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 It’s
a classic image – the large temple on top of a hill in Athens. It’s the
Parthenon, a symbol of ancient culture, representing religious
dedication, an appreciation for architecture harmonious with nature,
and an impressive understanding of mathematics and optical illusions.
This ancient Greek temple is one of many structures that have greatly
influenced the course of architecture, and one of few that remain at
least somewhat intact.
Architecture Terms
The
Parthenon provides examples of many basic architectural features that
have become part of many buildings since, including many government
buildings in Washington D.C. The most noticeable feature is the
presence of many columns. A column is used to support the weight of a structure. They are thought to mimic tree trunks, however are made up of many drums, stacked one on top of the other, with a long rod inside to hold them  together. The columns of the Parthenon are of the Doric order, meaning they are wider at the bottom than the top, are plain or fluted, have no base, and have a smooth capital.
Though other features classify a building as of the Doric order, the
columns are the most obvious distinction. The Doric order originated in
western Greece and the mainland.
The other two orders that were used in ancient Greece are Ionic and Corinthian.
The columns of the Ionic order are more slender than Doric. The fluted
columns sit on large bases and have capitals with two large volutes,
which look like scrolls. The Ionic order was developed in eastern
Greece. The Porch of Poseidon and the Temple to Athena Nike, both on
the Acropolis, display the Ionic order. The Corinthian order has
slender fluted colums topped by ornate capitals, decorated with
acanthus leaves and small volutes. A sculptor in Corinth developed this
order in the 5th century BC.
The columns of the Parthenon support the entablature, which is divided into the architrave, frieze, and the cornice (bottom, middle, top). The frieze, as seen on the Parthenon and the United States EPA building, consists of triglyphs (three-section blocks) and metopes, which were often ornamented, between the triglyphs. Above the entablature you find the pediment,
the triangular shaped area that usually housed sculpture.  The pediment
of the Parthenon contained sculpture that depicted the birth of Athena
on the east side and the contest between Athena and Poseidon on the
west.
The Parthenon
The
Parthenon is one of Greece’s treasured symbols. Constructed on top of
the Acropolis, literally the upper part of town, the Parthenon can be
seen from most any location in Athens. It
was constructed between 447 and 438 BC to honor Athena, goddess of
wisdom. The famous sculptor Phidias created the decorative features
such as the frieze and the pedimentary sculpture. He also made the
famous giant gold and ivory statue of Athena that was inside the
Parthenon. Interesting to note is that the building appears to have
perfectly straight lines, but actually is “bowed” in certain places to
adapt to the characteristics of the human eye.
After several hundred years, the Parthenon, like many temples in the
ancient world, was used as a Christian church, then later as an Islamic
mosque. When the Turks occupied Greece in the 1600’s AD, they stored
ammunition in the Parthenon, which led to much of its current
distruction. It was hit by a Venetian cannonball to destroy the
ammunition. The British deemed it necessary to remove the sculpted
frieze and the sculpture from the pediments in 1799 to preserve them.
This serves as a current source of disagreement between the two
countries. Visitors who want to see all parts of the Parthenon must
visit London as well as Athens.
Take an online tour here. OR visit Nashville and see a full-scale replica.
How Athens Was Named
Legend tells that the citizens of Athens held a contest between Athena
and Poseidon to determine after which deity they would name their city.
The competion was: Which god/goddess would give the best gift to the
people? Poseidon offered a spring, but unfortunately it salt water
flowed from it. Athena gave them the olive tree, a gift which provided
food, oil for cooking, eating, lighting, and much more. Obviously the
people chose Athena and the city bears her name to this day.
To learn more about ancient Greece and her architecture, visit www. ancientgreece.com.
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