Where Is the Parthenon [Paperback]

Discover the ruins of the Parthenon, one of the most famous and beautiful places in the world!
    
Athens, Greece, is best known for the Parthenon, the ruins of an ancient temple completed in 438 BC to honor the goddess Athena. But what many people don't know is that it only served as a temple for a couple hundred years. It then became a church, then a mosque, and by the end of the 1600s served as a storehouse for munitions. When an enemy army fired hundreds of cannon balls at the Acropolis, one directly hit the Parthenon. Much of the sculpture was destroyed, three hundred people died, and the site fell into ruin. Today, visitors continue to flock to this world famous landmark, which has become a symbol for Ancient Greece, democracy, and modern civilization. Includes black-and-white illustrations and a foldout color map!Roberta Edwards has written several books for young readers. She lives in New York, New York.

 

Where Is the Parthenon?
 
Imagine going back in time 2,500 years to the city of Athens in ancient Greece. It is just about sunrise. You and your parents leave your small mud-brick house and join a large parade of people climbing up a steep hill that rises from the center of the city. Men and women—as well as you and the other young children—are wearing capes over loose, white tunics calledchitons(say: ky-tuns). Wearing light clothing helps everyone stay cool in the heat of the sun.
 
Where is everyone going?
 
They are heading to a temple that stands on top of the hill. It is made of white marble with a ring of forty columns going around all four sides. It is called the Parthenon (say: PAR-thuh-nahn). Everyone has come here to worship the goddess Athena. The Parthenon is the goddess’s special temple.
 
Your family follows the parade to the front of the Parthenon. The temple is decorated with brightly painted sculptures made by tl#"