they play in the world's affections and interest. The rich art dealer Joseph Duveen provided the new accommodation for the Elgin Marbles at the British Museum. He somehow had access to the sculptures being prepared for their new accommodation, and in 1938, the director of the museum was horrified to find that copper tools and carborundum were being used to clean the figures at Duveen's direction. Beard reports that "... heads did, discretely, roll, and 'remedial measures' (the phrase alone makes you shudder) were taken on the marbles." There was a flurry of press criticism at the time, but a scholar turned the story up only a few years ago, resulting in an angry and emotional international conference to try to get to the bottom of the events of 1938. Beard says this is only the most recent climax of "the longest-running cultural controversy in the world," the fate of the Elgin Marbles. The Parthenon may be only a ruin, but it plays a role in the world's cares beyond just being a beautiful spot for sightseers. Beard's biography of the building, erudite and vigorous, shows just why the Parthenon looms important among humanity's monuments.

This is an exhaustive, fabulous treatise on one of the most venerable monuments to classical history the world has ever known. Beard takes us through the entire history of the Parthenon. She details for us its probable early use as a temple to Athena (as well as some other theories) as well as its less known utility as a Christian church and Mosque in later ages.

Along the way, Beard offers us statements concerning the Parthenon from various historical and modern personages. Some are profound, some are not. Some simply advertise their ignorance (such as the not-so-venerable Shaquille O'Neal). From the vantage points of different epochs we are able to discern how the Parthenon has been seen down through the ages.

Of course, no work on the Parthenon would be complete without examining the highly(!) controversial exploits of one Lord Elgin. As hoped, Beard delivers in giving a thorough description of all the forces at play in both England & Greece. She does not take a position on the issue, so her discussion of this sensitive topic is not apt to offend anyone. Then again, since she refrains from taking a position, perhaps that in itself WILL offend some people? I don't know.

There is also a background section on the disastrous explosion of 1687. It was caused by the Ottoman Empire using (mis-using!) the Parthenon as an arsenal. Not suprisingly, this made it a target for the Venetians and.....you can guess the rest. What is less known is that 300 people perished when the Parthenon exploded. That's an unfortunate detail that is many times overlooked in history classes. As usual, Beard does an excellent job of giving the whole story of what took place.

If you possess an interest in the Parthenon and / or ancient Greece in general, this book is a can't miss. For anyone who wishes to tour Greece (or the British museum in London), this book is highly recommended as well. Even if you only have a passing interest in history per-se, this book will give you an avenue to enjoy the Parthenon & all of its frieze and sculptoral splendor.

Simply commenting on the writing style: very well done. Follows Strunk & White's Elements of Style. Factual too. Every point is rebutted by a counter point, giving a nuianced view. I don't usually give a book five stars (see my other reviews) but this one merits it.

Beard's text is an excellent bio of Ancient Greece's most famous temple. Within the 198 pages, Beard traces the establishment of the temple (in Pericle's 'golden era') to its subsequent trials brought on by foreign occupation (Turkish, Venetian) and the mishandling of the ruins by Lord Elgin.

This is primarily a travel book to be taken with one to the actual site. It serves as a nice introduction (with map) to the Parthenon and its varied voyage through time.

There is an old saying that one kills the thing one loves. Given the treatment meted out to some of the world's treasures, this certainly must have a grain of truth. Of course it is rare for humanity to recognize a world treasure during it's initial creation. The Mona Lisa was not the painting that it is now until the 19th century. This book on the Parthenon proves just how hard it is to win the acclaim of the world and just how many times we came close to losing it.

Probably no monument has had a harder time of it than the Parthenon. It has since 5th century BC been burnt, sacked, looted, converted to a Christian Church, defaced (by Christians), turned into a mosque, defaced (by Moslems), additions added and then removed, in 1687 blown up by the Venetians. The unkindest cut of all was when Lord Elgin gathered up the 5th century sculptures and carvings and shipped them off to London where they eventually found a home at the British Museum. It is all a fascinating, if sad story of the iconic monument to the glorious 5th century of Athenian history.

Mary Beard the historian of the classical age has provided and excellent synopsis of the past 2,500 years of this building's history and provides context to many of the developments which shaped its past and present. The section discussing the differences between the Athenian version of democracy (probably about 3% participating on a regular basis, much like in the early days of the US republic) and just how fleeting this concept was even as a thing exercised by elites and for elites. This is a well done addition to the "wonders of the world" series.

A spendid book that can be easily read in an afternoon. Covers the topic fully and moves along as it does.

One chilly February morning, just as dawn was arriving and the shops and offices were still clad in the cold grey of the fading night, I saw by the dawn's golden glow the full splendour of the Parthenon floating serenely above the narrow streets of Athens.

The sun had risen just enough to light the Parthenon. For a moment or so it floated; the Acropolis could have been a cloud with the Parthenon as a vision of the front door to the home of the gods. It was a perfect metaphor for the reputation of ancient Athens as a city committed to beauty, elegance, grace and the sensitivity to express artistic values.

Mary Beard has done a superb job in this concise and poignant history, undoubtedly the finest structure of its kind in the world. The ancients didn't consider it one of the Seven Wonders of the World, they seem to have based their values on volume instead of quality. Perhaps the Parthenon, even today in its ruined state, should be considered first among the Seven Beauties of the World.

Her book is a treasure for anyone who has visited the Acropolis; it is essential for anyone who plans to visit Athens and do more than drink ouzo in some seedy taverna. It's more than a bare-bones history; she recounts the scandals in getting it built, and the subsequent sins of omission and commission during the past 20 centuries during which this gem was defaced.

Maybe my view is warped because of my first magic view; however, I still regard it as a gift of the gods which mortal humans have spoiled. Beard doesn't offer any such speculation; instead, she does offer a nuts-and-bolts history of this gem from the past. That is the strength of her book, she ignores the nonsense and concentrates on facts.

It is also the weakness, in my view. The history is brief but fascinating, but she doesn't understand the psychic importance of Athena to the Athenians. For a comparison, think of the 'Liberty Enlightening the World' statue in New York harbour and its significance to all Americans, whether they have seen it or not. Both statues embody the ideals of the society in which they are displayed; I suggest when you read this book, to keep this comparison in mind to get a full appreciation of just how much each means to the world.

England, of course, hasn't built a monument since Stonehenge. England builds little statues to honor its heroes; think of the Albert Memorial. Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square is a mere 59 columns short of a full Parthenon. How about the Millenium Dome to celebrate two centuries of ? ? ? The Statue of Liberty wasn't an American idea, it was a gift from France. It's not easy to come up with an artifact that expresses the ideals of a society through time.

The Parthenon is a timeless monument. Regardless of what or how you think of it, this book will add to your understanding, appreciation and enjoyment. When you think of how many of today's architectural "gems" will still be visited 2,500 years from now, it gives you an appreciation of what the Athenians accomplished.

Beard tells you how they did it, and then what happened. It's a superb book.

An excellent short history of the Parthenon. Entertaining writing style. But what were the Greeks trying to tell us on this most sculpted temple of Greek antiquity? Like most of the rest of modern classicists and mythologists, Ms. Beard hasn't a clue. It took the artists 15 years to complete the sculptures. They were meant to mean something to us, meant to be understood. For that understanding, I recommend THE PARTHENON CODE: MANKIND'S HISTORY IN MARBLE.