IdeaWazaWiki - User contributions [en]

Introduction to this wiki

2007-12-01T00:42:34Z

70.177.166.200: /* What is Wikiversity? */ correct the grammar. The old bad grammar hides the meaning.

[[Image:Page section.jpg|thumb|right|356px|Wikiversity webpages often have multiple sections such as the [[#Learning objectives|Learning objectives]] section of this page.]]
Welcome to '''Introduction to Wikiversity''', a learning project for first time visitors to Wikiversity.

First technical term: '''page section'''. Most Wikiversity webpages contain a lot of information and have their contents divided into multiple '''page sections'''. To quickly navigate to a particular section you can click on a [[link]] to the section in the Table of Contents. The Table of Contents is located above the first section of the page by default. On this page, the first section is called "Learning objectives". The Table of Contents for this page is immediately below this paragraph.

==Learning objectives==
;What you can learn on this page:
#What a wiki website is.
#What the Wikiversity project is all about.
#How you can participate.
#How to ask questions and get help.
#How to find existing [[learning resource]]s at Wikiversity.
;Help with jargon
:Wikiversity participants use many technical terms that have special meaning within the Wikiversity project; see the [[Wikiversity:Glossary|glossary of terms]].

==What is wiki?==
[[Image:Edit button closeup.png|thumb|right|110px|The edit button.]]
A wiki is a type of website that allows users to easily add, remove, or otherwise edit and change the content of the webpages. Wikiversity is a wiki website. Wikiversity webpages have an "edit button" that you are invited to use. Everyone can edit and improve Wikiversity webpages. The openness and ease of editing page content makes a wiki an effective tool for collaborative authoring.

:'''Q'''. Where can I learn more about editing Wikiversity webpages?
:'''A'''. [[Wikiversity:Introduction|Click here]] for an introduction to editing.
[[Image:Discussion button.png|thumb|right|250px|The discussion button.]]
:'''Q'''. Where can I learn more about wiki?
:'''A'''. [[Wiki|Click here]] to learn more about collaborative webpage editing.

:'''Q'''. Where can I discuss the contents of the page with other users?
:'''A'''. Every wiki webpage has an associated page for discussions. For example, when you are at this page, click the "discussion" button to go to the [[Talk:Introduction to Wikiversity]] page where you can ask questions about this webpage.

:'''Q'''. How is the content that I contribute to Wikiversity licensed? Who can use it?
:'''A'''. Every time you use the "edit button", just below the edit window it says, "You agree to license your contributions under the [[Wikiversity:GNU Free Documentation License|GFDL]]." GFDL stands for "GNU Free Documentation License" and is the [[Wikiversity:Copyrights|license]] that is applied to all the text added by editors to Wikiversity pages. Before you edit Wikiversity pages you should have a basic understanding of the GFDL. See: [[The GFDL and you]].

==What is Wikiversity?==
'''Wikiversity is a site for the creation and use of free learning materials and activities.''' The mission of Wikiversity is to empower people to achieve their educational goals using resources produced by the [[w:free culture movement|free culture movement]]. The goal is to create a community of people who support each other in their educational endeavors.

See: [[Wikiversity:About]] <-- Answers to ten frequently asked questions about Wikiversity.

===Asking questions===
As a new visitor to Wikiversity you probably have many questions. First, try asking at the [[Wikiversity:Colloquium|Colloquium page]] or at the [[Wikiversity:Chat|Wikiversity live chat channel]]. You can also ask questions that are about this page by editing this page ([http://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Introduction_to_Wikiversity&action=edit&section=4 example]) or by editing this page's [[Talk:Introduction to Wikiversity|discussion page]]. There are also [[Wikiversity:Questions|other options]] for asking questions.
====Your questions====
Ask questions here:
* Hi. is there a way to know when an edit/change I've made gets edited or changed by someone else?
::[[#Keeping track of discussions]] (page section, below) mentions the idea of a "watch list". If you have registered a user name and if you are logged in, then at the top of each wiki page there should be a link called "my watchlist". I set my user preferences to add every page I edit to my watchlist. The watchlist is updated to show pages that have been edited. --[[User:JWSchmidt|JWSchmidt]] 07:13, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

==Explore Wikiversity content==
<big>'''[[Wikiversity:Browse|Browse]]'''</big> our main subject areas: [[Portal:Humanities|Humanities]] · [[Portal:Physical Sciences|Physical Sciences]] · [[Portal:Life Sciences|Life Sciences]] · [[Portal:Practical Arts and Sciences|Practical Arts and Sciences]] · [[Portal:Mathematics|Mathematics]] · [[Portal:Engineering and Technology|Engineering and Technology]] · [[Portal:Interdisciplinary Studies|Interdisciplinary Studies]] · [[Portal:Social Sciences|Social Sciences]] · [[Portal:Education|Education]] · [[Portal:Media|Media]] · [[Portal:Professions|Professions]] · [[:Category:Portal|Other portals]]

'''Categories'''. Every Wikiversity learning resource should be in at least one [[Help:Category|Category]]. You can browse Wikiversity by category. See: [[:Category:Content]].

'''Search'''. Try using the search feature to find learning resources. See: [[Wikiversity:Searching]].

===Exercises===
1. Edit your Wikiversity user page and add hypertext [[Making links|links]] to some Wikiversity pages that are of interest to you. '''Hint''': make a link to this page so that you can keep returning here until you complete this introduction to Wikiversity. See: [[Making links]].

2. Not yet registered? See: [[Wikiversity:Why create an account]].

==More about Wikiversity==
Wikiversity is a [[wiki|wiki-based]] [[m:Learning_community|learning community]]. Here you can use online courses and also create courses yourself. See [[Some ideas about Wikiversity|this page]] for some ideas about what the Wikiversity might become. Also, see more of [[Wikiversity:Learning|how Wikiversity supports learning]].

Different [[Wikiversity:Vision|entry point]]s and [[Wikiversity:Alternative_Theory|rough theory]], as well as [[Wikiversity:Forms:Circle|example forms]] are also available.

==How can I learn even more about Wikiversity?==
[[Image:Edit button closeup.png|thumb|right|110px|The edit button.....use it. Wikiversity is a website where you can [[Portal:Education/Wikiversity model|learn by editing the webpages]].]]
*True or false? [[B is the new C]] <-- A short lesson about learning at Wikiversity and learning by editing wiki website pages.

Try stuff! Learn by doing. Please make mistakes. If you make your edits in good faith, the worst thing can happen is someone coming along and saying that that is not the way things are standardly done, or that what is being done is outside the scope of the project. However, we try not to [[WV:BITE|bite]].

Still not sure about using the edit button? Watch a two minute-long video that offers encouragement to people who are new to editing Wikiversity and other wiki websites. Join the Web 2.0 revolution! Wikiversity uses the Ogg video format --> [[Media:WRSP Web 2.0.ogg|view Web 2.0 video]], 9.3 Mb download. ([[w:Wikipedia:Media help (Ogg)|Help]] with Ogg video file play.)

See also: [[Wikiversity computer skills]] <-- includes a tutorial for how to play Ogg format audio and video files on your computer. Have you checked out that little '''[[help:toolbox|toolbox]]''' there to the left? The ''[[Special:Whatlinkshere/Introduction_to_Wikiversity|What links here]]'' tool is nifty!

==Things you can get started doing==
*Add or tweak some notes at a course portal. The [[Wikiversity:School of History|School of History]] is now seeking students! The [[Wikiversity:School of Mathematics|School of Mathematics]] is now seeking students: [[School of Mathematics:Calculus]].
*Tweak a [[Special:Random|random text]] for readability.
*Create an interesting topic portal.
*[[Wikiversity:Create a Random Lesson Plan|Create a random lesson plan]].
*Assemble an initial list of links useful to others interested in the topic.
*Add an outline bullet
*Add a factual paragraph or bullet to an article or its associated discussion page.
*Publish an essay question and answer or a term paper at an appropriate location.
*Write a draft quiz regarding a [[wikipedia:Special:Random|random Wikipedia article]] or other subject of interest and publish it as an appropriate link in a learning trail.
*Review the standards of [[Wikiversity:Educational standards organisations|educational standards organisations]].
*Publish your course notes (Students please note that the copyright of handouts belongs to their creators and permission is required prior to submittal. Personal notes with short quotes compliant with fair use provisions of U.S. Copyright law, short quotes and citations, created to study the course material are very welcome. It is exactly what we wish to '''edit mercilessly''' and improve to leave behind published under the [[GFDL]] for others to encounter along the learning trails.), lesson plans, topical essays, or reference works for others to review, modify or fork.
*Come discuss how to improve Wikiversity at our [http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/textbook-l current mailing list].

[[Image:RSS feed.png|thumb|right|300px|Click image to enlarge.]]
===Keeping track of discussions===

How do you know when someone has replied to a comment or a question you left on a Wikiversity [[Help:Talk page|discussion page]]? Be sure to add pages you are interested in to your watch list. Either use the "watch" button or set you user preferences to automatically add pages you edit to your watch list. Periodically check your watch list to keep track of changes to pages you previously edited.

You can also obtain RSS or Atom feeds for changes to any Wikiversity page. Go to the article's history page and use the toolbox link labeled "rss" to subscribe to this feed. See [[w:Wikipedia:Syndication|this Wikipedia article]] for more information.

===Find a course===
[[Wikiversity:Browse|Browse]] the [[learning resource]]s listed at Wikiversity [[Wikiversity:Portals|Portals]] or the various [[Wikiversity:Wikiversity Schools|Wikiversity Schools]].

==Discussing Wikiversity==
For previous discussions see the [[m:Wikiversity|Meta page]] on Wikiversity. Since there is now a formal [[m:Wikiversity/Modified project proposal|proposal]] to set up Wikiversity as a [[m:Proposals_for_new_projects#Wikiversity proposal|new Wikimedia project]], try to keep discussions of Wikiversity's scope and goals centralized at Meta. Utilize a #wikiversity-en [[Wikiversity:Chat|IRC chat channel]] as well. If you're interested, you could add your name to the many [[Wikiversity:participants|participants lists]], and see who else is involved.

==Wikiversity Core Courses==
One way of [[meta:Moving_Wikiversity_forward|moving Wikiversity forward]] is to create a set of core service courses that will meet the needs of existing Wikimedia projects. Since Wikibooks does not want to host Wikiversity, the [[wikicities:education:Wikiversity#Wikiversity_Core_Courses_Initiative|Wikiversity Core Courses]] are being developed at the education wikicity. Hopefully, there will be an actual Wikiversity project with its own domain name in the near future.

==See also==
*[[Topic:Wikiversity]] - content development project for learning resources about Wikiversity
*[[Intermediate Wikiversity]] - you've made some edits to Wikiversity, now you need help so that you can get serious and edit efficiently.
*[[Wikiversity (the rest of the story)]] - details about Wikiversity that only the obsessed

[[Category:Introduction to Wikiversity]]
[[Category:Introductions]]

Introduction to this wiki

2007-12-01T00:32:28Z

70.177.166.200: /* Things you can get started doing */ fix typo and link GFDL, cvt to wikisyntax

[[Image:Page section.jpg|thumb|right|356px|Wikiversity webpages often have multiple sections such as the [[#Learning objectives|Learning objectives]] section of this page.]]
Welcome to '''Introduction to Wikiversity''', a learning project for first time visitors to Wikiversity.

First technical term: '''page section'''. Most Wikiversity webpages contain a lot of information and have their contents divided into multiple '''page sections'''. To quickly navigate to a particular section you can click on a [[link]] to the section in the Table of Contents. The Table of Contents is located above the first section of the page by default. On this page, the first section is called "Learning objectives". The Table of Contents for this page is immediately below this paragraph.

==Learning objectives==
;What you can learn on this page:
#What a wiki website is.
#What the Wikiversity project is all about.
#How you can participate.
#How to ask questions and get help.
#How to find existing [[learning resource]]s at Wikiversity.
;Help with jargon
:Wikiversity participants use many technical terms that have special meaning within the Wikiversity project; see the [[Wikiversity:Glossary|glossary of terms]].

==What is wiki?==
[[Image:Edit button closeup.png|thumb|right|110px|The edit button.]]
A wiki is a type of website that allows users to easily add, remove, or otherwise edit and change the content of the webpages. Wikiversity is a wiki website. Wikiversity webpages have an "edit button" that you are invited to use. Everyone can edit and improve Wikiversity webpages. The openness and ease of editing page content makes a wiki an effective tool for collaborative authoring.

:'''Q'''. Where can I learn more about editing Wikiversity webpages?
:'''A'''. [[Wikiversity:Introduction|Click here]] for an introduction to editing.
[[Image:Discussion button.png|thumb|right|250px|The discussion button.]]
:'''Q'''. Where can I learn more about wiki?
:'''A'''. [[Wiki|Click here]] to learn more about collaborative webpage editing.

:'''Q'''. Where can I discuss the contents of the page with other users?
:'''A'''. Every wiki webpage has an associated page for discussions. For example, when you are at this page, click the "discussion" button to go to the [[Talk:Introduction to Wikiversity]] page where you can ask questions about this webpage.

:'''Q'''. How is the content that I contribute to Wikiversity licensed? Who can use it?
:'''A'''. Every time you use the "edit button", just below the edit window it says, "You agree to license your contributions under the [[Wikiversity:GNU Free Documentation License|GFDL]]." GFDL stands for "GNU Free Documentation License" and is the [[Wikiversity:Copyrights|license]] that is applied to all the text added by editors to Wikiversity pages. Before you edit Wikiversity pages you should have a basic understanding of the GFDL. See: [[The GFDL and you]].

==What is Wikiversity?==
'''Wikiversity is for the creation and use of free learning materials and activities.''' The mission of Wikiversity is to empower people to achieve their educational goals using resources produced by the [[w:free culture movement|free culture movement]]. The goal is to create a community of people who support each other in their educational endeavors.

See: [[Wikiversity:About]] <-- Answers to ten frequently asked questions about Wikiversity.

===Asking questions===
As a new visitor to Wikiversity you probably have many questions. First, try asking at the [[Wikiversity:Colloquium|Colloquium page]] or at the [[Wikiversity:Chat|Wikiversity live chat channel]]. You can also ask questions that are about this page by editing this page ([http://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Introduction_to_Wikiversity&action=edit&section=4 example]) or by editing this page's [[Talk:Introduction to Wikiversity|discussion page]]. There are also [[Wikiversity:Questions|other options]] for asking questions.
====Your questions====
Ask questions here:
* Hi. is there a way to know when an edit/change I've made gets edited or changed by someone else?
::[[#Keeping track of discussions]] (page section, below) mentions the idea of a "watch list". If you have registered a user name and if you are logged in, then at the top of each wiki page there should be a link called "my watchlist". I set my user preferences to add every page I edit to my watchlist. The watchlist is updated to show pages that have been edited. --[[User:JWSchmidt|JWSchmidt]] 07:13, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

==Explore Wikiversity content==
<big>'''[[Wikiversity:Browse|Browse]]'''</big> our main subject areas: [[Portal:Humanities|Humanities]] · [[Portal:Physical Sciences|Physical Sciences]] · [[Portal:Life Sciences|Life Sciences]] · [[Portal:Practical Arts and Sciences|Practical Arts and Sciences]] · [[Portal:Mathematics|Mathematics]] · [[Portal:Engineering and Technology|Engineering and Technology]] · [[Portal:Interdisciplinary Studies|Interdisciplinary Studies]] · [[Portal:Social Sciences|Social Sciences]] · [[Portal:Education|Education]] · [[Portal:Media|Media]] · [[Portal:Professions|Professions]] · [[:Category:Portal|Other portals]]

'''Categories'''. Every Wikiversity learning resource should be in at least one [[Help:Category|Category]]. You can browse Wikiversity by category. See: [[:Category:Content]].

'''Search'''. Try using the search feature to find learning resources. See: [[Wikiversity:Searching]].

===Exercises===
1. Edit your Wikiversity user page and add hypertext [[Making links|links]] to some Wikiversity pages that are of interest to you. '''Hint''': make a link to this page so that you can keep returning here until you complete this introduction to Wikiversity. See: [[Making links]].

2. Not yet registered? See: [[Wikiversity:Why create an account]].

==More about Wikiversity==
Wikiversity is a [[wiki|wiki-based]] [[m:Learning_community|learning community]]. Here you can use online courses and also create courses yourself. See [[Some ideas about Wikiversity|this page]] for some ideas about what the Wikiversity might become. Also, see more of [[Wikiversity:Learning|how Wikiversity supports learning]].

Different [[Wikiversity:Vision|entry point]]s and [[Wikiversity:Alternative_Theory|rough theory]], as well as [[Wikiversity:Forms:Circle|example forms]] are also available.

==How can I learn even more about Wikiversity?==
[[Image:Edit button closeup.png|thumb|right|110px|The edit button.....use it. Wikiversity is a website where you can [[Portal:Education/Wikiversity model|learn by editing the webpages]].]]
*True or false? [[B is the new C]] <-- A short lesson about learning at Wikiversity and learning by editing wiki website pages.

Try stuff! Learn by doing. Please make mistakes. If you make your edits in good faith, the worst thing can happen is someone coming along and saying that that is not the way things are standardly done, or that what is being done is outside the scope of the project. However, we try not to [[WV:BITE|bite]].

Still not sure about using the edit button? Watch a two minute-long video that offers encouragement to people who are new to editing Wikiversity and other wiki websites. Join the Web 2.0 revolution! Wikiversity uses the Ogg video format --> [[Media:WRSP Web 2.0.ogg|view Web 2.0 video]], 9.3 Mb download. ([[w:Wikipedia:Media help (Ogg)|Help]] with Ogg video file play.)

See also: [[Wikiversity computer skills]] <-- includes a tutorial for how to play Ogg format audio and video files on your computer. Have you checked out that little '''[[help:toolbox|toolbox]]''' there to the left? The ''[[Special:Whatlinkshere/Introduction_to_Wikiversity|What links here]]'' tool is nifty!

==Things you can get started doing==
*Add or tweak some notes at a course portal. The [[Wikiversity:School of History|School of History]] is now seeking students! The [[Wikiversity:School of Mathematics|School of Mathematics]] is now seeking students: [[School of Mathematics:Calculus]].
*Tweak a [[Special:Random|random text]] for readability.
*Create an interesting topic portal.
*[[Wikiversity:Create a Random Lesson Plan|Create a random lesson plan]].
*Assemble an initial list of links useful to others interested in the topic.
*Add an outline bullet
*Add a factual paragraph or bullet to an article or its associated discussion page.
*Publish an essay question and answer or a term paper at an appropriate location.
*Write a draft quiz regarding a [[wikipedia:Special:Random|random Wikipedia article]] or other subject of interest and publish it as an appropriate link in a learning trail.
*Review the standards of [[Wikiversity:Educational standards organisations|educational standards organisations]].
*Publish your course notes (Students please note that the copyright of handouts belongs to their creators and permission is required prior to submittal. Personal notes with short quotes compliant with fair use provisions of U.S. Copyright law, short quotes and citations, created to study the course material are very welcome. It is exactly what we wish to '''edit mercilessly''' and improve to leave behind published under the [[GFDL]] for others to encounter along the learning trails.), lesson plans, topical essays, or reference works for others to review, modify or fork.
*Come discuss how to improve Wikiversity at our [http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/textbook-l current mailing list].

[[Image:RSS feed.png|thumb|right|300px|Click image to enlarge.]]
===Keeping track of discussions===

How do you know when someone has replied to a comment or a question you left on a Wikiversity [[Help:Talk page|discussion page]]? Be sure to add pages you are interested in to your watch list. Either use the "watch" button or set you user preferences to automatically add pages you edit to your watch list. Periodically check your watch list to keep track of changes to pages you previously edited.

You can also obtain RSS or Atom feeds for changes to any Wikiversity page. Go to the article's history page and use the toolbox link labeled "rss" to subscribe to this feed. See [[w:Wikipedia:Syndication|this Wikipedia article]] for more information.

===Find a course===
[[Wikiversity:Browse|Browse]] the [[learning resource]]s listed at Wikiversity [[Wikiversity:Portals|Portals]] or the various [[Wikiversity:Wikiversity Schools|Wikiversity Schools]].

==Discussing Wikiversity==
For previous discussions see the [[m:Wikiversity|Meta page]] on Wikiversity. Since there is now a formal [[m:Wikiversity/Modified project proposal|proposal]] to set up Wikiversity as a [[m:Proposals_for_new_projects#Wikiversity proposal|new Wikimedia project]], try to keep discussions of Wikiversity's scope and goals centralized at Meta. Utilize a #wikiversity-en [[Wikiversity:Chat|IRC chat channel]] as well. If you're interested, you could add your name to the many [[Wikiversity:participants|participants lists]], and see who else is involved.

==Wikiversity Core Courses==
One way of [[meta:Moving_Wikiversity_forward|moving Wikiversity forward]] is to create a set of core service courses that will meet the needs of existing Wikimedia projects. Since Wikibooks does not want to host Wikiversity, the [[wikicities:education:Wikiversity#Wikiversity_Core_Courses_Initiative|Wikiversity Core Courses]] are being developed at the education wikicity. Hopefully, there will be an actual Wikiversity project with its own domain name in the near future.

==See also==
*[[Topic:Wikiversity]] - content development project for learning resources about Wikiversity
*[[Intermediate Wikiversity]] - you've made some edits to Wikiversity, now you need help so that you can get serious and edit efficiently.
*[[Wikiversity (the rest of the story)]] - details about Wikiversity that only the obsessed

[[Category:Introduction to Wikiversity]]
[[Category:Introductions]]

Archive:Athena Parthenos

2007-01-17T17:01:52Z

70.177.250.68:

[[Image:NAMA Athéna Varvakeion.jpg|thumb|A votive sculpture, found near the [[Ioannis Varvakis|Varvakeion school]]; it reflects the type of the ''Athena Parthenos'', Roman period, 2rd century CE (National Archaeological Museum, Athens).]]
'''''Athena Parthenos''''' is the title of a massive [[sculpture]] of the [[Greek mythology|Greek]] [[goddess]] [[Athena]] by [[Phidias]] that was housed in the [[Parthenon]] in [[Athens]]. It was considered one of the greatest achievements of Phidias, the most acclaimed sculptor of ancient Greece. Phidias began his work around 447 BCE,<ref>Andrew Stewart gives 446.</ref> and it stood for approximately 700 years before it was destroyed by invaders {{fact}}.

==Description==

The ancient historian [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] gave a description of the statue:
{{cquote|...The statue itself is made of ivory and gold. On the middle of her helmet is placed a likeness of the [[Sphinx]] ... and on either side of the helmet are [[griffin]]s in relief. ... The statue of Athena is upright, with a tunic reaching to the feet, and on her breast the head of [[Medusa]] is worked in ivory. She holds a statue of [[Nike (mythology)|Victory]] about four [[cubit]]s high, and in the other hand a spear; at her feet lies a shield and near the spear is a serpent. This serpent would be [[Erichthonius of Athens|Erichthonius]]. On the pedestal is the birth of [[Pandora]] in relief.<ref>Pausanias, ''Description of Greece'', Book I, 24.5–7.</ref>}}

The gold plates of which the sculpture was assembled, save for the ivory of the goddess's face and arms, wighed 44 [[talent]]s, the equivalent of about 2500 pounds: she embodied a sizeable part of the treasury of Athens.

The general type of the ''Athena Parthenos'', though not its character and quality, can be assessed from its image on coins and its reproductions as [[Votive deposit|votive object]]s (''illustration, right'').

== LeQuire's reconstruction ==
[[Image:RiddleAthena.jpg|thumb|left|220pxThe modern ''Athena Parthenos'' replica that stands in the replicated [[Parthenon]] in [[Centennial Park]] in [[Nashville]].]]
===Description===
A modern replica by [[Alan LeQuire]] stands in the reproduction of the the [[Parthenon (Nashville)|Parthenon]] in [[Nashville]], [[Tennessee]]. Alan LeQuire, a Nashville native, was awarded the commission to produce the Parthenon's centerpiece. His work was modeled on descriptions given of the original. The modern version took eight years to complete, and was unveiled to the public on [[May 20]] [[1990]].

The modern version of ''Athena Parthenos'' is significant because of its scale and its attention to recreating the Phidias' work. The statue adds an additional dimension of realism to the replicated Parthenon, whose interior east room (called the Naos) was merely a large empty hall prior to the statue's unveiling. The ruins of the original temple that stand atop the [[Acropolis]] give little idea of how the magnificent structure originally appeared in ancient Greece. Athena Parthenos gives visitors to Nashville's Parthenon the impression that they truly are inside an ancient place of worship.

The statue is a representation of the virginal Greek goddess of wisdom, wearing a helmet and gown. Against the base in her left hand she holds an enormous shield (over 3 metres (11 feet) in diameter), behind which a [[Serpent (symbolism)|serpent]] rears its head. In her right hand, the goddess holds her constant companion [[nike (mythology)|Nike]], the Greek goddess of victory, who herself measures almost 2 metres (6 feet 4 inches) and weighs 180 kilos (400 pounds).

=== Production ===

''Athena Parthenos'' is made of a composite of [[gypsum]] cement and ground [[fiberglass]], The head of Athena was assembled over an [[aluminum]] [[armature]], and the lower part was made in [[steel]]. The four ten-inch H beams rest on a concrete structure that extends through the Parthenon floor and basement down to [[bedrock]], to support the incredible weight of the statue. LeQuire made each of the 180 cast gypsum panels used to create the statue light enough to be lifted by one person and attached to the steel armature.

=== Gilt and paint ===
[[Image:AthenaAlanpainting.jpg|thumb|right| 170px |Sculptor [[Alan LeQuire]] painting the detail of the ''Athena Parthenos'' replica during the gilding phase.]]

Painstaking research was performed by LeQuire and the Parthenon staff to ensure the accuracy of the statue's resemblance to the Phidias work. It stood in Nashville’s Parthenon as a plain, white statue for twelve years. In [[2002]], Parthenon volunteers [[gild]]ed Athena under the supervision of master gilder Lou Reed. The gilding project took less than four months and makes the modern statue appear that much more like the Phidias' Athena Parthenos would have appeared during its time.

The gold plates on the Athena statue in ancient times weighed approximately 1,500 pounds and were one-eighth to one-sixteenth of an inch thick. The 23.75-karat gold leaf on Nashville's Athena Parthenos weighs a total of 8.5 pounds and is three times thinner than tissue paper. The modern extravagance of gilding such a large statue pales in comparison to the lavish spending of the Greeks. In fact, one theory of the original's demise is that Athena Parthenos was decimated and looted to remove the gilding.

In addition to gilding, the project included painting the details of the statue's face, wardrobe and shield. LeQuire himself applied the paint.

=== Facts and figures ===
* Nashville's Athena stands 41'10" (approximately 13 meters) tall, making her the largest piece of indoor sculpture in the Western World.
* The statue of Nike in Athena's right hand stands 6'4" (approximately 2 meters) tall.
* There are eleven snakes represented on Athena's breastplate, bracelets and belt.

==Ancient copies==
*The ''Varvakeion Athena'', a Roman copy in marble of the ''Athena Parthenos'' from the second century, is housed in the [[National Archaeological Museum of Athens]]. [http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/classics/photos/photodb/Beasom/ParthAthena.jpg]
*Another copy is housed in the [[Louvre]].[http://cartelen.louvre.fr/cartelen/visite?srv=car_not_frame&idNotice=809]

==Notes==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cl135/Students/Colin_Delaney/fathena.html Colin Delaney, "Pheidias, Sculptor to the Gods"]
* [http://alanlequire.com/athena.html Alan LeQuire Page]
* [http://www.nashville.gov/parthenon/index.htm Nashville Parthenon Page]

[[Category:Sculptures]]
[[Category:Nashville, Tennessee]]
[[Category:1990 works]]

Archive:Center for the Advancement of Capitalism

2005-09-15T22:02:14Z

70.177.189.123: