The Acropolis at Athens
Brooks Scholfield
Professor Hutson
Art 35700, Ancient Art
April 29, 2014
The Acropolis of Athens is located in the heart of the city-capital of Athens, Greece. Each year, many tourists are drawn to it because of the historical and iconic significance behind the Acropolis at Athens. “The Acropolis is certainly the focal point of any visit to Athens and every tour starts with the Parthenon.” The Acropolis is made up of 11 structures: the Parthenon, the Altar of Athena Polias, the Erechtheum, the Porch of Caryatids, the Precinct of Athena’s Olive Tree, the Khalkotheke, the Sancutary of Artemis Brauronia, the Statue of Athena Promachos, the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, and the Pinkaotheke. Each
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The detail to the Parthenon were added years later such as the metopes. As mentioned before, the temple is a Doric order temple but it has some ionic elements as well. The Parthenon is one of the most iconic and significant structures on the Acropolis at Athens. It is the main temple dedicated to the Goddess Athena and by far the biggest structure on the Acropolis. With its Doric order columns preforming a perfect peripital temple, meaning all the columns that design the rectangular shape are free-standing, it stands out with its massive size and balanced composition which crowns the Acropolis. There are 46 columns surrounding the Parthenon, eight columns in the front and back and 17 columns on both sides. There are 23 columns in the inner part of the structure, which makes the proportions of the Parthenon slightly more than double-square. “The inner colonnade and roof were in place by 438 BCE and it was finally completed in 432 BCE. It was made of the finest Pentelic marble and 22,000 tons of the marble was dragged to the city by an oxcart from mines.” The one detail the Greeks took into consideration was how the columns would look from a distance because of how large they are. They developed the idea of entasis, which is simply the idea that the column protrudes outward in the middle and resumes back to a slimmer state towards the top of the column. The entasis effect on the columns helps give the illusion that the columns are standing …show more content…
“It replaced the old Temple of Athena Polias and celebrated the victory over the Persians.” Looking at the floor plan of the Erechtheion, it contained several rooms which are believed to hold sacred precincts and help explain its complex design. “The main east cella was dedicated to the goddess Athena; the west cella was dedicated to Poseidon along with the north porch of the Erechtheion as well.” There is a rumor that the porch preserves the exact spot that Poseidon struck his trident when he was in a contest with Athena. “Numerous other spots of the Erechtheion were dedicated to miracles that happened on the Acropolis such as the spot her olive tree sprang up from the rock.” It was built entirely of marble and contained freizes around the top, just like the Parthenon. The porches are what really make this structure magnificent. “The north porch is more elaborate than the east but the west façade is something most unique about the building as a whole.” The Porch of the Caryatids is what sets the Erechtheion different from the rest of the temples because of the design choices that were made with this porch. Instead of usual Doric or Ionic columns that are seen all throughout the temples on the Acropolis, this porch took a different approach. These columns are called a caryatid which simply means that the columns take place in the shape of a woman.”It
The Parthenon in Athens, for example, is a dedication to Athena; the goddess of wisdom and the patron of Athens (OI). As depicted in The Parthenon at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece (Doc6), this architectural piece is shown to have Doric columns that have a cylindrical shape seeming to be plain but sturdy. In comparison to the Doric style, the Ionic style was more elegant as it was taller and more decorative; engraved with vertical lines and topped with a curved rectangular shape. The Corinthian design is similar to the Ionic design because of the elaborate designs at the end of the pillars; it features more detailed designs that seem to be based around nature such as the inclusion of leaves and flowers. There are many buildings today that include these types of columns in their architectural design mainly in monuments and government buildings. According to the depiction of the White House in Greek Architecture (Doc8), the columns of the White House most closely resemble the Ionic style. Greek architecture are one of the many important legacies that Western civilization had inherited, influencing many architectural elements and building types used in art and architecture
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.)
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 Greeks believed the deities provided the city protection and allowed them to be successful in their endeavors while in time of war. Phidias, a master bronze worker, was commissioned to create the sculpture of Athena Parthenos, the goddess of wisdom to show tribute to the gods by creating a large scale sculpture in Acropolis. The Acropolis was the most important site in the city of Athens, and was well recognized as the hilltop of protection. It is also the most significant reference point of ancient Greek culture as well as the symbol of the city of Athens. Some of the greatest architectural masterpieces of the period were erected on its ground.
The whole structure also consists of two porches, the north porch at the northwest corner is supported by six tall Ionic columns, stands at a lower level and gives access to the western cella, while below its floor it was believed to be the spot where Zeus killed the legendary King Erechteus with a thunderbolt. (theacropolismuseum.gr) In the south-west corner, there stands a uniquely projecting porch which is the most well-known part of the Erechtheion. It is supported by six massive female statues, and hence named the Porch of the Maidens, with the supporting figures known as caryatids. Below it stood the grave of Kekrops, another legendary King of Athens. (theacropolismuseum.gr) The se...
Their most recognizable columns are the Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian. These different columns can be found on notable buildings such as the White House, or just driving through various neighborhoods. One of the most recognizable building in Greece is the Parthenon, which directly influenced the Supreme Court Building. Though the Parthenon has Doric columns and the Supreme Court Building Corinthian, they both have the same first impression. Both, when viewed from the front, have eight columns supporting a triangle of marble. The triangle is very ornate, possessing detailed sculpting of various
The Parthenon is a temple that towers above the city of Athens, symbolizing the Athenians' wealth and power. The temple is dedicated to Athena, a Greek goddess and the city-symbol of Athens. This temple served as a monument to Athena because they believed that she helped the Greeks conquer the Persian Empire in the Persian Wars. The Parthenon had a style new to that era and it was impressive to the eye. The Greeks had to the work diligently to create the Parthenon in perfection. It was built in the masculine Doric style with some Ionic elements. To me the Doric style provided the perfect look, which demonstrated the Athenian desire to be perfect god-like beings. Using this style, the Parthenon hardly incorporated a single straight horizontal or vertical line. This bulging of the columns gave the building a more masculine look and it made the temple seem perfect to the naked eye. This perfection was important at the time because the Greeks saw themselves as rising to the level of the gods and nearing perfection. The Greeks had just defeated the Persians, and they were feeling very confident. They built the Parthenon to show their dominance and strength. A key purpose of the Parthenon was to show their gratitude to Athena for helping them conquer the Persians. The statue of the god Athena that was built was 26 ft. wide and 13 ft. deep. It was made of wood, which supported ivory pieces on the top of the statue.
...al of other buildings housing on the Acropolis, each had a purpose to hold Athens up high, It allow the cultural maturity of Athens expressed through its architecture.
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 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
...ns greatest treasures.? These architectural areas have provided insight into the culture, religion, and government of ancient Athens.? The Agora has become a symbol of civic space, and has influenced how modern architects plan public areas.? It has also provided scholars with understanding of religious and cultural aspects of Greek life.? The Acropolis has served as symbol of the power of both Athens of religion in Greek life.? This structure has unlocked questions about art and architecture, and it continues to symbolize perfection.? Together, these ancient sites unlock the mysterious of ancient Athens.?
Following from etruscan we need to understand the characteristics of a greek temple. the greek did not allow the people to enter the temple and thus their temple were designed to accommodate their needs. having freestanding columns with and a circu...
The end of the Geometric period resulted in the beginning of the Orientalizing Period, dated between 700-600 BC. Within this time frame, Greek introduced a new innovation, the Peripteral Temple. For many years prior, a row of colonnade was used on the interior primarily to hold up the roof of the building. In contrast, columns are seen being used on the outside, creating a visual wall around the building exposing parts of the interior. With in the temple existed the megaron style, carried forward from Bronze Age homes. It was also in eastern influenced period, the first real stone temples, and terra cotta roof tiles came to exist to hold the weight on these new stone temples. The population grew drastically, introducing new techniques and styles, which blended to form designs with balance and symmetry. It was during this period, two major Greek designs were developed, the Ionic and Doric order. (Pedley, 2012: pg. 180) The Doric order, being the first and most simple, consisted of baseless columns placed closely together as the Greeks did not know how much weight the shortened columns could hold. Reason behind this was the lack of length in the columns were believed to hold less weight and therefore forced into being placed closer together. This closely set arrangement created a very bold statement in the Doric temple. The Capital, which sat on top of the concaved shaped shaft, was left plain but when grouped alongside others, suggested a bold harmony. In contrast, the Ionic order was less bulky and more delicate than the Doric order. The top of the capital is decorated with two scrolls, also known as volutes, which could have resembled a shell or animal horns. Above the capital, held room for a surrounding frieze depictin...
...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).
Acropolis was the center of Athens and was home to much Greek art and architecture including the Parthenon temple, which was dedicated to the Goddess Athena Parthenos. Historians suggest that the greatest Athenian architects and sculptures paid much attention to construction and decoration of the Parthenon, Propylaia, Erechtheio, and the Temple of Athena Nike. Acropolis was the highest point of Athens and held the purpose of the financial and spiritual headquarters of Athens and ultimately developed into the foundation of the Western Civilization.