preview

Sphinx And Parthenon Research Paper

Decent Essays
Open Document

The Sphinx and The Parthenon

Of the many great and noteworthy landmarks all over the world, perhaps two of the most recognizable and impressive are the Sphinx and the Parthenon. The Parthenon is over 2460 years old, and the Sphinx is even older. (By about 2000 years!) These structures are more than the wood, clay or stone they’re built of, they are symbols of the faith, strength and beauty of their cultures.

When you think about the Sphinx and the Parthenon, you think of ancient religious structures. That’s exactly what they are. Both the Sphinx and the Parthenon were built for religious purposes. Historians say that by the time of the New Kingdom in Egypt, The Sphinx was strongly associated with the god Horemakhet, another name being Horus of the Horizon. At the same time, The Parthenon is dedicated to Athena, the patron goddess of Athens, Greece. Both structures are strongly connected to religion, in fact, both structures purposes are solely religious. Also, both the Sphinx and the Parthenon were created by civilizations who were very strongly religious. The whole culture of both Greece and Egypt revolved around religion. The Parthenon and the Sphinx were important and impressive even in the ancient times of Greece or Egypt. …show more content…

For one, The Sphinx is a statue, made in the image of a cat with a human head and face wearing a Pharaoh's headdress, while the Parthenon is a temple that houses important and famous statues. The Parthenon is located on a large acropolis, while the Sphinx is located in Giza, in a desert surrounded by other pyramids. The Parthenon has now famous statues inside of the temple, while the Sphinx IS a statue. Also, the Sphinx is much older than the Parthenon. Eventually Greece took over Egypt, but that was long after the Sphinx was built. The Greeks viewed the creature the Sphinx as more of a troublesome meddling creature, opposite to the Egyptians

Get Access