The Parthenon : An Amazing And Expensive Achievement Of Ancient Greece

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 Athenian Greeks at the height of their power built a temple called the Parthenon which was a monument to their core values of perfectionism, humanism, and rationalism. It is important to understand that the human eye has imperfections which deceive the mind, so one can understand the unique steps that were taken to achieve the illusion of perfection to the human eye. The Greeks loved perfection, and as seen in the Parthenon, the Greek architects purposely made the Parthenon imperfect to account for the imperfections in the human eye. This was done so that when one views the Parthenon with the naked eye, it appears to be perfectly symmetrical, straight, and proportional. The entire Parthenon does not have a single right angle. An example of the Greeks compensating for the imperfections of the human eye is seen in the base of the Parthenon, which from a picture or in real life looks perfectly straight, but in reality it is actually curved slightly upward. It is curved because the Greeks knew that if you have a perfectly flat base for a building, it appears curved to the human eye. To account for that, the Greeks made it so that the base was already curved. The Greeks also curved the columns of the Parthenon inward, because if the columns were straight, it would appear to be curving outward. Again, the Greeks knew about how the human eye deceives the mind, and decided that they must trick the eye to please the mind. This was all done because the Greeks strived for

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.

“The Parthenon was commissioned by Pericles sometime after Greek victories over the Persians between 490 and 480 BC” (Glancey 26, 27). During the Persian Greek wars, Athens believed that Athena watched over them and that she helped them throughout the war. The Parthenon represents the wealth, power, society, and culture of Athens. The building of the Parthenon cost the Athenians four hundred and sixty nine talents, which symbolized Athens as wealthy.

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.

As you approach the Nashville Parthenon, the first thing you notice is the colossal size of the architecture itself. It is intimidating to say the least. The stairs are massive, and extra stairs were placed in between the larger ones so that it is accessible. At the four corners of the building, a gryphon sits. It was noted that ancient Greeks believed a gryphon was a protector or guardian of the stream in the north of Greece that flowed with gold. The porches seem to be a very sturdy foundation to the overall structure of the Parthenon. The doors, which will be discussed in more detail later, appear to be as tall as four to five people.

The building upon which the frieze was built in the ionic style was Doric. The two styles of design do not mesh, and did not occur at simultaneous periods in history, making the presence of the ionic frieze something of a mystery. The general meaning of the frieze at large, comprised of many parts, has thereby been drawn into question. While the frieze in in superior condition than other elements of the Parthenon, such as the metopes, pediments, and akroteria, much of it has nonetheless been lost, leaving open room for interpretation.

The Parthenon is known for being one of the greatest achievements of the Athenians. The massive building is a work of perfection and beauty. The Parthenon, which took ten years to build was placed on the highest point of the Acropolis that overlooks the Athenian City. Constructed entirely of marble and embellished with sculptures, the Parthenon is one of the finest examples of the Classical style. It has columns that are specific to the Classical style.

The Parthenon, currently a museum, was an ancient Greek temple built in honor of the Greek goddess, Athena, whom the Greek people worshipped and revered. It was built between the years 447~438 BC, when the Athenian Empire was as the peak of its power, by Iktinos and Kalikrates and utilized the Post and Lintel architectural system, thus, representing the “tangible and visible efflorescence of Athenian imperial power (“The Parthenon”, n.d.). The Parthenon is often considered as one of the most transcendent works of Greek architecture and I think that its magnificence is a clear indicator of its function to honor the Greek people’s esteemed goddess, Athena. The sheer

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

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.

This essay aims to draw some conclusions from the comparison between two ancient buildings: the Roman Pantheon, completed in 125 A.D., and the Athenian Parthenon, completed in 432 B.C.

The Renaissance was a revival of humanism in ideas, art, science and architecture that can be established through the comparison of sculpture from Greco-Roman time, with sculpture from the Renaissance, with a specific example being the comparison of The Doryphoros, a “Roman copy after the original bronze by Polyclitus of ca. 450-440 BCE,” with Donatello’s David, “the first freestanding, life-size nude since antiquity” (Sayre 5.2 and 14.1). The Doryphoros by Polyclitus and the creation of the Parthenon happened just a few years from one another and this was no accident, because “each is a manifestation of the same belief in a standard of beauty, truth, goodness—whichever one likes to call it—the existence and nature of which could be inferred by reason” (Hallett 73). The Doryphoros sculpture represents “an ideal human being, master of himself, standard of nature,” and the detail is a reflection of “a higher mathematical order” that represents a combination of the natural and the intellectual (Hallett 73; Sayre 5.2).

The Parthenon was an architectural masterpiece because of its great size and elaborate decoration. It was constructed between 447 and 438 BCE on the acropolis of

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