Atop of the acropolis in Athens, sits the Parthenon. A building that is nearly two thousand five hundred years old. Although time has taken its toll, the structure still stands today, in part, originally being designed as a temple to Athena by Greek architects Ictinus and Callicrates.
Athena
Athena, the goddess of wisdom, warfare and handicraft, was made patron deity of Athens. In mythology, she became patron through a contest with Poseidon after the people of Athens voted in favour of her, after her offering of an olive tree.
Athena was held in the highest regard, with citizens of Athens believing she was responsible for their good fortune. Due to this, the primary purpose of the Parthenon was as a temple to worship her.
Interior Features
It featured The Athena Parthenos, created by renowned sculptor Phidias, measuring 40 feet tall. It was a chryselephantine sculptor, meaning it was made from gold and ivory, two rare and expensive materials, showing the regard in which Athena was honoured. The core of the statue was cypress wood, with the timber being from a select forest dedicated to the God Apollo.
In front of the statue was a large basin filled with water, which allowed for a higher humidity, something that was believed to help conserve the precious materials. It also added to the radiance of the figure, as the sunlight would bounce off the water and hit the statue creating an emitting glow.
A “continuous frieze runs around the exterior of the cella wall” (Fazio, Moffett, Wodehouse 2019), depicting a procession of Athenians taking gifts to Athena, possibly representing the Panathenaic festival held every four years, with the lesser Panathenaia held annually. Made from pentelic marble, it stretched 160 meters, made up of relief sculptures, and figures carved into the solid marble giving the frieze depth. The “narrative of the frieze begins at the southwest corner” (Ching, Jarzombek, Prakash 2017), then splits and moves in opposite directions, meeting back up in the middle of the East side where Athena can be seen, receiving the gifts. Despite the intricate design and decoration of the frieze, it is placed high up in the building making it more challenging to look at. This indicates that it is not meant as an art installation, but instead a symbol of respect to Athena.
Delian League Treasury
The secondary function of the Parthenon was as a treasury for the Delian League. The league was an alliance of hundreds of cities, formed after the Persian wars, united against any future attacks on Greek territory from Persia. With Athens being the leading city in Greece, the funding from the league, originally intended for military funding, was instead used in part in the construction of the Parthenon. The Athena Parthenos, with its huge size and exotic materials, was therefore also a symbol of power and wealth, a political statement highlighting the dominance of Athens. It was also an embodiment of the identity of Athens, showing the intrinsic connection between the goddess and the city, as they believed she was the reason for their success.
Structural Design
The Parthenon is an “octastyle peripteral temple” (Ching, Jarzombek, Prakash 2017), octastyle refers to the eight columns that make up the front of the building, ‘peripteral’, meaning that there is one row of columns on each side of the building. The temple mainly follows that of the Doric order, the earliest of the three classical orders of architecture, but also “incorporates Ionic attributes” (Fazio, Moffett, Wodehouse 2019).
There are 8 columns adorning the front façade, the east facing side, and 17 along the sides. They feature a technique known as entasis, with columns having a slight bulge in the middle, correcting the optical illusion of columns looking narrower in the centre when viewed from distance.
Similarly, the spacing between the columns, and the intercolumniation is not consistent, again to make it more visually pleasing and have the appearance of perfection. This idea of counter-perspective is seen as the most likely reason for the lack of straight lines and irregular spacing, although some argue that this was a method chosen by the designers in order to make the building look more alive, more imperfect, and therefore have a closer identity to nature.
The width and length of the Parthenon is also at the ratio 4:9, reflecting the golden ratio, something that the Greeks believed would provide balance and harmony.
The Parthenon is a stunning embodiment of classical Greek architecture and shows its vast engineering prowess. It gives a clear indication of the identity of Athens, with the temple being a connection between the citizens and their goddess, and with exquisite materials being used as a symbol of the utmost respect. Beyond the religious usage, the Parthenon was also a symbol of power and ego, a physical reminder of all of the city’s success in battles, and a personification of civic pride.
Bibliography:
Fazio, M., Moffet, M., Wodehouse, L. (2019). 5th ed. Buildings across time. An introduction to world architecture. McGraw-Hill education.
Ching, F., Jarzombek, M., Prakash, V. (2017). 3rd ed. A global history of architecture. John Wiley & sons, inc.
Images:
- TheCollector. The Parthenon by Frederic Edwin Church, 1871, via the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, www.thecollector.com/parthenon-frieze/.
- venetianred. Athena Parthenos (Life-Sized Relica), venetianred.wordpress.com/tag/classical-greek-sculpture/.
- The Plaque of the Ergastines, East Parthenon Frieze, Designed by Phidias, 447-32 BC, via the Musée Du Louvre, Paris, www.thecollector.com/parthenon-frieze/.
- Ideal Image. The Eastern Facade of the Time-Ravaged, Forever Elegant Lady of the Acropolis – the Parthenon., www.greece-is.com/the-optical-illusions-that-make-the-parthenon-perfect/.
