Ancient Greek Culture: The Old Temple In Athens, Greece

The word Acropolis comes from two Greek words meaning “edge” (acro) and “city” (-opolis). An acropolis is a complex built in a high area, usually on a hill. It is generally found in an extremely rocky region, just above Athens. The Acropolis is set 490 feet in the sky above the city of Athens and is approximately 7 acres. It’s most important buildings were constructed during the years of 495 BCE and 429 BCE. This was during the reign of Pericles. The Acropolis was originally meant to protect Athens from attacks. It served as a fortress. There are other acropolis’, however, the one in Athens is the most famous.

Ancient Greek architecture dates from around 800 BCE when the site of Delphi first obtained a religious significance. The architecture of Ancient Greece has influenced the architecture of the past two millennia most significantly that of Ancient Rome (Hemingway, 2003). Greek architecture influenced Roman architecture in extensive ways, giving that the Romans adopted and incorporated many Greek methods and elements into their own practice. Although the Romans were inspired by the Greek there are still many differences in their architecture most noticeably through materiality. Although the Greeks constructed many types of buildings the most recognisable “Greek” structure is the temple. (Becker, 2015) As stated by Coleen Hemingway in an article for the Metropolitan Museum of Art “ the Greek temple best exemplifies the aims and methods of Greek Architecture”. Whilst exploring such architecture it is necessary to examine the mentality, religious beliefs and driving forces of each civilization. According to Stierlin “Unlike the Greek temple, essentially a structure for the play of light and shade, with little interior space accommodating a small sanctuary, Roman builders typically used arches, vaults, matching domes

The word temple from the Latin word templum means a dwelling place. One of the things Egyptian and Greek temples have together is that their temples serve as a worship places or dwelling place for their gods. The temples were built to house their gods. The sanctuaries where rituals are made to their gods on behave of the pharaohs (Egyptian rulers) and the kings (Greek rulers), and their people.

Greek and Roman architecture is truly amazing. They each had great ideas, and fabulous productions. It is said that the Pantheon is to Italy what the Parthenon is to Greece. Both are tremendous monuments that reek of culture and history. Each had a purpose which was displayed by the design and construction of each. There are such great meanings behind each of these architecural structures. The Romans and the Greeks alike worshipped and dedicated their structures and designs to the Gods and Goddess they believed in.

ATHENS IS THE PLACE TO BE!! Athens is an independent city state in ancient greece that has many cultural values. Athens was formed of the Mycenaeans. The citystate of Athens is independent because seas and mountains separate it from the other city states in ancient greece. Athens is a well rounded city state that supports educations, military involvement, and government. . To begin with, Athens education was extremely important. Only boy citizens attended private schools and would learn about poetry, literature, math, and science from ages 6-17.This was needed in order to become a citizen and carry out duties. As stated “the ability to read and write was important to all Athenian people-, reading and writing was needed in order to be a citizen, and carry out their duty..” (Document A). This quote explains that the citystate of Athens felt that it was essential for men to be educated in order to be an important citizen within their culture. Also, as part as the Athenian boys took part in sports. Athenians believed that it was important to not only study subjects but also to have physical activity in order to have men with strong minds and bodies. Additionally girls did not receive the formal education that the boys got, they were educated at home by their mothers. Because women were not apart of the government in Athens, they were simply taught household duties. Only if they were part of a wealthy family they learned to read and write.

It is very clear that ancient buildings can be a part of the evidence to show what happed in the history. As a part of ancient culture, architectural languages have the significant vale in both culture and construction. The temple of Hera, which becomes the sign of Greek classic architecture even the whole Europe, plays an important role in the Greece history and culture . This essay will start an analysis from the structure and component of the temple of hera to present that how can cultural factors affect the form and functions of a building.

There are a number of art and architectural features found in the Athenian Agora, Kerimeikos and the Acropolis. The Agora or market place has a number of buildings such as the Tholos, The Eponymous Heroes and the Strategion. The Kerimeikos or Ceramicus was the potters ' quarter of the city, from which the word "ceramic" is derived, and was also the site of an important cemetery and numerous funerary sculptures erected around the area. The Acropolis had many major buildings, the most prominent of them being the Parthenon and the Temple of Athena Nike. An evaluation of primary and secondary literary sources gives insight into the main purposes of the buildings and the art within such as pottery and sculptures found within the context of these sites. To an extent the art and architecture in these sites reflect the significant cultural practices and beliefs of the ancient Athenians as it gives insight into what they truly valued.

The city-states of ancient Greece were at constant strife with each other. They utterly detested each other and were solely independent. However, many factors unified the Greeks, loosely, at all times, and they even brought the Greeks together at times. These factors came to be because of their similarities of traditions and beliefs. Language, religion, and athletics were all results of these factors. Language unified because everyone would understand what was being said by anyone, and athletics would gather the people to one place, allowing for discussion and chances of treaties being made. Also, Religion unified because the Greeks all believed and feared common gods and goddesses.

The Parthenon is a Doric Temple with Ionic Feature. Doric order was characterized by rectangular shape, a levelling course, three steps on top of the levelling course, as well as the stylobate on top of the steps marking the floor of the temple. The temple consisted of cult rooms surrounded by the colonnade. Doric columns stand directly on the stylobate. The concave grooves of Doric fluting end in a sharp line, or arris. The Doric capital consists of two parts, the round echinus, and above it, the square abacus. The capitals form the transition from the column shaft to the entablature. The entablature consists of three main parts—the architrave, the frieze, and the cornice. The architrave rests on the columns and left plain in the Doric style. The frieze, in which the triglyphs alternate with the metopes. The cornice, which forms the eaves along the sides of the building, and at the short ends, the base for the gable, the broad triangular space. This space is bordered with a horizontal course and two slopping courses. The Ionic features that the Parthenon posses are a continuous sculpted frieze, as well as four Ionic columns supporting the roof of the

So they made temples, prayed, and gave offerings to gods to make them happy in exchange for good harvests, fair weather, a generally good life, and for their children to be beautiful. Pleased gods and happy gods helped you, but unhappy gods/goddesses would conclude to bad harvests, droughts, sickness, misfortune etc. They also had special places in their homes where they could pray to the gods. There were also public shrines in parts or the city where people could pray and leave

The Altar of Zeus is a giant monument constructed during the reign of King Eumenes II (The Altar of Zeus: Pergamon), which located on a terrace of the Acropolis in Pergamon. Since the Pergamene King regarded his country as the successor of the Greek culture, there were numerous sculptural monuments built to commemorate their military achievement and declare their roles as inheritors of Athens. The Altar of Zeus is one of them, as well as the library and the sanctuary of Athena that are located in the upper part of the altar on the Acropolis (Figure 1, map). Even though the Altar of Zeus is molded on Greek antique, it is different in many aspects because the Pergamene not only looks back to the glory of Athens, but also looks ahead to

One clear way that Greek architecture is portrayed in today’s culture is how important people are honored. Take a temple for instance. “Many of these temples were built on a large hill known as an acropolis, and it generally included

Greek architecture focused on other forms of civic architecture such as theaters, council halls, public porticoes, and city planning. Greek architecture is distinguished by its structures and decorations. Their typical forms was not tombs nor did they have much interest in elaborate houses and palaces. In the case of the temples, the building appears to have been embedded as a sculptural entity within the landscape, most often the temples were placed on high grounds in order for its proportions and light effects to be viewed from all angles. In addition, their architecture reflected its makers in its human scale and in its program. Man became the measure of all things, including the divine, and this ideal unleashing enormous creative

Greece is covered in mountains, and surrounded by the ocean. Because Greece was surrounded by the ocean, the people of Greece became very great sailors and traders. Greece is a country, located in Southern Europe. Greece consists of one large mainland, two small peninsulas, and many small islands. Greece’s economy was largely defined by the region's dependence on importing goods. Agricultural trade was important due to Greece’s poor soil.

Greek and Roman temples are very similar in structure, however they have their differences as well. Lets