Inside the Parthenon stood a magnificent gold and ivory (chryselephantine) statue of the goddess of the city of Athens - Athena. It was made by the great sculptor Pheidias, a close friend of Pericles, who also supervised the construction of the Parthenon.
The statue does not survive, but many replicas were made of it and it was described by many Greek writers. Athena appeared in her guise as the goddess of warfare and wore an 'aegis' (a small goat skin cloak fringed with snakes) and a high-crested helmet.
She carried on her right hand the winged figure of Nike - the goddess of victory. Nearby in the Erechtheion was the older and more sacred wooden statue of Athena. In the open stood the statue of Athena Promachos (the 'defender'), also the work of Pheidias, which could be seen gleaming in the sunshine by sailors many miles out at sea.
