The Archaeology of Athen: The Parthenon

The Archaeology of Athen: The Parthenon

Introduction

Among the most beautiful and exquisite architecture building ever created, the Parthenon ranks at the top of its class. Robin Rhodes, author of Architecture and Meaning on the Athenian Acropolis, quotes “The Parthenon is the product of a long religious, architectural, and intellectual evolution” Is the historic praise of the Parthenon deserved, or it is just a forgotten piece of history with no importance and significance associated with it?

Early history

The Parthenon built after the Greeks won the Battle of Marathon between the Persians. This was a major victory considering that the Persians defeated the Greeks years earlier. The Assembly, Greeks democratic government at the time, decided to construct the Parthenon and dedicate the temple to Athena, a goddess of arts, wisdom and war, because they believed she helped the Greeks win the Marathon battle between the Persians. The Parthenon was among other building complexes that were constructed. The Parthenon constructed in 447 BCE and completed 432 BCE. The architects responsible for the Parthenon were Iktinos, Kallikrates, and Karpion, Greeks top architects during the time. During the construction, of the Parthenon, no other building compared to its genius construction. The Greeks were very skilled in the creation of sculpture and architecture; they were arguably the most skillful the world had known.

Parthenon's Importance

The Parthenon is perhaps one of the most important historical buildings that were constructed by man. It symbolized Ancient Greece and the Athenian democracy during the hype of Greek civilization. The fact that the Parthenon was created in a time when the political system was democratic makes it a direct symbol of today's society. The Parthenon is the most recognized building of Ancient Greece; furthermore, it is without a doubt the most inspired architectural building adopted by western civilization. Many prominent government buildings mimic the construction of the Parthenon, such as Constitution Hall, the Lincoln Memorial, the Treasury Building, and the United States Supreme Court, just to name a few. Though the Parthenon today symbolizes democracy, it was a symbol of Greek civilization at its finest. Not only is the Parthenon symbolic to today's society, it was and still to this day is considered a masterpiece of architecture. The Parthenon is the largest man made structure that is made completely out of marble. The huge marble Doric temple is 30.88 meters wide, and its columns rose 69.50 meters long. These long columns displayed Athenian dominance over Greek's peninsula and that Athens was its Greek imperious master. Thought it is in ruins now, during the time of its existence, it was a breath taking work of architecture integrated with intriguing classical sculptures.

The main purpose of the Parthenon was to provide shelter to a statue. Greeks built temples, not of worship, but to house statutes for their gods. The Greeks built the Parthenon as a monument to Athena, whom helped the Greeks defeat the Persians. She was the centerpiece of all the declarations of the Parthenon. They constructed this splendid temple just ...