The Pantheon and the Parthenon
Written assignment unit 2 AHIST 1401 Art History
Student Name: withheld
Instructor: Stephen Ababio
Date: 08.02.2023
Introduction
Both the Parthenon and the Pantheon are historic temples. In addition, the Parthenon was constructed in ancient Greece for the goddess Athena, and the Pantheon was constructed in Rome to honor all the Roman gods. The Parthenon was constructed between 447 and 438 BCE, nearly six centuries before the Pantheon, which was constructed in 126 CE (Diffen, n.d).Besides; The Pantheon also draws heavily on classic Greek temples like the Parthenon for its external style, as both the Parthenon and the Pantheon were initially intended to be temples. Both support a pediment with eight
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Both have a variety of additional cultural interpretations. The Pantheon is portrayed as type of architectural reflection of Roman imperial domination; whereas the Parthenon is seen as a triumph monument and a symbol of Athenian might (Dennis, 2021).Both of these famous structures were formerly churches in the middle Ages, and have seen some degree of devastation and reconstruction. The Pantheon is a circular building with a portico supported by granite Corinthian columns. Its Roman concrete dome weighs 4535 metric tons. It is made from several materials, including marble, granite, concrete, and brick (Diffen, n.d.). The Parthenon is a Doric temple supported by ionic columns; it has a rectangular floor and is entirely made of marble, with a limestone base; An ionic frieze runs around its exterior walls (Diffen, n.d.). The west pediment depicts the competition between Athena and Poseidon to become the city's patron god, while the east pediment tells the story of Athena's birth (Diffen, n.d.).The conflict between the powers of justice and …show more content…
Besides, Both support a pediment with eight columns. Unfortunately, both have faced some destruction and rebuilding, and both were used as churches during the middle Ages. Though the designs are similar, they are not the same. The Parthenon, one of the three canonical orders of ancient architecture, is situated high on a hill in Athens and is based on the architectural column designs of the Doric and Ionic orders. The structure is dominated by outer columns in Doric style that lean slightly inward to give the illusion of straight lines (Dennis, 2021). The Pantheon's dominant design is its massive domed ceiling and rotunda. It was the biggest city in the world when it was constructed in the second
The most specific features of this building are the columns. One of the first people to use columns, the Greeks used such distinct features on their monuments, such as the Parthenon. Yet another celebrated art form is perhaps one of the most famous pieces of ancient Greek art. Myron’s marble sculpture of The Discus Thrower, represents the Olympic events and also demonstrates many of the Greek morals. (Document 8)
Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of Greek art. Parthenon is regarded as an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece, Athenian democracy, and western civilization,and one of the world's greatest cultural monuments. The Parthenon itself replaced an older temple of Athena, which historians call the Pre-Parthenon or Older Parthenon, that was destroyed in the Persian invasion of 480 BC. The temple is astronomically aligned to the Hyades. While a sacred building dedicated to the city's patron goddess, the Parthenon was actually used primarily as a treasury.
Most of Greek art and architecture reflected their honor and regards to the gods and goddesses they worshipped. Almost all Poleis had at least one temple in their areas. The statue of a god or goddess was placed inside of the temples, and worshipers gathered outside the temples for the rituals,sacrifices, and festivals as the temples were not a place for the people to worship (Tridimas, 2021). The Athenians devoted enormous resources to the construction of the acropolis in order to surpass the other temples of their rivals (Becker, n.d.). For this reason, one of the finest examples of Greek architecture was the Parthenon of Athens, which was a temple built in honour of the goddess Athena, who was known as the goddess of wisdom and knowledge in Greek mythology (US History, n.d.).
The design of the Parthenon was reflection of the then current Grecian Empire. According to Silverman (n.d.), “the Parthenon represents the tangible and visible efflorescence of Athenian imperial power. It symbolizes the power and influence of the Athenian politician, Perikles, who championed its construction”. The style and function of the building being a reflection of the culture is reflected in the Orders of the design.
So you 're just wandering through the twisty mediaeval streets of the centro storico (historical center), and as if the cobblestones and ivy weren 't enough, you turn the corner, and out of nowhere is this massive temple. That 's Rome for you. The best preserved ancient structure in the city, the Pantheon as you see it now was built under Hadrian between AD 120-128 circa, although the pediment above the portico is actually 100 years older and signed by Agrippa (which did in fact confuse archaeologists and historians for years). The round
This essay will be focused on the cultural use, differences and similarities of Greek and Roman architecture with special focus on Parthenon in Athens and the Pantheon in Rome Italy. Both buildings have various similarities; I will focus on how each country adapts to their differences. It is important to note that five (5) architectural orders were highly favored in the Greek and Roman architectural pattern. The Parthenon and Pantheon are both ancient temples, while the Parthenon was built in Ancient Greece for the goddess of Athena as a gratitude to heaven for the defeat of Persia; the pantheon was built in Rome to celebrate the Roman gods. Construction of Parthenon started in 447 BC when Athenian Empire was at the height of its power (web archive.org (n.d.))
The Lincoln Memorial has thirty-six columns that represent each state that was reunified to the United States of America. The Parthenon contains forty-six outer columns and twenty-three inner columns. Even though the buildings may be similar in color and texture they are made with a few different materials. The foundations of the Parthenon were made of limestone. The outer part was made of marble.
The Athenians accomplished great feats of architecture. The Parthenon, costing over 3 Billion dollars in today's time, it is considered on of the marvels of the Ancient World. The Parthenon was originally built as a massive upscale Greek temple but has gone through many changes over the ages. It had vast amounts of gold and silver as well as a monumental statue of Athena. The temple, wrote John Julius Cooper, "enjoys the reputation of being the most perfect Doric temple ever built.
The Parthenon and the Altes Museum have been significantly important architectural buildings throughout this whole period of time. The Parthenon was built between 447 and 438 B.C in the Acropolis of Athens in Greece, by Iktinos and Kallikrates. It represents the culmination of classical Greek architecture and its search for perfection. The greatest German neoclassical architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781-1841) designed the Altes Museum in Berlin, which was opened in 1830. In his design, Schinkel linked architectural motifs from Greek and Roman antiquity and incorporated them into the museum.
The building is found in Rome and is believed that it was commission by Marcus Agrippa during Augustus ' time. The inscription on the building of the Pantheon says “M•AGRIPPA•L•F•COS•TERTIUM•FECIT” which means “Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, the third time consul, built this” (MacDonald, 2002, p. 45). Later on, the Pantheon was rebuilt by Hadrian during the year 125AD. Historically, the Pantheon is constructed as a dedication to the twelve gods of Ancient Romans where it was believed that Romulus rose to heaven on the spot. (MadDonald, 2002).
If you have never had the opportunity to see the Parthenon in Greece and the Pantheon in Italy, it’s possible that the similarity of the names would lead you to believe that they are the same or, at least, almost identical. While it is true that certain elements of the buildings mirror each other, there are major differences in their structures and functions. The architecture of each reflects the cultural ideals of the times. After the Greeks overcame the Persian invasion, Athens became the head of all of the Greek city-states. During this period, the country enjoyed peace and great prosperity.
In this piece of work, it is essential to compare the two buildings while systematically considering their similarities and differences that have memorialized their existence until now. Similarities between Parthenon and Pantheon The Parthenon building in Athens was built and dedicated to the goddess Athena while the Pantheon was also built and similarly dedicated to all the gods of the Romans; hence they are referred to as temples. Furthermore, both buildings were used for public events when such need arises. The Parthenon and Pantheon are both ancient buildings and have strong big columns holding the building as well as serving as decorative pillars.
But when the Romans built the Pantheon , they used the Corinthean order for it's columns . The Greeks used the post and lintel , or the trabeated system many times , but the Romans relied on the arches , and made them more perfect than the Greeks did . Also the material used in the construction of their buildings were different depending on the available and more reliable material . So the Greeks tended to use the well carved marble , granite and limestones in building , but for the Romans these material wasn't commonly used , or wasn't used to build th structure itself but could be used for decoration , they rather used the concrete and mud bricks and that helped them in the construction of arches . According to the geographic difference between them , the way they constructed their cities varied .
While in the Roman architecture, their temples which were named Pantheon were a mix of the Etruscan and Greek styles but
The Parthenon in Athens and the Pantheon in Rome depict the splendor of these two cultures. Starting with the Parthenon, it was completely constructed in 432 B.C.E by the architects Iktinos and Kallikrates to honor the Athen’s patron deity, Athena, and to house her statue. It is rectangular and consisted of a series of Doric columns. However, it is a mixture of the Doric and Ionic orders. The Pentelic marble, bronze, gold, and ivory are the basic media used in this construction.