Parthenon And Pantheon: A Comparative Analysis

This week’s unit 2 assignment objective is to discuss the similarities and differences in culture as seen via the Parthenon and Pantheon. Both structures were great buildings of their time. They represented the spirituality of ancient Greeks and Romans. The Parthenon of Athens, Greece was a building. While the Pantheon celebrated the gods of Romans.
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

people. The size was to show how grand the gods were in comparison to a mere mortal man, a small human. Each building’s purpose was to create an idea of power and faith. They were both built to showcase and honor the greatness of their gods.
From the grandeur of these two temples and the history of the Greeks and Romans, their cultures were very similar in that they paid tribute to their gods and were a devoted spiritual group of people. They were innovative as seen in the construction of these buildings. For instance, the Romans learned from the Greeks and expounded on it with the use of concrete and marble. Also, these buildings over the years have been destroyed and the remains reused for various purposes like tombs, illegitimate homes for the homeless, museums, churches for Catholics, etc. They weathered the changes of time which is certainly representative of both cultures.
In conclusion, these two temples of ancient Greek and Roman times, epitomizes the similarities and differences of these two cultures.

Many years separate the construction and initial use of these two buildings, yet they share a similar purpose and structural elements. The differences are few, they are obviously different buildings. One paid homage to one goddess, while another worshipped all. Their uses after their high time varied as well. In the end though, both are known and celebrated as representative of the classical styles of their time for the cultures. Pillars and columns are used in architecture even now to give the idea of prominence and power. In brief, this short essay discussed the highlights of both

structures.