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The Classical Period Of Greece

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The classical period in Greece ushered in great reformation, in which the city of Athens was placed on the map for its works of art, design and culture. The coordinator of such a vast change was Pericles , who in the fifth century BC, brought about the city’s most important buildings, namely the Propylaia, the Erechtheion and the Parthenon. Perhaps the finest example of architecture in the Periclean Acropolis, the Parthenon was also an inspiration for many artists, philosophers and writers alike. The building’s siting, detailing, use of materials and cultural significance also contributes to its claim to being the epitome of Ancient Greek architecture.
Overlooking the city of Athens, the Acropolis was constructed to celebrate the Athenian …show more content…

Accessible only to the clergymen, the sites at the Periclean Acropolis, were used as a place of religious rites and performances of the utmost importance. The eminent features and characteristics of most Greek temples were exemplified in the first temple constructed, the Parthenon, “perhaps the purest expression of classical form ever created ”. The idea of the Parthenon being the finest temple in the Acropolis is further continued due to its particular placing within the citadel itself. The eye is drawn in the general direction and is almost trained to focus on that particular temple. It is obvious that the architect’s first work presided in importance over the rest of the temples in the Acropolis.
The Parthenon’s position on the Acropolis dominates Athenian skyline. Athens being the heart of the Greek empire and also being the capital of modern day Greece leads to the conclusion that perhaps it was the architect’s original plan for the Parthenon to be the quintessential expression of his work and also Greek architecture as a whole.
By far the grandest building in the Periclean Acropolis, the Parthenon design was heavily influenced by ‘Ten Books on Architecture’, written by Vitruvius. As the Roman engineer stated in his magnum opus, a building must exhibit three virtues of “Firmitas, Utilitas and Venustas ”, roughly translated to “firmness, a sense of utility and beauty” and this can be seen to extend to the design of the

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