Of all the places in the world, would you really expect Nashville to be considered the “Athens of the South”? Whenever I mention this to people who didn’t grow up here, I always get a “Really? Not Athens, Georgia?”
When most people think of Nashville, they think of Music City U.S.A. – with our honky tonks and Music Row. While this is a massive part of this beautiful city, there’s so much more than you’d realize.
The original Athens was known as a mecca for education, dance, and music in ancient Greece. Being named after the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena, makes complete sense.
Pre-Civil War, Nashville was the hot spot for higher education, wealth, and culture. By the end of the century, it would be home to Fisk University, St. Cecilia Academy, Montgomery Bell Academy, Meharry Medical College, Belmont University, and Vanderbilt University. Nashville is now home to over 20 universities and colleges.
On top of the fact that Nashville is one of the leading music and entertainment hubs in America, next to Los Angeles and New York City, it makes sense that it’s kept its nickname of “The Athens of the South.”
The Parthenon
Tennessee celebrated its 100th year of statehood with the Tennessee Centennial Exposition a year late in 1897. More than 100 buildings were devoted to agriculture, commerce, education, fine arts, history, machinery, minerals and forestry, and transportation.
Two of the buildings that were highlighted in the exposition were a Pyramid to honor Memphis (which was named after Memphis, Egypt) and the Parthenon to highlight Nashville being the “Athens of the South,” which was built as an exact reproduction of the one in Athens, Greece.
Over 1 million people attended the exposition from May 1 to October 31, with the most popular site being the replica of the Parthenon. Even though it was created with temporary materials, it was decided that they would not tear down the Parthenon and later rebuild the Nashville Parthenon out of permanent materials.
The land that held the exposition would become Centennial Park, also home to Lake Watauga and its many ducks.
Before being rebuilt, the Nashville Parthenon was home to many spectacular events, two of note being the Spring Pageants of 1913 and 1914, which hosted the Mythological plays The Fire Regained and The Mystery at Thanatos. A copy of the scripts can be found at the Nashville Public Library.
Once inside Nasvhille’s Parthenon, you’ll find an art museum on the first floor. But once you ascend the steps to the main level, you’re welcomed (or found in awe) by a 42-foot-tall Athena, the tallest indoor statue in the United States. She stands tall as the Goddess of military victory, holding Nike in one hand and her spear and shield in her other. A giant snake accompanies her, but sadly her little owl doesn’t (that many know from her myth stories or from watching the 1981 version of Clash of the Titans).
As someone who grew up in Tennessee from the time I was just under three years old until I was 28, and now back living here again – Centennial Park and the Nashville Parthenon would be on the top of my list for anyone to visit. Even on hot days, standing outside waiting to be admitted into the building, the park with the cool air coming off from the lake brings a sense of calm and wonder to your spirit. Plus – it’s free to get in the park, and the Parthenon only costs $10 for adults (less for seniors and children) to enter.
Nashville’s Greek Community
The Parthenon isn’t the only thing Nashville has going on that’s immersed in Greek culture! You can find some fantastic Green restaurants, such as Fattoush Cafe, Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe, and Greko Greek Street Food! Down in Murfreesboro, there’s a fancy Greek restaurant called The Parthenon Grille (which is actually where my parents went on their first date…44 and a half years ago), and the mascot of the college I went to, Middle Tennessee State University, is a pegasus horse named Lightning.
Nashville is also home to an impressive Greek Festival hosted by Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church located off Franklin Pike, between Nashville and Brentwood.
Lastly, don’t forget to stop by one of the top American independent bookstores, Parnassus Books, owned by best-selling author Ann Patchett. While not Greek per se, the bookstore is named after Mount Parnassus (just like our blog!) for being the center of literature and learning in Greek Mythology.
Learn more:
- https://www.nashvilleparthenon.com/history
- https://travelthruhistory.com/nashville-parthenon/
- https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/14603
- https://www.wkrn.com/special-reports/nashville-retro/athens-of-the-south-how-the-parthenon-became-an-iconic-part-of-nashville/
The View from Parnassus 