The Imperfection Of The Greek Parthenon

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

The Parthenon was an amazing and expensive achievement of ancient Greece. Although it is mostly in ruins today, there is enough knowledge about its construction to allow others to recreate the structure. The Parthenon is often constructed not only to honor the ancient Greeks, but also to honor the culture and place where it is recreated. Although the Parthenon’s influence is tremendous throughout the western world, it is generally only faithfully represented in part- the nearest representations found during my research include the Walhalla and the Nashville Parthenon. This paper focuses mostly on the original building’s history and its influence on American architecture, with a short discussion on a site in Germany. Research was conducted through the use of our course’s textbook, our consortium library, and educational websites. After my research was concluded, I became particularly fascinated with the golden ratio, which is debated to have been used during the construction of the Parthenon. I would like to research this in future work.

The philosophical ideas of Plato that relate to the Parthenon include whether the structure is an element of the Visible World or the Intelligible World. In my opinion, Plato would view the Parthenon as an object in the Visible World. The Parthenon is a one of a kind monument that is tangible and exists in our real world. The Parthenon is an architectural project and deals with forms of science and mathematics. Plato's view of science and mathematics are categorized as forms in the Intelligible World, which are intangible. Through analysis of illusory tactics, the Tripartite Soul, the simile of the line, and the artistic qualities of architecture, Plato's, as well as my view of the Parthenon will become evident.

As a cause of this relationship, the Parthenon plays a trick and strikes an illusion to the eye. Greek architects Ictinus and Callicrates erected the temple atop the southern flank of

in architecture of the times. Several elements of the Parthenon follow nature-based models. The rectangular shape of The Parthenon was derived from the Golden Ratio of 5:8, which can be seen in some flowers and nautilus seashells. The drums of The Parthenon?s columns also have natural characteristics. Their diameter is similar to the height of man. Plato?s view of compensation making The Parthenon ?less real? can be contradicted with the nature based models that were used to construct it.

The Parthenon Frieze is the inner most decorative piece on the outside ceiling of the Parthenon. Its construction finished in 447BC and it was built by Phidias on the orders of Pericles. (1) The Frieze today is situated in multiple museums around Europe. The majority of the Frieze is located in the British Museum where the 80m’s of Frieze has its own room in the Duveen Gallery that was built to replicate the position from where it was taken from on the Parthenon in Athens. In 1938 Duveen and his associates undertook a cleaning process on the marbles using copper tools and carborundum which damaged the marble but gave it a whiter, more authentic classical look, due to the decolouration which had happened to it. When this came to the attention of the public years later, it caused outrage as the directors had chosen to do nothing about it. (2) The second largest collection of the Frieze is in the Acropolis museum in Athens with smaller parts in museums around Europe such as Paris. (3)

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.

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.

Democracy was a revolutionary idea that moved the shaping of the law into the hands of many rather than a select few, or, in some cases, one tyrant or monarch. Politeia, which refers to both the literal city-states of Ancient Greece and the metaphorical and philosophical idea of citizens’ rights as expressed by Plato and other philosophers of the time, takes that idea of “power to the people” to a higher, more sacred level. Political participation was woven into the daily life of an Athenian citizen: emphasis was placed on the common good rather than the individual in a “radical egalitarianism, not in circumstances, but in responsibility”-- responsibility for the people (at least the people who were eligible) to shape the law around maintaining Athens’ values of valor, intellectualism, and patriotism. Civic engagement was an important expression of one’s identity and devotion to Greek society, and this paper will explore how that sacred dedication to civic engagement could have been a primary motivation in building--and creating the visuals of-- the Parthenon.

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 was the response of the Athenians to the Temple of Zeus created in Olympia. It was just a little bit longer, taller, and wider, just so they could brag that it was bigger on every dimension. It was built between 447-432 BC atop the Acropolis in Athens. This Ionic frieze was almost an afterthought when added to the Parthenon. It depicts the people of the Panathenaiac procession heading to the games. But it does not simply show that; it shows “horsemen and chariots led by elders and the attendants…dignitaries, women, and the Olympian Gods” (Boardman 40). The frieze characterizes all the procession goers as the upper-class, even comparable to gods. The idea Athens is trying to instill here is that of democracy and equality amongst all citizen. The Panathenaiac festivals are a gathering of all people, and their aggrandizement on this frieze promotes that all citizens have the opportunity to be the best citizens. Professor Robin Osbourne explains that “even though these

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.

These architects took a philosophic approach to the rules and proportions, and the determining factor in the mathematics of any notable work of architecture at this time was its ultimate appearance. The architects calculated for perspective, for the optical illusions that make edges of objects appear concave and for the fact that columns that are viewed against the sky look different from those adjacent that are viewed against a shadowed wall. They had devised what is known as the Golden mean, and it is an important formula in understanding how we see buildings like the Parthenon. Something interesting that I noted is how the manipulation of space takes place before you even reach the temple, actually starting at what is known as the Processional Path. This path determines how you move through the acropolis and into the temple, causing a sort of separation of

Egyptians unlike the Greeks, they have massive sculptures compared with the statues of the Parthenon is pediment and much of their existing art comes from tombs and monuments and the have great passion on preserving life after death and the past. The temple at Abu Simbel has four large statues at its entrance of Ramesses II and these statues are estimated 21 meters tall. Ramesses II is seating on his throne and under these huge sculptures there are small statues portraying Ramesses’ defeated enemies. The statues are engraved on the cliff depicted with a belt which held the folds of cloth together. The statues are believed to have worn a robe that Herodotus called kalasaris. The design of Ramesses II was intentionally designed to show him as

One of the most impressive accomplishments of Ancient Greece is the remarkable structure of the Parthenon on the Acropolis. The Parthenon is one of the most inspiring works of architecture known to mankind. The project of the extraordinary Acropolis was taken on by one of the most influential leaders of history, Pericles. Pericles influenced not only the building of one of the grandest works but the example of democracy displayed by the Greeks. The architecture was unique for its time, it featured excellent structure,the breathtaking Metopes featuring the epic battles of the gods, the Frieze a detailed sculpture displaying a procession of Greeks, and was built to house the magnificent statue of Athena adorned in gold. The Parthenon was