The ruined silhouette of the Parthenon on its hill above Athens is one of the wo
rld's most famous images. Its 'looted' Elgin Marbles are a global cause celebre.
But what actually are they? In a revised and updated edition, Mary Beard, award
winning writer, reviewer and leading Cambridge classicist, tells the history an
d explains the significance of the Parthenon, the temple of the virgin goddess A
thena, the divine patroness of ancient Athens.