One of the most impressive achievements of ancient Greece is the extraordinary structure of the Parthenon on the Acropolis. The Parthenon is one of the most inspiring works of architecture known to mankind. The project of the extraordinary Acropolis was undertaken by one of the most influential leaders in history, Pericles. Pericles influenced not only the construction of one of the greatest works, but also the example of democracy shown by the Greeks. The architecture was unique for its time, featuring excellent structure, the breathtaking metopes with the epic battles of the gods, the frieze, a detailed sculpture showing a procession of Greeks, and was built to house the magnificent statue of Athena adorned with 'gold. The Parthenon was built in a period known as "The Golden Age of Athens". Taking a deeper look at the Athenians' enormous efforts to build a grand structure to rival all the monuments seen throughout human history may allow us to learn from the Greeks. The Golden Age of Athens was the period during which Athens experienced its greatest splendor. successes in various aspects of life. First, Greece practiced the newest forms of democracy to run its government, so the people (men over the age of 18) had a say in their government. During this period the Athenians excelled in drama, so the great playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides were given the opportunity to complete the masterpieces of Medea, Oepidus Rex, and Agamemnon. Education was taken very seriously during this period of enlightenment. Some of the greatest philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle were the result of this era. There was no need to worry about defense at this point in...... middle of paper ......ancient-greece.org/architecture/parthenon:html>."Places of Peace and Power - Interesting Facts on the Parthenon." Places of Peace and Power - Sacred Places: Places of Peace and Power. Magic Planet Productions, Web. 29 November 2011. interesting_parthenon_facts.html>. Silvermann, David. "Parthenon." The Parthenon. Reed College. Network. 26 November 2001.."The Greeks - Characters: Pericles." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. PBS. Network. 29 November 2011.f_pericles.html>. "The Parthenon - Interesting Facts About the Parthenon." Athens Hotels | AthensHotels in Greece. January 2002. Web. 20 Nov. 2011.acropolis/curiosities-on-the-parthenon/>.