The Parthenon and its Sculptures

Few monuments have fascinated people as much as the Parthenon. Two and a half millennia after its construction, this monument continues to generate important research across a wide range of fields, from classics and art history to archaeology and the physical sciences. This book, which grows out of a conference held at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, presents the latest developments in Parthenon research by an international cast of scholars and scientists. It offers new interpretations of some of the most crucial issues, ranging from the authorship of the frieze to the reconstruction of its missing sculpture, as well as the sociopolitical context in which the monument was created and the application of new technologies in Parthenon studies. Showcasing the most up to date research on the Parthenon, this book not only presents the current state of Parthenon studies but also marks the future direction of scholarship.

Author Biography

Michael B. Cosmopoulos is the Hellenic Government-Karakas Foundation Chair of Greek Studies and Professor of Greek Archaeology at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. An archaeologist of ancient Greece, he has authored and edited eleven books, including The Rural History of Ancient Greek City-States and Greek Mysteries: The Archaeology and Ritual of Greek Secret Cults.