Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Plato versus parthenon
The parthenon essay
Greek history of architecture
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Plato versus parthenon
In this Learning Unit 2 assignment, we are asked to compare the similarities and differences of two famous Greek and Roman buildings. I viewed this two buildings, Parthenon in Athens and Pantheon in Rome, as two outstanding pieces of Art. Also we are asked to consider the style and function of the two buildings.
First I will describe the Parthenon in Athens. Built in the Acropolis, ts name in Greek means “the virgin's place”. (parthenos = virgin = Athena) Its sole purpose was used a temple for Athene, whom was a virgin goddess that lived in Athens. The temple originally kept a statue of Athena. There are two rooms of the temple that housed treasures, and items of value. The rectangular floor plan is unique to the eye. The main room was the home of the Athena statue. Every four years a ceremony was held to honor the goddess. This temple was constructed by Perikles, that shows off his power and great impact he had on the Athenian Empire. This establishment is currently being used as a Museum of Art.
…show more content…
It along with the Parthenon in Athens suggests its main function was built as a temple. Pantheon's structure is round, unlike Parthenon which is Doric temple with columns. In the beginning, it has been suggested to be a temple for all the pagan gods. ( Seven planetary godsAt the top of the dome has an opening called the oculus. This is the domes main source of natural sunlight. This is the only dome in the world that has no “reinforcements”. The Pantheon also houses the tombs of a the honored painter, Raphael, and several other “kings”. Currently this magnificent building is housed as a Catholic
For much of the last millennia many great architects have looked upon the Pantheon as a staple of classical architecture, as well as a model for many modern day buildings. Created by the Romans, the Pantheon would use many elements better than any other works of architecture to that time. No further than Columbia Missouri is this evident in the construction of what used to be known as the First Academic Building on the University of Missouri campus. The Architects Bell and Binder headed the creation of the new building after the First Academic Building burnt down in 1892. Known today as Jesse Hall, this modern day work of architecture pulls many elements from the Pantheon to create a unique work of public space. The most glaring comparison of both comes from the domes that top both buildings. Each building also shares similar characteristics in their front facades. Yet, while there are many similarities to both works, each contain unique differences in their layout and construction.
Although the Pantheon and the Cathedral of Chartres are both some of the greatest architectural advances in history they are very different. We can compare the time that each of the buildings was built, where and for who they were built for, and why they were built. Another thing we can compare is the structure of the buildings and the type of material they are built from.
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.
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
Through the many forms of art in our history, I will focus on the architecture of the Stonehenge and the Pantheon. Both buildings exert multiple similarities towards each other such as their circular structure, yet due to being built in different eras they served different purposes and underwent their rightful technological differences. I will observe these two art forms in countless ways through the means of compare and contrast to build a greater understanding of their historical ties.
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
Pantheon and Hagia Sophia Pantheon and Hagia Sophia are two extremely outstanding architectural pieces of their times. They have been built according to the traditions of those particular times. The materials used to built these buildings and the purpose for which they were used are all very important aspects and have been briefly covered in this report. Pantheon The statesman Agrippa built pantheon in 27 B.C. Then it was completely rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian. The Pantheon is remarkable for its size, its construction, and its design. The dome was the largest built until modern times. The present structure was probably originally built as a temple for all the pagan gods. We do hear of it as being a law-court and a reception area for Emperor Hadrian meeting his quests too. Some say that the rotunda of the building was once a Roman bath. Due to all this mystery, the Pantheon is often referred to as the Sphinx of Rome. The visitor will probably not appreciate the construction as much as the Flavian amphitheatre, but it is still a great masterpiece of engineering and well worth a visit. Most Roman and Greek temples at the time of the Pantheon's construction were large, colonnaded, rectangular enclosures with sanctuaries situated in their centers. The Pantheon was different. It consisted of a large circular drum topped with a hemispherical dome. It is a masterpiece of both engineering and art a lasting memory of Ancient Rome’s might. Roman architecture is architecture of wall and enclosed tactile space. Individual column with entablature is no longer the basic architectural unity. Spatially, it shows a development from closed, simple space units and regular articulation to more complex spatial relations, more fluid interpenetrati...
Second, these two structure perfectly aligned themselves with the trend of their respective era. Third, despite being thousand years apart in term of style and techniques, those two structures achieved a very similar goal in defining beauty, somewhat harmony and strength. The evolution of the work of Art can be observe as we go from the rough exterior aspect of the Roman Pantheon to the slick and stylish aspect of the Macon Auditorium. Through our public building and even in some case our private home each of us live in a little piece of the Pantheon. We can forcefully assert that the Middle Age set the foundation of our modern society through various form of Art, and Architecture is the living proof of Art defining the human
From the Egyptians to Romans, architecture achievements of the ancient world have left a huge impression on todays modern world. They all have left a tremendous impression on modern civilizations. There are numerous architectural monuments to write about. In this essay I will be discussing about the Pantheon and Colosseum, the famous architectural buildings of the Roman Civilization. I will discuss the history, significance, and analyze the qualities of the architecture.
The Roman Pantheon built by the Romans using advanced engineering skills combined a cylindrical structure with an outer colonnade Greek classical design to make an architectural monument. The amount of time and effort that went into the building of this structure shows a cultural emphasis on quality workmanship and perfectionism. This workmanship and perfectionism showed the importance given to the worship and honoring of the Gods. This pantheon is the only active place of worship amongst Rome’s ancient temples still in existence. Modern commentators tend to view the building as a high point in an "architectural revolution" brought about mainly through the Roman development of a superior pozzolana concrete that lent itself to the forming of unitary, three-dimensional structures. Other factors cited for the technical success of the Pantheon include the use of a series of massive, concentric stepped rings and the lightening of the dome by coffering and gradated light-weight aggregates. ( Mark, Robert, and Paul Hutchinson, 1986) The concrete dome was one of the world’s largest unreinforced concrete builds for over a millennium until the modern era. The success of the Pantheon longevity was largely attributed to acquired new techniques of construction and materials that shaped the development of Roman construction technology. This allowed for the use
The Pantheon of Hadrian is known as one of the most important architectural buildings of ancient Rome. The Pantheon that stands today was built by Hadrian and his architects between the years 118 and 128 A.D. (Stamper 2005: 186). Designed by Roman emperor Publius Aelius Hadrinus, or Hadrian, the building served to celebrate his ascension into power. This paper emphasizes on the design of the Pantheon’s rotunda and its ties to divinity. Its circular design easily identifies the iconic building along with the oculus feature that allows sunlight to stream from the top. The Pantheon is a structure meant to connect the human world with the realm of the cosmos and order.
The Acropolis in Athens is the site of one of the greatest architectural achievements in the history of mankind. With a rich history and a beautiful design the Acropolis projects man’s ability to create a lasting monument to its strength and intellect.
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 sixteen centuries of its existence, as pagan monument, Christian church and Moslem house of worship, have left their trances on it. The building stood in a spacious precinct that ended at east and west in an exedra. It has a unique for Greece, circular shape. The cylindrical wall which is 6.30 m thick up to the base of the dome, was constructed of rubble masonry, strengthened at intervals by wide zones of brickwork.
In Ancient Greece, religion dominated their life, so it is understandable that their architecture would be dominated by their religion. Before Greece became many different city-states, they had kings, and they would build a room called a megaron to show they King’s authority. A typical megaron is a single chamber with a fire pit in the middle with a throne off to the side. This room opened up into a porch (portico) that had four columns in the front. After there were no more kings these megarons turned into temples. The fire pit, which turned into some type of altar or a place to show a sacrifice for that god, was now outside in front of the temple. The altar was now outside so people could see you make these sacrifices to their gods. The first Greek temples were made out of wood and were long rectangular buildings with a porch all the way around which was supported by columns made from tree trunks. A Greek temple consists of five basic parts: the pediment, entablature, columns, base, and the cella, or the inner sanctum. The pediment is triangular and would have a type of sculpture or ornament known as acreteria on each corner. An entablature consists of three parts: the cornice, frieze, and architrave, which holds up the pediment. The columns are the support between the entablature and the base. The base usually consists of three steps. The cella is the inner sanctum, which has different rooms with more columns for support. Each temple would have a cella but they were not identical.