e ruled as one nation, instead of being a mere collection of city-states. Pericles wanted a great temple that would symbolize the ability of the Hellenic (Greek) city-states to work together, and his own "Panhellenic ambitions," in which Athens was to be the leader of all of them (Martin 292). To build the Parthenon, Pericles used money from the mutual-defense fund established by the alliance of Greek cities. This action weakened Athens' leadership position, and contributed to its defeat in the Peloponnesian War (Janson 131).
But the building was "the great monument of Athenian glory" that Pericles desired (Hopper 125). It was also a culmination in Greek architecture and art. It was built in the Doric style and, together with the other buildings of the Acropolis, represents "the Classical phase of Greek art in full maturity" (Janson 131). The temple was built by the architects Callicrates and Ictinus, under the general supervision of Pericles' friend, Phidias. Phidias was one of the greatest Greek sculptors, and he was responsible for the sculptures of the Parthenon, including the enormous ivory and gold statue of Athena inside the temple.
...