The Parthenon: architectural designed building in Ancient Greeks Each year, many tourists visit Greece to see the Parthenon, the outstanding architectural landmark of Greek Classicism. This architecture shows harmonies design of the Classical style which is geometric simplify and balance. The Parthenon served as a sacred shrine to people of Ancient Athens, and dedicated to Athena who are the goddess of wisdom and war. It is located in Athenian Acropolis, Greece, and is recognized as one of the famous surviving building in Greece. This essay will be discussing why and how the Parthenon was constructed, the structure of Parthenon, the optical illusions that makes Parthenon balanced, the function of the Parthenon, ruin …show more content…
Construction began in 477 BC and continued until 432 BC. About 22,300 tons of marble needed to construct this building and was quarried from Mount Pentelicus, where 10 miles away from Athens . The stone blocks for the columns were carefully dressed to form perfect shape, so it appears and shows balanced and harmony. No mortar was used in the entire building but the Parthenon remained intact for about 700 years. Usually, the Parthenon functioned as a treasury and civic meeting place. Ordinary people were not allowed to enter the Parthenon and only the priests could enter the inner chambers. All religious ceremonies took place in a courtyard at eastside. At west side of temple, there is the 40-foot standing figure of Athena Parthenos and it symbolizes that she enjoys her role to protect city states …show more content…
If one side of perfection was more overemphasized than another, the architecture did not look perfect anymore because it appears to sag or tilt outward, meaning that it does not show the Greek concept of balance and harmony. Architects therefore strived for this imperfection look by using optical illusions. Many column in the entire construction is not straight but it appears to our eye in straight. An example is distance of between the ends of the columns. If we look at the Parthenon carefully, you can see the distance of columns on the ends are gradually closer and thicker to each other. However, the optical illusion makes our eyes that columns appear to be the same width and looks perfect. It is because light flooding from corner makes ends columns appear thinner and farther compared to column next to each other . In addition, the columns lean slightly inward because they would seem to be tilted outward if they continued upward. Another example of this is the number of columns used for front and side. The building’s front columns and side columns have a ratio of 1:2+1. By adding one more extra column on the side, it appears to look like a perfect triangle. The third example is the level of platform. It rises 2.375 inches toward the center on the ends and it is twice of height of side platform . In our eye, it spears as horizontal surface. By using
After learning more about these two buildings, I discovered that the Romans were “inspired” by Greek architecture. The columns used in both are common to Greek architecture. Based on the photos that were viewed from online searches, it appears that the Romans were more ornate during the construction of their temple which can be seen by their choice of building materials, such as marble. The Parthenon seems to have had more simple lines. It was rectangular in shape as opposed to the Pantheon that was rounded in many areas, particularly where the sculptures of the gods were. This was to lend to the idea that they were on the same level and that no god was given more preferential treatment since the Pantheon was to honor all of them equally. The structures resemble one another in that they both have those ominous columns as a way to emphasize the dominion the gods had over the
During Classical Greece the Parthenon was built as temple to the Goddess Athena, as symbol of the state’s wealth and superiority, along with serving as the treasury. The architecture uses a bit of both Doric and Ionic orders. On the outside rim of the temple Doric columns, triglyphs and metopes are used but on the inside of the temple Ionic friezes were used. Both the metopes and friezes were completely filled with painted sculptures depicting the gods, Athenians, and conquered enemies. The themes center on gods or Athenians being victorious over chorus. One of the main stories shown in the Parthenon is the story of the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena being chosen as the patron Goddess of Athens over the Sea God, Poseidon. Poseidon was a war god who offered the people a beautiful but useless saltwater spring while Athena offered an olive tree. The people of Athens choose the olive tree symbolizing their culture valuing peace and prosperity over the chorus of war. The Parthenon also shows the Ancient Greeks value in mathematics and idealized perfection. The columns were carved to bulge slightly as well as tilting inwards, which creates the illusion that the columns were both straighter and taller than they were. Other illusions they used to give the appearance of perfection included arching in the middle just enough to ensure what would not pull and stop the eye from seeing the ends of the steps rise. Ancient Greeks valued their gods, perfection, mathematics, wealth and
Introduction The Pantheon in Rome and the Parthenon in Athens are 2 very influential structures and architectural breakthrough milestones in the history of humanity. They have inspired designers and architects of all generations since their erection and continue to draw visitors to admire and study their majestic nature. There are varying similarities seen in the forms of the buildings along with their original purposes. One similarity is the context for why both structures were built. They were both created as places of worship for the gods.
Perikles, an Athenian politician, built the Parthenon in 447 B.C. This was a time when Athens was considered in today’s terminology, a superpower, and it was completed in 432 B.C. The Pantheon was completed in 14 A.D during the reign of Augustus Caesar, was built by his deputy Marcus Agrippa, and despite the length of time between the erection of both temples, they each reflect the style of the Greek architectural order.
The Parthenon is an amazing Greek temple that was built 2,500 years ago. Even the architects of today have numerous questions about how it was constructed and how it has held up through its eventful past. The Parthenon's detailed appearance is not its only meaningful quality. The Parthenon was constructed as a temple to the goddess, Athena, and as an icon of the Greek people themselves. The Parthenon represents the Greek ideals of humanism, idealism, and rationalism.
The foundation of Greek culture was balance, reason, and harmony which can be unveiled in their art. As the civilization heavily revolved around religion, massive temples were built to serve the Gods. Greeks believed in many Gods, meaning they had polytheistic views . This notion of polytheism passed down to the Romans who adopted nearly the exact same deities and built similar architecture as well. One of the most famous buildings of worship was the Greek Parthenon built around 447-432 B.C.E, worshipping the goddess Athena . While building these brilliant pieces of art, concepts regarding laws and the natural world from philosophers were being incorporated in the structure. Pillars were often built in temples and various buildings in both Greek and Roman cultures. Doric, ionic, and Corinthian stand as the main three pillars built; each of them becomes increasingly more elaborate by order. For example, the Corinthian was the most intricate. Romans quickly developed a taste for this form of architecture and incorporated into theirs later on. The Romans however were very inventive, and began to develop the arch, vault and dome to add to what they emulated from the Greeks. Using these elements the Romans built what is known as the Coliseum, built over a 10 year span from around 70 AD to 80 AD. The Coliseum was said to hold 50,000 spectators and was used for entertainment
Pericles began the construction of the Parthenon in 447, partially funded by the Delian League. It cost him five thousand talents in the first year of its construction, which is equivalent to three billion American dollars today, and took less than fifteen years to
Possibly one of the greatest testaments to the Greeks passion for their gods is the Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens, Greece. “. . . temple after temple, each more gorgeous and more perfect than the one before, rose all over the Greek main land, to reach a final climax in the Athenian Parthenon . . .” (Hamlin 124). Here Hamlin explains the greatness of what was achieved in Athens at the Acropolis and how nothing beyond that point could compare.
The Parthenon was built to honor the goddess of wisdom, Athena. When structures are built using straight lines they tend to look slightly distorted due to the science of optics. The architects Iktos and Kallikretes were skilled architects of their time and they used illusory tactics to create an ideal aesthetic for The Parthenon. The architects compensated for these visual illusions by counteracting them in their design. The end result is a structure that is not composed of straight lines, but when viewed by the human eye, looks perfectly straight. Plato would have mentioned one of his famous dictums, ?That which changes least is most real.? He would have viewed Iktos and Kallikretes designs as less real than other designs that do not u...
The Parthenon was built during the Golden age in Athens, Greece. The Parthenon is made of mainly columns; there is a 9:4 ratio. It was almost destroyed in war; the ruins that remained were dedicated to Athena. The purpose of the Parthenon was to house the statue of Athena, made of ivory and gold, and also Athena’s treasure. The ratios and the equations used to make the Parthenon were used as a sign of the harmony in the natural world around us. The mathematical harmony in the world shows how we can work with the world rather than destroy to make it what we want. The Parthenon also has no straight lines. The columns of the Parthenon are angled going up getting smaller the higher they get. This was done so that you could get the best lighting
The Parthenon and the Selimye Mosque have been described as perfect examples of architecture within their respective empires. Both of these structures, while outwardly serving religious roles within their empires also delivered potent political messages. At a surface glance, these two structures actually share many similarities despite the vast differences in size and physical structure. The Parthenon dominates the city of Athens from on top of the Acropolis, its stark white columns draw attention to its perch above the city. Likewise, the Selimye Mosque sits on a raised platform with its imposing minarets emphasizing the size and grandiosity of the structure’s dome.
Building the Parthenon was a greater feat than they ever would have known. Work on the Parthenon began in 477 BC. A much smaller shrine already stood on this site, one to which we can attribute various pieces of surviving decorative material--lions and snakes, a cornice incised with flying birds, and a blue-bearded trinity that may conceivably represent Cecrops, Erechtheus, and Poseidon. If such an edifice in fact existed, it was torn down to make way for a huge limestone platform, roughly 252 by 103 feet in size, that was built as a base for the new temple. The slope of the Acropolis was such that while on the north side the foundations rested directly on bedrocks, the southeast corner needed to be built up with no less than twenty-two courses, in order to correct a vertical drop of thirty-five feet. This was only the beginning of the temple. The actual base of the new temple was smaller than the platform, as can be still be clearly seen. The temple itself was Doric, with a peristyle of six columns at each end and sixteen along the sides. Except for the lowest course of the base, the structure was to be built entirely of Pentelic marble.
Dedicated to Athena Parthenos (Athena the virgin) goddess of war and wisdom. Every god and goddess had worship temples to assure everything went well and nothing bad happened. Greeks gave sacrifices too, such as food, messages, and sacred tiles were all sacrifices they gave. The Parthenon was built in 480 BC but got destroyed while under construction in a battle between the Romans and Greeks. The Parthenon was rebuilt in 447 BC, with the original statue that first stood in 480 BC. ("The Parthenon Frieze." The Parthenon Frieze. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.)
...on. It is important to understand the history and mechanics of Greek architecture in order to fully appreciate it. The ancient Greeks were very well known for their beautiful temples. They were able to devise several different ways to create beautiful buildings and implement those designs. The ancient Greeks set the architectural foundations for the rest of the world with their three orders. The three styles, or orders, are the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. The three distinctive styles are referred to as orders because they display proportionate, ordered, and coordinated parts. The Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders serve a functional purpose, as well as lend so much beauty to structures. “All the world’s culture culminated in Greece, and Greece in Athens, all Athens in its Acropolis, all the Acropolis in the Parthenon” (Nardo, 61).
interior of the Parthenon. "The statue seems to have been over 12 meters tall, nearly 40