The Parthenon Essay, Research Paper

Constructing the Parthenon was a greater effort than they of all time would hold known. Work on the Parthenon began in 477 BC. A much smaller shrine already stood on this site, one to which we can impute assorted pieces of lasting cosmetic stuff & # 8211 ; king of beastss and serpents, a valance incised with winging birds, and a blue-bearded three that may conceivably represent Cecrops, Erechtheus, and Poseidon. If such an building in fact existed, it was torn down to do manner for a immense limestone platform, approximately 252 by 103 pess in size, that was built as a base for the new temple. The incline of the Acropolis was such that while on the north side the foundations rested straight on bedrocks, the sou’-east corner needed to be built up with no less than 22 classs, in order to rectify a perpendicular bead of 35 pess. This was merely the beginning of the temple. The existent base of the new temple was smaller than the platform, as can be still be clearly seen. The temple itself was Doric, with a peristyle of six columns at each terminal and 16 along the sides. Except for the lowest class of the base, the construction was to be built wholly of Pentelic marble.

The first twelvemonth of building was consumed about wholly with quarrying and transporting marble from Mount Pentelicus-that pure white, finely grained rock that, because of its little Fe content, conditionss to the pale honey gold so characteristic of the Parthenon itself. This portion of the work, excessively frequently ignored or taken for granted, presented formidable obstructions that were overcome merely with extraordinary inventiveness. One can still see the chisel marks where rectangular blocks were first cut and so divide off from the remainder of the digging by agencies of H2O & # 8211 ; soaked & # 8211 ; and accordingly spread outing & # 8211 ; wooden cuneuss. More risky still was the concern of transit, particularly during the first phases, when the quarried blocks had to be brought down a steep and bouldery versant from highs of between two and three 1000 pess. The blocks had to be maneuvered on sleighs down a paved prey route ( parts of which still survive ) , and merely the smaller 1s could be eased along on rollers. At intervals, there were stalwart stations, transporting rope and tackle, which were used to assist brake the sleighs downward impulse. Accidents were non unknown, and one rough dresses column membranophone, likely destined for the Parthenon lies in a nearby ravine to this twenty-four hours.

Even when the field was safely reached, troubles still abounded. Switching a sum of 22,000 dozenss of marble across 10 stat mis of degree field to the Acropolis proved a major operation itself. These membranophones, blocks, and architraves were so tremendously heavy that particular methods of conveyance had to be devised for them, and the bing route had to be rebuilt so that it was strong plenty to back up their weight. Traffic was restricted to the dry summer months for fright that the blocks would bog down in the clay, and the largest blocks of all seem to hold baffled the wagonmakers. Axles had to be inserted straight into their end sockets, and these were so equipped with wheels no less than twelve pess in diameter. The whole was fitted to a frame of four-inch lumbers and drawn by up to thirty squads of cattle. Switching a block of marble from the prey to the Acropolis took at least two yearss and cost up to 300 drachmas-at a clip when one dram was the mean labourers day-to-day pay. Then, at the pes of the Acropolis itself there was more sweating with the sleighs and rollers, blocks and tackle before the blocks could eventually be maneuvered into place atop the bastion for the stonemasons to dress.

Although the monetary value of the rewards for the workers was comparatively little, the Parthenon was moderately cheap compared to the things kept inside the temple. Intelligibly, no individual point in the full edifice plan aroused every bit much hostile unfavorable judgment as Phidia & # 8217 ; s ( Athena ) statue. If the construct bespoke megalomania, the cost suggested pure spend-all madness. Over 2,500 lbs of gold-worth more than 3,500,000 drachmas-had gone into it, and another 1,386,000 dram had been expended on tusk, wood, sculpturers & # 8217 ; fees, and assorted disbursals. By any estimation the entire measure far outstripped the cost of the Parthenon itself.

The edifice undertaking of the Old Parthenon ne’er reached completion, for when the columns were still half erected and no more than a few classs of the interior Chamberss, or cella, had been laid, all edifices on the Acropolis suddenly ceased. Modern visitants to the Acropolis can still see dark pinkish Markss, indelibly seared I

nto the rock that indicate where the Older Parthenon’s scaffolding went up in fires.

The Parthenon is a Doric peripheral temple, which means that it consists of a rectangular floor program with a series of low stairss on every side, and a colonnade ( 8 x 17 ) of Doric columns widening around the fringe of the full construction. Each entryway has an extra six columns in forepart of it. The larger of the two inside suites, the Naos, housed the cult statue. The smaller room was used as a exchequer.

The Naos is likely the most picturesquely interesting portion of the temple because it was the room, which contained the Phidian statue of Athena. Everything above the floor of this room at the east terminal has disappeared except a few of the first wall class rocks. The eastern room was 29.8 m long by 19.2 m broad ( 98 foot x 63 foot ) , with internal Doric colonnades in two grades, structurally necessary to back up the roof lumbers.

The three chief types of columns used in Grecian temples and other public edifices are Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. The truest and most basic difference among the orders has to make with proportions. Doric is non merely a type of column, but an & # 8220 ; order & # 8221 ; ; this means that temples of the Doric order non merely hold this type of column, but besides have a certain construction at the upper degrees. The Parthenon had a terrible Doric fa? fruit drink and a low pediment reminiscent of the Athenian Parthenon.

On the outside, the Doric columns measured 1.9 m ( 6 ft 2 in ) in diameter and are 10.4 m ( 34 ft 3 in ) high, about 5? times the diameter. The corner columns are somewhat larger in diameter, with their spacing reduced to do it possible for the frieze to conform to the regulation that it must end with a triglyphs.

The Doric order is characterized by the series of triglyphs and metopes on the on the entablature. Each metope was occupied by a panel of alleviation sculpture. The Parthenon combines elements of the Doric and Ionic orders. The metopes of the Parthenon all represented assorted cases of the battle between forces of order and justness, on the one manus, and condemnable pandemonium on the other.

Relief sculptures, larger than those of the metopes, occupied the triangular infinite above the triglyphs and metopes. Those at the west terminal of the temple depicted the competition between Poseidon and Athena for the right to be the patron divinity of Athens. The eastern pediment group showed the birth of Athena from Zeus & # 8217 ; caput. The pediment sculpture suffered severely when a Venetian shell hit the Parthenon in 1687 and the pulverization magazine inside exploded.

One peculiarly of import but debatable subdivision of the frieze is the group of sitting figures above the pronaos at the east terminal of the Parthenon, now nem con identifies as 12 Olympic divinities with two attenders. These, the merely sitting figures on the frieze, are configured into two groups of six and stand for the earliest extent word picture of what subsequently became the canonical Twelve Gods of Greek and Roman art.

The Parthenon frieze runs around the upper border of the temple wall. Its comparatively little size ( 3 pess 5 inches tall ) and arrangement ( inside from the triglyphs and metopes ) made it reasonably difficult to see from the land. The full Ionic frieze measures 524 English pess in length and merely over 3 pess in tallness. This part with the Gods appears on three exceptionally long slabs of the 114 that make up the frieze, and their visual aspect in the cardinal subdivision of the E or major temple fa? ade gives them particular prominance, as does their big size in relation to the worlds on the frieze. The frieze is isocephalic for both equitation, standing, and seated figures ; therefore, if the Gods rose from their seats they would be about 35 per centum taller than the worlds standing near them.

In my decisions I have found that non merely were at that place one Parthenon but there were many. The Parthenon had been rebuilt several times in its being. The information on the temple was really complete, but I found that there are many disagreements in all of the Hagiographas on the Parthenon. There was much confusion on precisely how many columns there were ; this being the merely great confusion that I found.

Bibliography

Green, Peter. The Parthenon. New York: Newsweek, 1973.

Hambidge, Jay. The Parthenon. New Haven: Yale University, 1924.

MacDonald, William L. The Pantheon. Cambridge: Harvard University, 1976.

Neils, Jenifer. & # 8220 ; Reconfiguring the Supreme beings on the Parthenon Frieze. & # 8221 ; The Art Bulletin 81.1 ( Mar. 1999 ) : 6-20.