Throughout the years architects have been able to display their artistic abilities by showcasing their different styles and capabilities in structures that still stand from thousands of years ago. This essay will provide an explanation of my preference for this image, a short history of its construction, a brief analysis of the buildings function, as well as the style of the amazing archaic Parthenon of ancient Athens.
A few semesters ago I took Greek and Roman Civilization at the University of the People, while taking this class I learned a great deal of information regarding the majestic Parthenon and I was excited to see that it was one of the pictures available for this assignment. Due to the mere fact that I studied this building and its amazing history, it only seems right to begin with a brief history of how it became what it is today.
…show more content…
Its construction was ordered by the Athenian political leader Pericles, following the end of the Peloponnesian War to symbolize Athens power and influence in the Mediterranean. The Parthenon was built by the architects Iktinos and Kallikrates (Sakoulas, 2002) and was utilized for religious functions, more specifically as a dedication to Athena, who according to Greek mythology, was the Greek goddess of reason, intelligent activity, arts, and literature (“Athena,” 1997).
Amazingly, over 2,500 years later the Parthenon’s remains, still stand, gloriously on top of the Acropolis. Furthermore, the wear and tear of the temple tells an amazing story. Not only has this magnificent structure survived earthquakes, being set on fire, being blown apart by exploding gunpowder, a multitude of lootings, it continues to face the woes of pollution daily. However, through all this you can still see that the Parthenon was a perfect representation of the power Athens held throughout 5th Century
The Parthenon was built in Greece in 447 B.C, and was a strong symbol of Athenian wealth in Ancient Greece. Located in Athens, the Parthenon was dedicated to Athena, an important patron to the city. The Parthenon holds the city of Athens treasury office (Doc 6). The Parthenon's purpose
In ancient times there was always a main focus or theme to art that was created. Majority of the time this focus was on religion. Religion has inspired many artists to create great paintings, sculpture, and architecture. In this paper, I will focus mainly on religious architecture, beginning with Greece, reflecting on Rome, traveling to Tunisia, and ending in India. Though the structures being covered are different in religion and time period, they all have one thing in common, they are spaces that create a spiritual experience for an individual.
Many people consider the Parthenon to be an extraordinary building. Why is this building so celebrated and influential? The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the building’s history, examine the intricate architectural choices, and explore the extent to which selected Classically-inspired architectural works have taken influence from the Parthenon.
The Parthenon is a classical style of ancient Greek architecture and the most important building in the city and it self replaced on older temple of Athena, which called Pre-Parthenon. It was built and completed in 438 B.C buy Iktinos and Kallikrates, after that destroyed by Persian in 480 B.C. The Temple all made form marble and its 20 miles far from Athens. Later
The Parthenon is located in Athens, Greece and was originally completed in 432 BC by the infamous architect and builder Perikles, who dedicated the enormous temple to the goddess of Athena. It’s main function seems to be that of a home to the incredibly ornate statue of Athena built and dedicated by Pheidias, a sculptor based in Athens who is given credit for the basic conceptions of Zues and
The Parthenon was built by Pericles in honor of the goddess Athena and because of the victory over Persia. It was built to replace a temple that had been destroyed by Persia. The Greek temple was used for more than a thousand years, transforming into a church and then a mosque. Only Two years after Its completion the Peloponnesian War began and the people’s symbol changed for them. Before the war, it was their pride of civility among those whom they considered to be barbaric. A grudging reality set in after the war; their golden age had passed. Some believed that they were not worthy of such a grand legacy, simply because they felt they were unable to provide it with an even greater
The Parthenon, a temple of the Doric order, is one of the greatest artistic accomplishments of the fifth century. The Parthenon is viewed without mythological reference and stands far outside the normal Greek temple decoration, which is commonly known to derive its subject matter from the mythical past. (Connelly 53) The Parthenon is different from most other Grecian art of the fifth century and is truly beautiful. One of the greatest reasons the Parthenon is set apart as a great feat in Grecian art is due to its different stylization and the fact that the entire temple is built from the finest white marble throughout the entire piece, including the roof. (Stockstad) The Parthenon is a gorgeous testament to the "Athenian citizenry participating in their annual
The Parthenon was a temple, was just part of a major building campaign starting in 450 b.c. As one of the key surviving examples of classical architecture it has undergone major restoration since 1975 funded by the EU and the Greek government. This shows the significance of this structure.
One of the most impressive accomplishments of Ancient Greece is the remarkable 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 taken on by one of the most influential leaders of history, Pericles. Pericles influenced not only the building of one of the grandest works but the example of democracy displayed by the Greeks. The architecture was unique for its time, it featured excellent structure,the breathtaking Metopes featuring the epic battles of the gods, the Frieze a detailed sculpture displaying a procession of Greeks, and was built to house the magnificent statue of Athena adorned in gold. The Parthenon was
The Parthenon was an architectural masterpiece because of its great size and elaborate decoration. It was constructed between 447 and 438 BCE on the acropolis of
“The Parthenon was commissioned by Pericles sometime after Greek victories over the Persians between 490 and 480 BC” (Glancey 26, 27). During the Persian Greek wars, Athens believed that Athena watched over them and that she helped them throughout the war. The Parthenon represents the wealth, power, society, and culture of Athens. The building of the Parthenon cost the Athenians four hundred and sixty nine talents, which symbolized Athens as wealthy.
The Parthenon was one of the buildings on the Acropolis of Athens. The original building was built as an offering to honor Athena the goddess of wisdom the people of Athens believed that she was the one that watched over their city. The leader that was put in charge of sculpture in the Parthenon was Phidias he was responsible for all the sculptures. The building was completed in 432 BCE it took about 15 years for the construction to be complete. Sadly, the Parthenon was horribly damaged by the Persians when they attacked Athens in 480 BC. After the war was over the city was in ruins and they needed to repair other buildings so the rebuilding of the Parthenon was delayed for about 30 years. Pericles started construction in 447 BC to try to
The Greeks finished building an exquisite temple to their beloved goddess, Athena in the year 432 BCE. (Sayre 60). The name of this enriched, unique temple was the Parthenon. The Parthenon took the Greeks approximately fifteen years to complete and as Pericles stated, it was built to give gratitude to their goddess Athena for the salvation of their city, Athens and all of Greece in the Persian Wars (Sayre 60). It was also a symbol of their power and superiority among other cultures. It was something the Greeks took great pride in and recognized it to a great extent. The Parthenon was built on the highest point of the city of Athens to look over the precious Greek city. On the exterior walls of the Parthenon there was beautiful artwork that
The Parthenon is known for being one of the greatest achievements of the Athenians. The massive building is a work of perfection and beauty. The Parthenon, which took ten years to build was placed on the highest point of the Acropolis that overlooks the Athenian City. Constructed entirely of marble and embellished with sculptures, the Parthenon is one of the finest examples of the Classical style. It has columns that are specific to the Classical style.
The question of why the Parthenon was constructed has aroused debate both in the time of its construction all the way up to the modern day. The Parthenon in Athens is one of the most impressive pieces of architecture from the Greek world, made from Pentelic marble and some say that it ‘enjoys the reputation of being the most perfect Doric temple ever built’ (Norwich 2001: 63). The question as to why it was built remains however and this essay will set out the main argument for the construction of the Parthenon- that it was a monument to Athenian imperialism and then move to arguing other factors that may have made the Parthenon a religious and cultural statement for Athenians.