The statue was placed in the main room of the Parthenon, called the Hekatompedon, almost 100 feet long. Athena was the symbol of Hellenism and the greatness of Athens. (Botsford, p. 245) Her earliest form was wooden made from the sacred olive wood; later a magnificient, chryselephantine statue was erected by Phidias. His statues, 30-40 feet high, including the bronze Athena Promachus (the Defender) stood erect on the Acropolis with her spear and helmet visible to sailors on the Sarconic Gulf. She guarded the city against attack just as she had at Marathon. A gold and ivory statue of Athena Parthenus (the Virgin) was placed in the inner shrine of the Parthenon. She holds Victory in her hand while receiving the offerings and prayers of citizens and allies alike. Both Athenas were carved in the Doric style. (Hammond, p. 333-34)
