Structure Of The Parthenon Frieze

Building the Parthenon was a greater feat than they ever would have known. Work on the Parthenon began in 477 BC. A much smaller shrine already stood on this site, one to which we can attribute various pieces of surviving decorative material--lions and snakes, a cornice incised with flying birds, and a blue-bearded trinity that may conceivably represent Cecrops, Erechtheus, and Poseidon. If such an edifice in fact existed, it was torn down to make way for a huge limestone platform, roughly 252 by 103 feet in size, that was built as a base for the new temple. The slope of the Acropolis was such that while on the north side the foundations rested directly on bedrocks, the southeast corner needed to be built up with no

As I mentioned, this is an extremely controversial topic that has raised a lot of difference in opinions. Furthermore, I must admit that those arguing for the sculptures to remain in Britain do make some interesting points that plenty of people have taken into consideration. One of their arguments is that the sculptures were already in a damaged and fragile condition, and leaving them in Greece would have destroyed them completely (‘The Parthenon Marbles: Refuting the Arguments”, par 6). In the YouTube video, “Parthenon Marbles Debate ", one of Tristam Hunt’s arguments is if the Greeks are able to acquire their historic artwork, this may cause other countries to demand their historic artifacts as well, not just from the British Museum, but from museums all over the world as well. I can see the counter arguments that this controversy issue involves. However, regardless of whether they were in a horrible condition, the Greeks were never consulted, nor did they have a say regarding the selling of this artwork to Elgin. Now, when it comes to everyone claiming and demanding they receive their ancient artwork, like historian Hunt said; this is true. It can happen, but I don't believe that any other artifacts have the amount of significance that these sculptures do. The Greeks worked their hearts

The Parthenon, built around 490 BCE, was one of the most explicit structures created in the Classical Era. Made from marble, it measures roughly 228 feet long and 100 feet wide, huge in comparison to the Pantheon which is located in Rome. The Parthenon was constructed and dedicated to the goddess Athena, while the Pantheon

During the rule of Pericles, the rebuilding of the Parthenon took place. Along with Ictinus, Callicrates and Phidias are credited in the designing of the Parthenon. The Parthenon was completed in 432 BCE. It took fifteen years of construction. The Parthenon was built not only to give thanks to Athena, but was also a sign of power. Ictinus and Callicrates wanted the structure to represent the Doric order. They wanted everything to be proportioned and to look as perfect as possible so they used the golden section; also called the golden rectangle or golden spiral. The golden section is from the golden ratio of 1.618. It can be used to

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.

Those Marbles are Greek and belong to Greece, and not to who stole them. The Parthenon Marbles, known as the Elgin Marbles, name downgrade the practice rapture of the sculptures from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin, is a large collection of marble sculptures which had been stolen by Thomas Bruce, (Earl of Elgin). Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1799 until 1803 and again in Britain in 1806. Taking advantage of the Ottoman hegemony in Greek territory, managed and acquired firman from the Ottoman Sultan for the disestablishment of the Parthenon to measure and fix their plans, and then proceeded to remove and smuggled them. These sculptures were stored in the British Museum in London 1816. To Ottoman firman, which owns the British Museum does not bear the signature and seal of the Sultan or the usual invocation to God. And without them, the Elgin and therefore the British Museum doesn't have any legal proof of ownership of the Parthenon Marbles, according to a report by experts (Newsletter, Nov. 2008). The 1936 report placed the Duveen created for this purpose. Since 1983, on the initiative of the then Minister of Culture Melina Mercouri, Greece has made efforts to bring back the Elgin Marbles to

the acropolis, the central hill of the Greek city –state which was used for defensive and religious purposes, then in seventeen years, Ictinus and Callicrates completed the decorations of the Parthenon (Harper OL). The Parthenon is made entirely of a marble from Mount Pentelicus called Pentelic marble and stands approximately eighteen meters high. The selections made for the material of the Parthenon were chosen with many points considered to ensure a strong and sturdy future.

That was also the interpretation privately held by several members of Elgin’s party. However, a different attitude was taken publicly, and the party set to work removing and packing pieces of the Parthenon. In all, they took 247 feet of the frieze (FIG. 1), 15 metopes (FIG. 2), and 17 pedimental figures (FIG. 3), damaging a substantial portion of the adjoining masonry in the process. This would seem to create a good argument for the Marbles’ return to Greece, as Elgin had exceeded his authority, and damaged the structure of the Parthenon, all without officially obtaining the property rights. However, there is evidence that the Ottoman Government twice ratified what Elgin had done.

In approximately 450 BC Athens’ premier statesman, Pericles, initiated a program of works designed to embellish his city in order to demonstrate the superiority of the city of Athens3. This crowing achievement of this program was The Parthenon, supervised by Pheidias3. It was built on the Acropolis; a mass of rock sharply rising out of the plain around Athens. The Parthenon is a replacement for an unfinished earlier temple that was destroyed by the Persians; the archaic remains of this were partially used to construct this magnificent building. The construction began in about 447 BC and was completed by 432 BC3. The three major elements forming the sculpted ornament on The Parthenon consists of the metopes, pediments, and the frieze. While

The ionic frieze of the Parthenon was considered by the Italian traveler and antiquarian Cyriac of Ancona as one of the “noblest images” of the Parthenon. The ionic frieze measures some 160-meters, or 524 feet, and is visible along the upper walls of the cella in addition to across the two porches. Cyriac was one of the first individuals to have sketched the figures on the frieze. The subject of the ionic frieze according to Cyriac was “the victories of the Athenians”. The Doric frieze of the Parthenon in the past presented 92 polychromatic carvings.

The rectangular structure covers over 23000 square feet. Builders made complex adjustments geometrically to make the structure appear perfectly straight from all vantage points.[1] A temple of this magnitude reinforced the idea, and the realty, that Athens was the predominant city state of that period. Religion was much more personally and societally institutionalized. Completely circling the cella , the inner chamber, is the Parthenon frieze. Sculpted of marble in low relief, a majority of the frieze is devoted to a depiction of the great procession held each year on Athena's birthday.[2] This great parade made it's way through Athens and ended at the Parthenon. Animal sacrifices were then made, and then ceremony or services were presided over by priests. Every four years a great celebration was held, the Greater Panathenaia. Athletic games, military competition and art and poetry competitions were held. But the procession and the Parthenon remained first and fore

The Parthenon was built on 447—438 BCE. The architects of this building were Iktinos and Kallikrates. It is a Doric temple. It consisted of eight columns on its two main facades and seventeen on the sides surrounding the entire temple. The front of the west represents the fight of Athena and Poseidon to get the patronage of the city. The frieze shows the representation of the Panathenaic procession, the most important religious festival in Athens. The scene is along the four sides of the building and includes figures of gods, beasts and about three hundred and sixty people. The Parthenon had the great statue of the goddess Athena Parthenos, who made ​​Phidias. It was 38-foot-tall and made with

One of the most well-known components of the Parthenon are the enormously beautiful and important marble sculptures that were placed in the pediment of the monument. These marbles are shrouded in controversy as to whom they belong: Greece or Britain. These marble sculptures were removed between 1801 and 1812 in order to protect them from possible destruction caused by the war between the Grecians and the Venetians, taken to Britain for refuge by the Earl of Elgin, and sold to the British Museum to be displayed. John Henry Merryman discusses his view on the issue of the ownership of marbles by presenting two main points and the validity of both sides. One aspect of his examination revolves around the legality of the removal of these sculptures.

The Parthenon is located on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece; is a former temple which was dedicated to Greek goddess Athena, whom the Athens considered their leader. According to the British Museum (2015), The Parthenon was built nearly 2500 years ago and has a long and complex history. After thousands of years it became a church of the Virgin Mary of the Athenians, then a mosque and then finally resulted in a archaeological ruin. After the result of a ruin, the buildings were reformed in which various sculptures were damaged. During the 1800’s after the Parthenon being damaged, the Elgin marbles (Elgin) a part of the remaining sculpture, was removed and given to a British museum. For hundreds of years there has been a question if the British museum should return the Elgin marbles back to the Athenians or not. I believe that that the safest and most beneficial place for the Elgin marbles is the British museum, therefore the British should not return the marble to the Athenians.

The Parthenon had sculptured panels along its exterior above the columns (called metopes) and sculptures in the triangular spaces underneath the roof line at both ends of the building (called pediments) and a unique sculptural feature the Ionic frieze which was around the top of the walls (wikipedia, 2006). The Parthenon's frieze depicted the Athenian religious ritual called the Panathenaic festival, in which a procession of citizens paraded to the Acropolis to present to Athena a new robe woven by specially selected Athenian girls, which was held every 4 years. The frieze showed men riding spirited horses, women walking along carrying sacred implements, and the gods gathering together at the head of the parade to observe their human worshippers (‘Parthenon', 2006). This showed how over-confident the spirit of the Athenians where, because they dared put themselves where ordinarily only gods and heroes might be found.