THE GLORY OF ANCIENT GREECE
On a high hill overlooking the city of Athens stand the ruins of a once
splendid temple. This famous temple is known as the Parthenon, and the
hill is called the Acropolis.
The Acropolis was the religious center of ancient Athens. It was on this
hill that the Greeks built the Parthenon almost 2,500 years ago. They
put up this magnificent temple to honor Athena Parthenos, the patron
goddess of Athens. Inside the temple was a giant gold and ivory statue
of Athena.
When Greece became a Christian country, the Parthenon was used as a
church. Then the Turks conquered Greece. They turned the Parthenon into
a mosque, which is a Moslem place of worship. But during a war, the
Turks stored gunpowder in the Parthenon. The gunpowder exploded and the
building was wrecked.
Years later, Lord Elgin, an Englishman, visited Athens. He sent home
some of the marble sculptures from the outside of the building. Known as
the Elgin Marbles, they can be seen in the British Museum in London.
Other treasures are in the Acropolis Museum in Athens.
The Parthenon is stripped, wrecked, and worn now. But its ghostly
splendor makes you think of the glory of ancient Greece.
