Comparing The Parthenon In Athens And The Pantheon

Many similar characteristics are used throughout the Classical and Early Empire when the construction of temples was being built. Though old techniques were used, the advancement of new methods were being introduced to build faster, stronger, and in different shapes and sizes. We will discuss the Parthenon and the Pantheon; though similar in name, they do have some differences that represent the Greek and Roman styles.

The Greek and Roman religions were the two major religions that were established in the ancient world. Greek religion was the first to be recognized and instituted, followed by the Roman religion. Many people believed that the Romans mimicked the Greek religion; however this was a common misconception, even though they appeared to be the same there are many distinctions between the Romans and the Greeks. Even the similarities between the two religions had slight distinctions, like their gods, they had similar functions but some of their gods were completely unique to one culture (Ferguson 154). Roman religion also had different concepts like religio, ideas about afterlife and gods that emphasis on household religion. The Romans integrated certain aspects of Greek religion into their own practices, they also maintained their own ideas which made it unique and separated the Romans from the Greeks.

Many people consider the Parthenon to be an extraordinary building. Why is this building so celebrated and influential? The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the building’s history, examine the intricate architectural choices, and explore the extent to which selected Classically-inspired architectural works have taken influence from the Parthenon.

In Roman religion it was crucial “to serve the gods and ensure goodwill” (The Roman Republic). The English word “Religion” comes from the Latin word “Religio” (Overview of Religion). Latin was the ancient language of Rome, but for the Roman’s the translation meant something very different from what we understand it as today. To the Romans, “Religio” translated to “ the fear of gods” (Overview of Religion). Romans invested much of their time serving the gods, performing rituals and sacrifices in honor of them. On the contrary Greek religion did not prefer to execute rituals as much as the Romans. Greeks were more lenient when honoring the gods. They did not have a theological dogma: a part of theology dealing with truths of faith concerning God and God's work. Their many gods had different purposes and works they performed. The Greeks relied more on the verbal spread of the religion rather than having a written form. Although different, both religions had forms of praising and honoring their gods. Greek and Roman religion have many differences and similarities that impacted each group of people.

Ancient Greek and Rome started out as small city-states they both grew into large empires. From the similar roles they agree on religion, both ancient civilizations approach quite successful. Ancient Greek and Roman admit being polytheistic, adoration of many gods and goddesses. Devotions to all the gods increase importance of recognition of their honorable deeds when they were alive. Donald L. Wasson said, “At the end of the day were concerned with the relationship between the gods and humans, differing in this regard from fairytales and folktales.” They thought that performing sacrifices and rituals would satisfy their gods they would gain protection from the bad vibes.

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.

The Rome’s Pantheon and Greek’s Parthenon are both significant and innovative structures that have influenced the architecture around the world. This essay will describe the style and function of each building as well as the similarities and differences between ancient Greece and Rome in four characters including history, design, usage, and similarity.

The Parthenon is an Ancient Greek building sitting on the acropolis of Athens. To compare it to the Pantheon is quite a feat, but they don’t have as many similarities as one would imagine. The Parthenon of Ancient Greece serves as a temple, but it also had another purpose. The Pantheon served as a monument and temple, to dedicate not only to the emperor of Rome but the gods and the Christian god later on.

Architecturally, societally and religiously, the Parthenon of Athens and the Pantheon of Rome share many similarities and some important differences. Fortunately, these wonders of the ancient world have survived to give us some idea of their construction and use.

During the fifth century and Eighth century BCE, The Etruscan Temples and The Parthenon were built and valued by their cultures for many spiritual and cultural reasons. Similar to the Parthenon, The Etruscan Temples are built with influences from Greece. However, Both have different appearances based off of there medium, purpose, and architecture. The Etruscan Temple and the Parthenon both have strong stances within there cultures and provide peace and empowerment for the population of the time. Both structures are two similar ancient buildings, though there differences in culture and architecture set them apart.

The Greeks made there temple as a city works project, creating jobs as the celebrated their victory against Persian Might whereas the Romans centralized wealth allowed those who had the means to do as they pleased. Both cultures in today’s world care for the ancient structures: the Italians maintaining their structure as best they could throughout the ages whereas the Greeks had to regain their independence lost since Alexander the Great in order to regain control of their ancient structures in order to restore them.

Athens, sometime around 50 A.D. You find yourself in one of the greatest cultural and philosophical centers of the world, making it comparable to a visit to Boston or Oxford (Mare 196). Though its glory has gradually faded since its founding, the city retains its beauty. Certainly the lush, green trees and the rocky outcrops in the city would be attractive to you. But what draws your focus the most is the brilliant architecture of the city’s buildings. Several temples dot the landscape, two of which demand your attention: the Hephaesteum, a building dedicated to the god Hephaestus (or Vulcan), and the Parthenon, a building dedicated to Athena (Arnold 384). The former enlightens the entrance of the city, while the latter stands atop the

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

Comparison between Parthenon and Pantheon 　　　　Despite the similarity in the name, Parthenon and Pantheon are different constructions built in two different places. Parthenon is a Greek temple to goddess Athena built in 126 AD(Reed College, The Parthenon (2015)), where as Pantheon is an Italian temple to all the gods of ancient Rome built between 447 and 438 BC (Wikipedia, Pantheon, Rome (2015)). There are many differences and similarities between them, too many to explain in one essay, so I will mainly ague on their structural and sculptural aspects. First of all, when you look at Parthenon, the shape of the building is a simple rectangular shape with most of the parts filled with entasis columns. On the other hand, although some entasis

Many often lump Greek and Roman culture into one movement. The Greeks were an influence on the Roman Empire in everything from their art, architecture, and mathematics to their political structure. Though they are separated by over 500 years, the building of the Parthenon and Pantheon were each hugely significant architectural strides for each culture. Each has their similarities, as well as differences. On a whole, they set the way for the architects of the future with their vision.