Meaning & use
Parthenon
Last updated
Meaning
proper nounproper
An ancient temple on the Acropolis in Athens, built in the 5th century BCE and dedicated to the goddess Athena.
Grammar: Always capitalized and used with 'the' when referring to the specific building: the Parthenon.
Patterns
- the Parthenon
- visit the Parthenon
- the Parthenon in Athens
The Parthenon stands on the Acropolis hill, overlooking the city of Athens.
We studied the Parthenon in our art history class.
Common combinations
- the Parthenon marbles
- The Parthenon marbles are a group of classical Greek sculptures.
- the Acropolis and the Parthenon
- Tourists often visit the Acropolis and the Parthenon together.
- the Parthenon frieze
- The Parthenon frieze shows a procession in ancient Athens.
Commonly confused: Parthenon or Pantheon?
Parthenon vs Pantheon
The Pantheon is a different ancient temple, in Rome, with a large dome; the Parthenon is in Athens and has columns.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'Parthenon' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The Parthenon is a temple in Athens, so option 1 is correct. Option 0 is wrong because the Parthenon is in Athens, not Rome. Option 2 is wrong because it is not an island and should be capitalized. Option 3 is wrong because it was built in the 5th century BCE, not the 20th century.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Parthenon”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.