The Parthenon: History, Architecture, and Significance
The Parthenon: Iktinos and Callicrates
General Information:
- Name: Parthenon
- Architects: Iktinos and Callicrates
- Chronology: 447-432 BC
- Location: Acropolis, Athens, Greece
- Style: Classical Greek
- Materials Used: Wood and Pentelic Marble
- Building System: Arquitrave
This temple dates back to the Classical period (447-432 BC), a time following the Punic Wars and the death of Alexander the Great. This era gained prominence during Pericles’ administration in Athens.
Athens was the largest city and the center of the democratic system. The Peloponnesian Wars between Athens and Sparta occurred later, involving nearly every Greek city-state allied to one side or the other, ultimately leading to Spartan hegemony. The Acropolis buildings were constructed during this time. Macedonia also exerted its influence. In art, naturalism and idealization were the dominant trends.
Formal Analysis
Support Elements and Supported Structures:
Columns and horizontal walls form the structural basis of any Greek temple. In the Parthenon, the columns support a horizontal entablature, consisting of an architrave, a frieze, and a cornice. It is an octastyle temple, featuring eight columns on the main facade, with two hexastyle porticos on both fronts, each having a second row of six columns. It is also peripteral, as the entire building is surrounded by columns.
The temple is built on a stylobate and two stereobates. Doric columns, baseless, heavy, direct, and grandiose, rise from these foundations. The shafts are robust at low altitude and connected by grooves. They reach the capital, which features a barely perceptible concave molding, known as the collar.
The Parthenon is a rectangular building with two rooms. The earlier division of the church resulted in a double structure, necessitating two facades with two porches.
Interpretation
The main facade of the temple faces east, towards the sunrise, a common orientation in ancient religious buildings. This design meant that the building would face away from the main entrance of the Acropolis. During its peak, the Parthenon was very white and dazzling, enhanced by polychrome elements in the upper parts, such as the capitals and triglyphs.
The optical effects are what make the Parthenon special today. The architects made a significant technical effort to correct distortions through optical illusions. For example, the entasis of the columns tapers towards the top. The columns at the ends are also more separated, have a larger diameter than the others, and incline slightly inward. This technique was implemented to better withstand stress and compensate for visual perception.
The entablature and stylobate curve upward to prevent the appearance of sagging in the center.
The Parthenon was decorated with sculptures created by Phidias or his disciples. The Eastern Front depicted the birth of Athena, while the Western Front showcased a dispute between Poseidon and Athena for possession of Athens. The metopes, of which only nineteen are preserved, featured high-relief sculptures depicting scenes from the Gigantomachy.
The frieze represented the Panathenaic procession.
Function
The Parthenon was not a temple of worship in the traditional sense, as it lacked an altar. Instead, it served as a monumental offering to the gods of the sun, expressing gratitude for their benevolence.