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Temple of Zeus Olympia
Temple of Zeus Olympia
Historical perspective of modes of construction of buildings by Greeks
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Greece is an extraordinary country filled with amazing sites to visit, some of them being Greek temples. Greek temples are known for their stone columns, large roofs, detailed patterns .and thrones.
A few of the temples in Greece include of the temple of Artemis, the temple of Zeus, the temple of Aphaea and many more. I have chosen to reconstruct the beautiful Temple of Hera.
The temple of Hera was built in 590BC. Unfortunately, the temple was destroyed in the early 4th century AD due to an earthquake. The temple was not repaired and it was later closed in worry of it being destroyed even more than it already was.
The purpose of the temple of Hera was that it was a structure built for the purpose of religious activities including
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prayer, meditation, sacrifice and worship. Greek temples were painted with white, red, blue and sometimes black. They also had gold or silver trimmings. The temple of Hera was decorated with many sculptures of Hera herself and Zeus.
The temple also had different types of paintings throughout the walls. The columns and architraves were carved with leaves and flowers, scenes of battles and mythological creatures.
Greek buildings were all built in a very methodical order. This means that there were many rules that they followed in order to make sure the buildings were all similar.
These rules also helped to make sure that the buildings were safe and strong. Many Greek buildings were built so well that hundreds of them still exist today, even though they are thousands of years old!
The rules that the Greeks used to build their buildings were precise and said how wide the columns could be, how tall the columns could be, and how many columns a building needed.
Eventually, these rules became known as orders, and different types of orders developed, with different styles of architecture.
The temple of Hera is made in the architectural style of the Doric order. The three main Greek architectural orders are the Doric order which is the oldest, simplest and least decorated.
The Ionic order which has taller, thinner columns and decorative patterns. And lastly, the Corinthian which is the most decorated and it has many leaves and floral
patterns. I built my temple out of foam boards to act as the roof and stylobate and wooden dowels to act as the pillars. After measuring, cutting and assembling the temple I stuck little squares on the frieze to resemble the metopes which are details. I then mixed white and brown paint together and painted the temple. I left some spots to give it a worn down look to resemble the bad conditions the temple of hera went through .
The Parthenon was an amazing and important temple. Dedicated to Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom, it was a very important temple to the Greeks. Greeks worshiped all of their gods by building temples for them and giving sacrifices. Most of the sacrifices were sacred tiles designed especially for the gods, not many were human.
The Peristyle, one of the buildings that was constructed for the Fair, was designed by Charles B. Atwood. It was an ‘arcade of columns originally proposed by Augustus Saint Gaudens, the consultant on sculpture.” (Burg 79) The Perisytle was a beautiful building that followed in the traditional Greek pathway. It “was a series of forty-eight Corinthian columns, one for each of the American States and Territories, with an immense triumphal arch at the center. J The Peristyle itself was 500’ high, its top being a broad promenade populated by 85 allegorical figures in heroic scale.” (Burg 119) The Greeks used Peristyles in their architecture. A Peristyle was placed around the Greek Parthenon. Corinthian columns were created in the Hellenic era, but they had to wait until the Hellenistic era to reach their full development. J “They are distinguished by their ornate capitals with double rows of acanthus leaves and fernlike fonds rising from each corner and terminating in miniature volutes.” (Fleming 32)
Grecian architecture formed its own conventions in the ancient world, buildings in Greece were built with meticulous mathematic design. Great buildings were believed to be symmetrical, and perfectly proportioned [Document 7]. Another prominent aspect of ancient Greek architecture is the extensive use of columns. There were three basic types used, Doric which were plain capitals, ionic in which the capitals were fashioned after ram’s horns, and Corinthian which were made to mirror acanthus leaves.
Because the area was previously a Hellenistic settlement, this particular time period of urban morphology allowed for a unique synthesis of Hellenistic and Roman architecture. The temple of Artemis is considered one of the most significant monuments of Roman religious architecture in the Near East due to its size and grand location. It was originally built during the Hellenistic period and then rebuilt and enlarged under the influence of the classical world. The original Temple, dedicated to the Hellenic protecting divinity Artemis, was set at the center of the city.
Another difference in these civilizations is in the architecture of each region. The architecture of the Romans was also more advanced than that of the Greeks; they used concrete and placed emphasis on arches, vaulted ceilings, and domes while Greece emphasized balance and symmetry. Greek temples aimed at impressing by designing intricate, aesthetically pleasing outer views, while Roman architecture's goal was to impress by enclose a vast amount of space.
Temples, along with other sacred places, were sometimes only open to certain peoples or cults, and people who were not ritually purified or had “religious pollution” were not allowed to enter sacred places (Adkins & Adkins 338). The fact that the religion centers are in the middle of the cities symbolizes how Greek religion was central to Grecian life, it was one of the most important things to them. The temples also represent the architectural and cultural achievements of the Greeks. The magnificent style of these temples has influenced not only Greece but the whole world as Grecian columns have been a staple in architecture since their creation; this is even evident in the United States with buildings such as the United States Capitol, built hundreds of years after the establishment of Ancient Grecian architecture. Along with architecture, Greek art, most notably pottery and sculpture, was also influenced by religion.
Although it was built as a temple, it was used as a treasury were money raised by the city was stored. The name for the temple “refers to the cult of Athena Parthenos (Athena the Virgin) that was associated with it”. It is “universally acknowledged as the masterpiece of the Doric order.” Although the Parthenon is considered a Doric temple it used some ionic attributes. Such as thinner columns and a continuous frieze around all four sides. Also, four ionic columns were used to support the roof. The Parthenon is a Doric peripteral temple. “It consists of a rectangular floor plan with a series of low steps on every side, and a colonnade (8 x 17) of Doric columns extending around the periphery of the entire structure”. In front of each entrance there are additional 6 columns. It is the largest Doric Greek temple. The temple was built using Pentelic marble from a nearby mountain, Mount Pentelicus. To complete the Parthenon, 22000 tonnes of marble was used from the mountain. Inside the Parthenon there were 2 rooms. The bigger room (naos) had the large statue of Athena. The smaller room (opisthodomos) was used as a treasury. The temple measures at 30.88m by 69.5m and is 14m
The ancient Greeks developed a system of orders which were known as columns. There were three different types of columns and each had they own special twist, both structurally and appearance wise. The three orders consisted of the Doric order, Ionic order and the Corinthian order. One shocking fact was that the Romans used the Corinthian columns more than the Greeks did and they were the one that came up with them. Each order could be found in many different parts of ancient Greece. The columns were put into use by creating ancient temples. Since Greek life was mainly focused around religion, their temples were very big and beautiful (“Ancient Greece” 1).
...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.?
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...
One idea or creation that the Romans used that was originally from Greece was the architecture. The Greeks created three different architecture styles: Corinthian, Doric, and Ionic. These Greek styles of architecture influenced the Roman’s Grecian style. The main difference between Greek architecture and Roman architecture was the use of arches and aqueducts in the Roman architecture (Difference Between Romans and Greeks).
One specific example is the front of the US Capitol Building. Its columns and pointed roof look very similar to the front of the Parthenon (Preval; The Parthenon). Greeks have shaped buildings today more than most people realize.
...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).
The Greeks created three orders of classical architecture: Doris, Ionic, and Corinthian. These orders signify the style of columns used. The Doric order was a simple, square, and strong design, while the Ionic order was slimmer and more decorative style that utilized scroll patterns. Corinthian order consisted of more elaborate and floral
Temples are used for various occasions based on different religion. The Jews refer to temples as synagogue which came from the Greek for a place of assembly. Mosque is roughly equivalent to Arabic for temple. While the Church of the Latter-day Saints, or Mormon, temples are centres for sacred ordinances to and for the living and for the dead, not a place of worship unlike other religion. The ziggurats of the Mesopotamian culture were designed and decorated with “stair-step” style going to a point where a god or gods could dwell and where only special priests were allowed. Ancient Egypt had temples for gods but their primary concern was its religion of the afterlife of souls. They made the pyramidal tombs in to shrines. In the ancient Greek religion, various gods were the main focus and in Classical Greek temple architecture created structures that emphasized that. An inner, windowless room, or cella as it is known by, housed an image of a god. An altar stands outside the temple, usually at the eastern end and often enclosed. Many of the Greek temples were built of off marble or other stone, carved and polychromed. They are situated on a hill or stepped platform and have sloping roofs supported on a portico by columns in a variety of styles and various placements. The design and decoration of Greek temples have an effect on architecture. During the 3rd and 2nd centuries bc, Roman temples began to evince Greek influence, using the Greek decorative style but placing the altar within the temple and eventually creating entire forums, or meeting places, of which the temple was the centre. In Roman temple architecture, the columns, in their various styles, soon became engaged rather than freestanding, and circular as well as rectangular temples were built. Byzantine and Western church architecture developed from these bases in the Hellenistic styles, and the names and