Greek Acropolis Case Study

1. How do the Acropolis and its buildings show how the Greeks expressed pride in their achievements? What various kinds of buildings are seen there, and how do they form a cultural and religious unit?

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.

The Acropolis was an important aspect of the Greek culture it held religious ceremonies and festivals along with significant meetings and was reserved for temples, palaces, and buildings of great importance. Acropolis housed The Zeus Plieus Sanctuary in which the annual ritual of Bouphonia took place. The Chalkotheke was also of significant importance in the Acropolis as it housed the treasures of Athens and was located Southwest to the Parthenon. The buildings and temples were built to honor the gods and the sculptures and friezes commemorated heroes and Greek warriors.

2. How and why did Greek sculpture progress from the calm and universal of Classical to the emotional and specific images of Hellenistic? What specific works of sculpture impressed you and why?

The fourth century BCE in Greece was a time of political uprise influencing the mental state of Greeks as well as the art that they created.

The Peloponnesian war resulted in an endless discord and declined the serene idealism the Greeks possessed. Greeks became disillusioned and alienated resulting in artist focusing on real world aspects of life and appearances opposed to the idea of perfection in humans and the structures, which portrayed them. The artist Praxiteles of the fourth century BCE did not reject the superhuman beauty that was present in Classical art; he preserved that in the creation of Gods and Goddesses. The Aphrodite of Knidos was imperative to history as she was represented completely nude, and that was the first nude sculpture of a Goddess. Alexander, the Greats many conquests including that of the Near East and Egypt, brought to light a new cultural age otherwise known as the Hellenistic period, with his death in 323 BCE Greek kings who succeeded him divided his empire among themselves. With the division of the Greek Empire and the loss of Alexander the Great open aspect of the Persian Empire into the Greek world. Hellenistic Geek sculptures continued to encompass the Classical trend however incorporated even greater natural elements. The idealized serenity of the traditional elements were replaced by the emotionalism and the intense reality of the Hellenistic period. One of my favorite sculptures was that of artist Epigonos: The Gallio Chieftain killing himself and his wife after the defeat of Gauls as he did not want to surrender and have his wife sold into slavery, therefore, he killed his wife and then himself. This was sculpture depicts much emotion. The sculpture shows the chieftain holding his wife’s lifeless body by the strength of one arm while he ends his life with the other by driving a sword into his heart. It portrays a sad and courageous act all at the same

time.