Essay on The Temple of Athena Nike

The Greeks finished building an exquisite temple to their beloved goddess, Athena in the year 432 BCE. (Sayre 60). The name of this enriched, unique temple was the Parthenon. The Parthenon took the Greeks approximately fifteen years to complete and as Pericles stated, it was built to give gratitude to their goddess Athena for the salvation of their city, Athens and all of Greece in the Persian Wars (Sayre 60). It was also a symbol of their power and superiority among other cultures. It was something the Greeks took great pride in and recognized it to a great extent. The Parthenon was built on the highest point of the city of Athens to look over the precious Greek city. On the exterior walls of the Parthenon there was beautiful artwork that

The Winged Victory (Nike) of Samothrace is a powerful statue built by the Greeks around 190 BC. She was discovered on the Island of Samothrace in the northern Aegean. This statue stands at 10.76 feet which is very tall for a woman. She stood on the bow of a ship, poised and ready for action. The sculpture procures the strength and beauty of a woman. The pose, constitution, and her make up all contribute to the works powerful statement.

Ancient Greek architecture advanced over hundreds years; starting in the new stone age, and ending in the archaic period. The Greeks are known for their large stone columns and huge stone buildings. Ancient architects are even credited for building one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the statue of Zeus at Olympia. The earliest buildings were

During the era before Classical Greece Sparta and Athena had different paths because Sparta had two kings and an oligarchic government, while Athens had instituted democracy. Sparta treated men to be warriors and women could have their own properties, while in Athena men were trained to be public speakers and women had only several rights. Despite the differences they joined to a war against Persia, and after that there was a Peloponnesian war between the two poleis, where Athena lost, at the end, Sparta, Athena and Thebes each took turn on the dominant Greek power. One interesting fact is also that the buildings that they built had a political purpose also to celebrate civil power and pride.

The girls would descend the steps of the Acropolis, a large fortress containing many important buildings. The Scirophonia was a festival in which priests would walk in a somber march under a vast sun umbrella and lastly the Panathenea. The Panathenea festival was the largest festival in which hundreds of people walked in a massive procession to the Acropolis. The people were bringing Athena a peplos, or a robe, made by the most skilled workers in Athens. During this festival, people held races, sang songs, played music, competed in gymnastics and also music contests (The Cut of Athena 1). Along with the festivals, the Greek people built expansive temples to Athena. There is the sanctuary of Athena in Delphi, Greece, part of the great temple complex there. The sanctuary was set-aside for Athena for her role as guardian of wisdom and consciousness (Philip, Wilkinson 53). The Parthenon in Athens also has a portion dedicated to Athena, but aside from that, there are two other temples devoted to the goddess: the temple of Athena Nike and the Erectheum, both of which are also located on the Acropolis in Athens. Athena was respected throughout Greece but she had an almost cult following in Athens (The Cult of Athena 1). There was an ancient rivalry between Athens, the city known for its advanced thinking, and Sparta, known for its warlike approach towards problems. However, both cities worshipped Athena. In Sparta, she was adored for her power in battle

The city of Athens viewed the goddess Athena as their patron and protector. There were multiple instances in the city’s mythology where they believed that due to their dedication she successfully protected their territory and helped them to remain successful and prosperous. The entire city of Athens is dedicated to Athena. One of the main ways that they honored her was through elaborate temples or other forms of architecture. Athena was the goddess of several different things but architecture and mathematics were some aspects of her that could explain the way that they chose to honor her and why Athens was a center for progress in technology.

In ancient Greece, around 500 B.C.E, the culture was revolving around gods and goddesses. The lifestyles and actions of the people of Greece had an interdependence with the common belief of Hellenism. By understanding that many Greeks looked to their gods and goddesses in most aspects of their life, we can better understand how Greek culture worked as a whole. This can be seen specifically in Athens Greece. In Athens they looked to the Goddess Athena in particular because she was their patron Goddess. During this time a sculptor, named Phidias, sculpted a grand statue called the Athena Parthenos. The Athena Parthenos was viewed as an actual incarnation of the Goddess Athena, and symbolize victory in wars that ultimately create peace and harmony.

The Parthenon of Athens which was considered to be one of the finest example of Greek architecture. (Doc 3) the Parthenon was a place for trade praise and prayer. Octavian Augustus was a powerful leader. Octavian was the first emperor of Rome. There are many statues of this powerful Roman man. (Doc 7) Roman architecture promoted different forms of Ancient Greek architecture and some more recent technologies including the arch and the dome to create a more current architectural approach. Its use of new materials, specifically concrete, was an important aspect. Roman architecture expanded throughout the Empire . Both the roman and Greek societies used these ideas for monuments, statues and other architectural buildings, though Greece came up with newer technologies that helped change roman architecture. The Greek people started the worldwide tradition known as the Olympic. The first Olympic Games were help in Greece, Olympia long ago. Although the Greeks started this tradition as a form of entertainment, the rest of the world picked up on this which eventually made the Olympics one of the most well known things around the world. There are Many statues that display the Olympic games are all around the world these statues are made and used to promote and display the Olympic games and where it originated from. (doc

Another important contribution of the ancient Greeks to the modern world is art. In the United States, the Supreme Court, White House, and the Capitol Building are all highly influenced by Greek architecture. Most of the post offices are modeled after the Parthenon. The Parthenon is on top of the Acropolis in Athens, it is known for their grand marble flooring and columns, the Parthenon was a place of worship to the god Athena (doc. 7). Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom and military victory, the city of Athens was named in her honor. The Parthenon is a symbol for ancient Greece, allowing for a backdrop of one of the most important cities when it comes to the history of humanity and the development of it. The Greeks were also very involved with sports. Many statues were created to show the beauty and grace of a Greek athlete, Track and Field were the most popular sports. The ancient Greeks were very fascinated with the human body (doc. 8). A great mind was the only thing equivalent to an attractive body. The Olympics first started in ancient Greece, having a similar situation to the Olympics today. Countries, but

The novel Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan is about seven teen demigods that must stop the destruction of Rome, the end of the world. This is an action packed story that allows one to better understand Greek Mythology. When reading this book, the author is trying to make the reader realize that there is a hero in all of us, whatever we set our minds to do, and we can accomplish it no matter what obstacles are put in front of us. One quote from the book that is quite iconic is “Being a hero doesn’t mean you’re invincible. It just means that you’re brave enough to stand up and do what’s needed.”(Riordan, pg. 475) Anything is possible if you just give it a chance. The theme throughout this series is that with teamwork much can be accomplished.

Much can be said about the Greeks and their contribution to Western Civilization greatly and how they paved the way. The Greeks subsidized Western Civilization greatly, contributing areas of architecture, government, and many more. The Greeks built the Parthenon, a temple dedicated the infamous goddess Athena, who they viewed as there patron. The famous temple has columns and groundwork that characterizes Greek architecture. The architects were concerned with conducting a sense of perfect balance to reflect cooperation and order in the universe. They were the first to think of the idea of democracy, a system in which people govern themselves rather than being ruled by a king; they also valued beauty and imagination.

Charles Champoiseau uncovered pieces of masterfully worked Parian marble in April of 1863.1 On Samothraki, the island from which Poseidon is said to have watched the fall of Troy, these segments of stone came together to form four main sections: a torso, a headless bust, a section of drapery, and a wing.2 The sections were shaped to be assembled though the use of cantilevering and metal dowels, allowing the sculptor to extend beyond medium’s gravitational limitations (fig. 2). Just one year later, the pieces were assembled (and those missing were remodeled), and the Greek goddess Nike was revealed at the Louvre.

The Nike of Samothrace is located in the Sanctuary of the Great Gods on the island of Samothrace. The statue, " just alighted on the prow of a Greek warship. She raises her right arm to crown the naval victor, just as Nike paces a wreath on Athena's head on the Altar

The Parthenon, with no doubt, is one of the best well-known Greek temples of all times. It is also the dominant temple on the Akropolis. Its construction began in 447 BC and ended in 438

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