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A day in the life of an ancient Greek architect - Mark Robinson

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TEDEd Animation

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The year is 432 BCE. As dawn breaks over Athens, Pheidias is late for work. He is the chief builder for the Parthenon— Athens’ newest and largest temple— and when he arrives onsite, city officials accuse him of embezzling gold from the temple’s sacred central statue. He has until sundown to prove his innocence or face the courts. Mark Robinson outlines a day in the life of a Greek architect.

Why did the builders of the Parthenon include so much sculpture on the temple?

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Mark Robinson
  • Director Laura Martinović, Hana Tintor
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Storyboard Artist Hana Tintor, Laura Martinović
  • Animator Hana Tintor, Laura Martinović
  • Compositor Jure Buljević
  • Art Director Laura Martinović, Hana Tintor
  • Sound Designer Jure Buljević
  • Music Jure Buljević
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
  • Script Editor Iseult Gillespie
  • Fact-Checker Rebekah Barnett

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