Parthenon Vs. Pantheon

972 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Compare pantheon and parthenon

Parthenon vs. Pantheon

In this essay, I will compare and contrast two buildings of different time periods and cultures.
The first building is The Pantheon, built in 118–128 CE. It is placed in Rome, Italy. The building was completed by the roman emperor Publius Aelius Hadrianus (Pantheon, n.d.).
The second building is The Parthenon, built in 432 BCE. It is placed in Athens, Greece on the Acropolis,which is a citadel above the city. The building was constructed by the architects Iktinos and Kallikrates (Parthenon, n.d.).

The Pantheon that now exists is the third version that was build on this approximate spot, as the two preceding Pantheons were destroyed.

It was built with the revolutionary arch-technology where the
“arch directs pressure …show more content…

The Parthenon and the Pantheon have many similarities. They were both originally designed as temples, use 8 columns to support their front pediment and are based on the greek architecture with great regard and love for symmetry and geometry. Both buildings have survived for thousands of years, still more or less well preserved and are legacies of an ancient world with ingenious architects and artists, who still inspire us today.

The differences between the Parthenon and the Pantheon are numerous. The Parthenon is square and completely made out of marble in the doric style and was a temple for only the goddess Athena. The Pantheon, on the other hand, has a dome-shaped roman style architecture and is made out of concrete and bricks. Its columns are corinthian style and all the gods and deified emperors were worshiped in the temple.

Both the Parthenon and the Pantheon are great examples of the different art and architecture styles. In their lifetime they have both undergone changes and their history is written on the weathered walls and spread through the world by inspiring architects to copy them even

Show More
Related

  • From Rome to Columbia: A Comparison of Jesse Hall and The Pantheon

    1004 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Comparison of the Partheon and the Cathedral of Chartres

    536 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Why Was the Parthenon Dedicated to Athena?

    516 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.)

    Read More

  • The Pantheon Basalt

    735 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Pantheon was a Roman concrete structure. Roman concrete is a mixture of lime and volcanic ash (pozzolana, found near modern-day town Pozzouli). Roman concrete is also called hydraulic cement-based concrete. It is known for curing relatively rapidly, even in damp condition, thus it could be used for massive construction. The most daring thing about the use of Roman concrete in the Pantheon is that Portland cement needs steel reinforcement due to tendency of cracking caused by tension forces, meanwhile the Pantheon did not. The Pantheon still stands today is because of its special structure.

    Read More

  • Hatshepsut Values

    782 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • The Sacred Space Of The Cathedral Of Chartres

    1013 Words  | 3 Pages

    One similarity between the Parthenon and the cathedral in France is the size, which are both large and metaphorically symbolize the people’s devotion and dedication to their God. One similarity, is today both the Cathedral of Chartres and the Parthenon of Acropolis Greece both serve as temples and popular tourist sites today. The two styles also differ quite dramatically which can be seen in the cathedral which is a Gothic style and the Parthenon which is a Doric and Ionic style. The cathedral differs from the Parthenon because the Cathedral has maintained most of their authentic parts, mostly involving the stained glass windows. While, the Parthenon has been burnt down and reconstructed, both still partake a significant marker in art history.

    Read More

  • Pantheon and Hagia Sophia

    873 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Plato on the Parthenon

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Athena Parthenos: The Goddess of Wisdom

    861 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... made such a great impression that it has carried through to our present day buildings such as the White House. The Athena Parthenos has been recreated by the Romans and then most recently by recreated by Alan LeQuire which is in Nashville. (See Fig 2.) We can get a glimpse with LeQuire’s recreation of how that statue may have been in ancient Greece standing in the Parthenon with such majestic greatness.

    Read More

  • The Pantheon Research Paper

    531 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Pantheon’s greatness mainly comes from its unique dome, even today the biggest brick dome ever built. Which was a very big challenge to build as the Romans had not discovered reinforced concrete by this time and bricks were to heavy to hold up the structural integrity of the

    Read More

  • Hagia Sophia Vs Pantheon Essay

    672 Words  | 2 Pages

    As one of the greatest structures in Rome, the Pantheon was built between 118 and 128 CE. It is described as the most remarkable ancient building surviving in Rome. After being destroyed and rebuilt twice, it was renamed the “Temple of the Gods”. In 126 AD, the Pantheon was restored to its glory, by the architects who at that time has learned and mastered their craft in concrete construction in the Greek Classical order. They constructed a massive 25 foot thick walls which was to support the huge dome made of concrete to be placed at the top. The dome was the largest ever made of unreinforced concrete at 43.4 meters in diameter (Matthews, Roy and Platt pg. 5).

    Read More

  • Why Did Marcus Build The Pantheon Essay

    1542 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 118AD, emperor Hadrian completely remodeled the pantheon and saw that it was rebuilt. Construction was completed in 128AD. Emperor Hadrian loved architecture, but he was no architect himself. It is believed

    Read More

  • The Parthenon

    1400 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Parthenon

    722 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Greek Architecture

    1561 Words  | 4 Pages

    During the Hellenistic period, you find the first monument built to celebrate someone who was not a general, god, or ruler. The Monument to Iysicrates is located in Athens, and is the first time a Corthinian column is used on the exterior. There was not a lot of money to spend on new temples but they still managed to build the Temple of Zeus Olympius. There is not much left of it today but it was huge. This temple was decastyle, meaning ten columns across, and the columns were sixty-five feet tall.

    Read More

More about Parthenon Vs. Pantheon

Open Document