The Parthenon, enthroned on the Acropolis, is one of the most dazzling buildings of antiquity, but according to new research, we have misunderstood its name for 2,000 years.
Dutch scholars claim that the popular name “Parthenon” in Roman times originally belonged to a completely different building, not to the huge stone temple that towers over Athens and attracts millions of tourists every year.
The true Parthenon was indeed an ancient Greek treasury, which according to studies by the University of Utrecht contained offerings for the goddess Athena.
Today’s Erechtheion is located about 100 meters from the main temple of the Acropolis, the massive rocky outcrop that rises from the center of Athens.
Instead of being known as the Parthenon, the great temple should be known by its original ancient Greek name, the tongue-piercing Hekatompedon.
