Mt. Pentele is a 1,100m tall mountain located 20 km. Northeast of Athens (Encyclopedia Brittanica, n.d.). The map below shows the relative geographical positions of the polis and Mt. Pentele.

It is most famous for its marble quarries which are still in use today. In classical times, there were approximately 25 different quarries located on the upper half of the mountain (Encyclopedia Brittanica, n.d.). Nearby demes were Ikarion and Marathon.

Sadly, there are limited archaeological remains relating to the marble quarries themselves. Some of this has to do with the lack of long-term buildings on the marble quarries. However, the current use of the marble quarries also poses difficulties in locating evidence from Classical Greek times. Since current marble quarries and classical marble quarries look virtually identical, it is almost impossible to determine accurately any evidence from Ancient Greece.

Despite this, there is some archaeological and literary evidence relating to these quarries. In a cave near one of the more famous quarries (Spilia), there is evidence of a sanctuary to nymphs (Topostext, n.d.). Two reliefs of nymphs with the gods Pan and Hermes have been found there. Additionally, there is literary evidence of a sanctuary to Athena on the summit of the mountain. Pausanias mentions a statue of Athena was located on the mountain, and there are remains of a manmade platform near the summit that would have been appropriate for this statue (Pausanias, n.d.).

Pentelic marble was arguably the highest quality marble available in the Mediterranean world. Pentelic marble is dazzlingly white, fine grained, and calcific (Smith, 1852). While its beauty was unmatched, the presence of quartz embedded in it does make it harder to work than other types of marble (Smith, 1852).

The first major use of Pentelic marble was for the Old Parthenon which followed the victory at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE (Leonard 2020). Pentelic marble had been used in smaller form in sculptures beginning by at least the 570s, but it was not until the Old Parthenon that Pentelic marble became a major force in building projects (Leonard 2020). Following the expulsion of the Persians from Greece after the Battles of Salamis and Plateia, Pentelic marble became the primary building block for important buildings on the Acropolis and elsewhere. This lasted throughout the 5th and 4th centuries BCE (Leonard 2020).

An example of the extent of the use of this marble can be seen in the size of the Periklean Parthenon, which was made entirely of marble save for the limestone foundations (Leonard 2020). The Parthenon is 70m x 31m and is composed of 108 columns, 444 ceiling panels, 92 metopes, 9,000 roof tiles, as well as the cella's walls, the pediments, cornices, and the Ionic frieze (Leonard 2020). To create this massive building, 22,000 tons of marble from Mt. Pentele were used which was an unprecedented amount (Leonard 2020).

The importance of Pentelic marble, and thus Mt. Pentele, cannot be overstated. It was not only a beautiful style of marble that inspired awe in those who saw it, but it also was a necessity for the massive building projects undertaken by Athens in its Golden Age. Pentelic marble played a major role in the Athenians expressing their culture through architecture and monumental buildings.