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# Athena
- URL: https://brentajones.com/athena/
- Published: 2021-03-12T13:16:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T19:03:16.000Z
- Description: Explore photographs of the gilded Athena statue, its ornate shield and robes, and the architectural setting inside Nashville's Parthenon.
- Author: Brent Jones
- Tags: Tennessee

Who knew that Athena was in Nashville. Well a recreation at least. 

Nashville hosted Tennessee's Centennial Exposition in 1897 and to remind the city of that it was the "Athens of the South" it had a replicate of the Parthenon (pictures later) and statue of Athena made. These original buildings were not intended to be permanent but they proved to be such a draw of tourist they replaced the original building and statue with permanent ones in 1931\. 

While I cannot vouch for the accuracy of these to the original that ancient Greeks would have been witness too. But I can tell you, I can see how people would have been aw of such a creation. These things are no small achievement. Th figure of Nike is human size, to give you some perspective of the height. 

Ancient Greeks would have made such a large statue and building without machinery that we so enjoy today. They had to engineer insane levels of pulleys and use large amounts of manpower to make these engineering marvels. 

When you have a chance I highly recommend getting to Nashville and checking it out. Hopefully some day I will get a chance to see the real thing in Greece. 

Hope everyone likes the pictures. 

![Gold Athena statue viewed from below](https://brentajones.com/content/images/2021/02/IMG_3389.jpg)

![Athena's gilded figure beneath a coffered ceiling](https://brentajones.com/content/images/2021/02/IMG_3376.jpg)

![Close view of Athena's ornate breastplate](https://brentajones.com/content/images/2021/02/IMG_3379.jpg)

![Side view of Athena's shield and gilded robes](https://brentajones.com/content/images/2021/02/IMG_3380.jpg)

![Athena statue's broad shield and raised helmet](https://brentajones.com/content/images/2021/02/IMG_3381.jpg)

![Black-and-white view of Athena inside the hall](https://brentajones.com/content/images/2021/02/IMG_3386-1.jpg)

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