Chapter 6　The Greatest Greek Sculptor

Ordinary men are called“Mr.”-Mr. Smith or Mr.Jones.Great men are called by their full names without the“Mr.”-George Washington, for example.But the greatest men of all are called by just their last names.People have made lists of the one hundred greatest men of all time-the greatest ruler, the greatest writer, the greatest painter, but you probably have never heard of the greatest sculptor.He was a Greek named Phidias-no first name, no middle name-just Phidias.

Polyclitus and Myron made statues of men and women. Phidias made statues of gods and goddesses and godlike men and women.In Athens there is a huge hill called the Acropolis, which means upper city.On this hill the ancient Greeks built a beautiful temple called the Parthenon.It was built just to hold a magnificent statue of Athena, who the Athenians believed gave them many useful things and watched over them and their city as a mother watches over her children.

Phidias was chosen to make this statue of the goddess. Cold marble was not good enough material so Phidias made the statue out of gold and ivory, and he made it seven times taller than a human being.His Athena stood erect in a sleeveless robe that reached to the ground.

On her chest was a breastplate with a border of serpents because serpents were