In what century was the Parthenon temple built? Architectural and artistic design of the Parthenon of ancient Greece

- a magnificent monument of ancient Greek architecture, located on the highest point of the Acropolis. It was the main temple of Athens and was dedicated to the patroness of this city - the goddess Athena the Virgin. If you look at the Acropolis from the side at a distant distance, you will notice that the silhouette of the temple seems to crown the entire ensemble of buildings. Even under Pisistratus, the Hecatompedon was erected here, which was destroyed during the invasion in 480 BC by hordes of Persians led by King Xerox. The Persian army captured and destroyed beautiful Athens. But the freedom-loving people of Ancient Hellas were able to give a worthy rebuff to the Persians, defeating their army and navy. This victory gave a powerful impetus to the development of a new type of art - the art of high classics. All works of art created during this period have high harmony and plasticity, evoking feelings of grandeur and joy. It was during this period, during the heyday of Athens, that Pericles proposed to restore the entire ensemble of the Acropolis.

During the reign of Pericles, temples, sculptures, and altars of amazing beauty and grandeur were built in Athens. The famous sculptor Phidias supervised all the work. In 447, construction began on the temple of Athena - the Parthenon, which lasted almost ten years. Work related to the decoration of the temple continued until 431 BC. The Parthenon was designed by the architect Iktikus, and another famous architect, Callicrates, brought this project to life, and Phidias was the head of the work. All the people took part in the construction of the temple; it was truly a people's construction project. White marble, ivory, gold, copper, cypress and ebony were brought to Athens from all sides. Stonemasons, carpenters, coppersmiths, painters, engravers and other artisans worked tirelessly. The Parthenon was laid without the use of cement or any mortars. The blocks were so carefully and skillfully ground around the edges that they could be adjusted to fit each other in size without the slightest problem. Pericles spent a huge amount of money on the construction of the temple, including money that was intended for military purposes. Pericles' enemies immediately took advantage of the moment and accused him of wasting public funds. Then, in the meeting, Pericles offered to take on all the costs associated with the construction of the Parthenon himself, but he would indicate his name on his building. Then the people, either delighted with his deed or not wanting to give him the glory of the majestic building, agreed to attribute all expenses to the public account. In order for the composition created on the hill to look not only majestic, but also harmonious, it was decided to enlarge the hill by building a powerful embankment. Nowadays, it has been established that the length of the hill in front of the Parthenon, the length of the Temple of Athena and the length of the section of the Acropolis located behind the Parthenon are in proportion as segments of the golden proportion, i.e., the golden proportion was used to create the composition of the temples. All modern researchers highlight the main reason for the beauty and grandeur of the Parthenon - this is the amazing proportionality of its parts, which is based on the golden ratio. A majestic monument of ancient Greek architecture, the magnificent Parthenon is rightfully considered the fruit of the labor of not only architects and sculptors, but also the entire people of Hellas.
For many years the Parthenon stood untouched in all its grandeur and splendor. However, at the end of the 3rd century BC. e. The Athenian ruler Lahar ordered the gold plates to be removed from the statue of Athena. A tragic fate befell the temple and its sculptures in subsequent years. So, in the 2nd century BC. the temple burned, but was rebuilt in 146 BC. e., after the conquest of Greece, the Romans took most of the sculptures to themselves. Around the 5th century, the statue of Athena Parthenos was taken to Constantinople, where it perished. In the 6th century, the Parthenon was turned into a Christian temple and was later named a cathedral. In 1460, the Turks turned the Parthenon into a mosque, and in 1687, during the siege of Athens by the Venetians, the temple was used as a gunpowder warehouse. Due to the cannonball flying through the roof, an explosion occurred that forever turned the Parthenon into ruins. Its middle part was destroyed, many reliefs fell and broke. In the 80s of the 18th century, several reliefs were taken to Paris and survived. At the beginning of the 19th century, Lord Elgin exported to England 12 figures from the pediments, slabs with reliefs of the Parthenon and other fragments of the monument. Restoration of the temple began in the 19th century. In the 30s of the 20th century, the northern colonnade was restored, pediment sculptures were restored, the originals of which either died or ended up in foreign museums. In the 1950s, the floor of the temple was restored. The Parthenon today is considered the greatest monument of ancient architecture, a masterpiece of world art, the embodiment of the greatness and power of Ancient Athens.

The Parthenon Temple has barely survived to this day, and despite the fact that the original appearance of the structure was much more majestic, today it is considered an example of ancient beauty. This is the main attraction in Greece, which is worth visiting when traveling around the country. The ancient world was famous for its massive buildings, but this one is truly amazing.

Construction of the Parthenon Temple

In the south of the Acropolis in Athens stands an ancient temple that praises the goddess of wisdom, revered for many centuries by the inhabitants of Hellas. Historians believe that the beginning of construction dates back to 447-446. BC e. There is no exact information about this, since the chronology of the ancient world and contemporaries is different. In Greece, the beginning was considered the day of the summer solstice.

Before the construction of the great temple in honor of the goddess Athena began, various cultural buildings were erected on this site, but none have survived to the present day, and only the Parthenon, albeit partially, still stands on the top of the hill. The project of the future architectural heritage was developed by Iktin, and Kallikrates was involved in its implementation.

Work on the temple lasted about six years. The Parthenon owes its unusual decoration to the ancient Greek sculptor Phidias, who, between 438 and 437. BC e. erected a statue of Athena covered in gold. Every resident of those times knew to whom the temple was dedicated, since in the era of Ancient Greece the gods were revered, and the goddess of wisdom, war, art and crafts was often at the top of the pedestal.

The complicated history of the great building

Later in the 3rd century. BC e. Athens was captured by Alexander the Great, but the temple was not damaged. Moreover, the great ruler ordered the installation of a series of shields to protect the great creation of architecture, and presented the armor of the Persian warriors as a gift. True, not all conquerors turned out to be so merciful to the creation of Greek masters. After the conquest of the Heruli tribe, a fire broke out in the Parthenon, as a result of which part of the roof was destroyed, and the fittings and ceilings were also damaged. Since then, no large-scale restoration work has been carried out.

During the period of the Crusades, the Parthenon temple became a source of strife, as the Christian church tried in every possible way to eradicate paganism from the inhabitants of Hellas. Around the 3rd century, the statue of Athena Parthenos disappeared without a trace; in the 6th century, the Parthenon was renamed the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since the beginning of the 13th century, the once great pagan temple became part of the Catholic Church; its name often changed, but no significant reconstructions were made.

In 1458, Christianity gave way to Islam as Athens was captured by the Ottoman Empire. Despite the fact that Mehmet II admired the Acropolis and the Parthenon in particular, this did not prevent him from placing military garrisons on its territory. During hostilities, the building was often shelled, causing the already destroyed building to fall into even greater disrepair.

Only in 1832 did Athens again become part of Greece, and two years later the Parthenon was declared an ancient heritage. From this period, the main structure of the Acropolis began to be restored literally bit by bit. During archaeological excavations, scientists tried to find parts of the Parthenon and restore it into a single whole while preserving the architectural features.

The pictures of the ancient temple do not seem so unique, but upon closer examination we can say with confidence that such a creation cannot be found in any city of the Ancient World. What’s surprising is that during construction, special construction methods were used that create visual illusions. For example:

• the columns are inclined in different directions depending on their location in order to visually appear straight;
• the diameter of the columns differs depending on the position;
• the stylobate rises towards the center.

Due to the unusual architecture of the Parthenon Temple, attempts have often been made to copy it in different countries around the world. If you are wondering where similar architecture is located, it is worth visiting Germany, the USA or Japan. Photos of replicas are impressive in their similarity, but they are not capable of conveying true greatness.

János Korom Dr. / flickr.com Parthenon in Athens (Panoramas / flickr.com) János Korom Dr. / flickr.com Chris Brown / flickr.com Parthenon, 1985 (Nathan Hughes Hamilton / flickr.com) The Parthenon rises on the Acropolis (Roger W / flickr.com) jjmusgrove / flickr.com Nicholas Doumani / flickr.com claire rowland / flickr. com Dennis Jarvis / flickr.com Parthenon at night (Arian Zwegers / flickr.com) psyberartist / flickr.com George Rex / flickr.com Reconstruction of the Parthenon (Emiliano Felicissimo / flickr.com) Comrade Foot / flickr.com In front of the Parthenon (Kristoffer Trolle / flickr.com)

The Parthenon Acropolis of Athens is the most outstanding religious building and the greatest monument of ancient Greek architecture. Built in the 5th century. BC, the temple amazed contemporaries with its size and grandeur, and continues to amaze and interest eyewitnesses of the modern era.

What is the Parthenon - what was its significance in Ancient Greece?

The Temple of the Virgin Athena in the city named after her was the most important cult object of the ancient Hellenes. For the residents of the city of Athens, it became consonant with the meaning of the words prosperity and well-being.

This reverent attitude is explained by the fact that it was dedicated to the goddess Athena, who was considered the patroness of the city and ancient Greece.

The word “Parthenon” in the language of the ancient Hellenes meant “most pure.” In other words, Athena became the forerunner of the “Most Pure Virgin Mary” in the Christian religion. The goddess was also an ancient Greek invariant of the common “mother goddess” archetype.

Legend of the Goddess Athena

Interestingly, Athena was given birth to by Zeus himself. According to ancient Greek myths, the supreme god of Olympus was foretold of death at the hands of his son.

In front of the Parthenon (Kristoffer Trolle / flickr.com)

Fearing the fulfillment of the words of the prophecy, the Thunderer swallowed his wife Metis, who was carrying a child under her heart.

However, the prediction did not come true - a daughter was born who came out of the head of Zeus (the heavenly ruler himself ordered his skull to be cut because he could not stand the torment).

Athena, like her brother Ares, became the patroness of wars. But unlike her divine relative, she stopped injustice and advocated the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

According to ancient Greek mythology, it was Athena who gave people crafts, in particular, she taught women weaving. In addition, the goddess contributed to the development of science and philosophy.

The Hellenes, who valued the intellectual factor of life above all else, decided to thank their patroness by erecting in her honor the most majestic temple in the history of mankind.

Where is the Parthenon?

The temple of the warrior maiden is located in the very center of the modern capital of Greece, on the Acropolis of Athens and is visible even from the most remote point of the city. The word "Acropolis" meant "Upper City". And this city performed defensive functions - the Athenians hid behind its walls, waiting out the siege.

Acropolis - abode of the gods

One glance at the Acropolis is enough to understand that the gods played a primary role in the lives of the inhabitants of ancient Greece - its entire territory is dissected by temples and sanctuaries dedicated to almost all the gods of Olympus.

The buildings of the Acropolis amaze with the genius of architectural thought and serve as classic examples of the use of the golden ratio in construction.

The Greeks valued the correctness and proportionality of forms so much that they even applied the rules of the golden ratio in plastic art.

The Parthenon in Athens is not the first Acropolis structure erected in honor of Athena. Even 200 years before him, the goddess was glorified in the Hekatompedon temple.

Today, the monastery of Athena is a ruin, carved with traces of numerous destructions, but they still bear the stamp of their former greatness. The temple is the hallmark of Athens and all of Greece.

Every year, crowds of tourists interested in history flock to the foot of the Acropolis to touch history.

Acropolis of Athens (© A.Savin, Wikimedia Commons)

Who built the Parthenon?

The construction of the main temple of Athens, the Parthenon, dates back to 447 BC. e. The building was designed by the famous ancient architect Ikten. The construction was carried out by Callicrates, the court architect of the ruler Pericles, who took the initiative for the construction.

Parthenon, 1985 (Nathan Hughes Hamilton / flickr.com)

Under the leadership of the master, other objects of the Acropolis and more than a dozen civil objects of Athens were also erected. All the master’s projects are built in the best traditions of the architecture of Ancient Greece - using the principle of the golden ratio.

The temple of the goddess Athena was originally part of the extensive program of the Athenian ruler Pericles to improve the city.

An interesting fact is that it took 450 talents to build it. Considering that for 1 talent one could build 1 warship, we can say that Pericles left his empire without a navy, but gave the world one of the unique architectural monuments.

Construction of the temple lasted 9 years, and in 438 BC. e. he opened his doors. However, finishing work was carried out for another 6 years, led by Phidias, who went down in history thanks to an interesting fact of his creative biography.

Parthenon at night (Arian Zwegers / flickr.com)

The master is the creator of one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the sculpture of Zeus in Olympia. For the new temple, the sculptor created a statue of Athena Parthenos - an eleven-meter statue made of ivory and gold. This was a rich gift for the revered goddess.

The monument has not survived to this day, and we can judge its beauty only from surviving ancient sources.

The interior of the temple was filled with numerous sculptural compositions and statues of gods. Many of them are irretrievably lost. Some are kept in museums around the world. Statues from the Parthenon can be seen in the Hermitage.

Most of the surviving heritage is in the London Museum - these are statues and metopes bought back in the 19th century. from the Ottoman government. Currently, Greece is working to return the exhibits to their native lands.

Features of the architectural solution

The Parthenon Temple was in many ways an innovative building. Its appearance and design findings amazed contemporaries at one time and still arouse research interest.

Architecture of the Parthenon (George Rex / flickr.com)

The temple was actually built entirely from Pendelic marble, which cost a lot of money, and the decoration was replete with gold.

Under the influence of sunlight, the southern facade acquired a golden hue over time. The northern side of the building, which was less exposed to radiation, had its original gray color.

The temple of the warrior goddess is located at the highest point of the Acropolis, and the rays of the setting sun create a visual effect of a golden glow.

At the same time, observers get the impression that the temple is small in size. As you approach, the panorama expands and the building “overwhelms” with its massiveness.

Hyperbolic diagram of the curvature of the Parthenon (© A.Erud, Wikimedia Commons)

From the outside, a visual image emerges that the building has an ideal straight structure. In fact, most architectural elements are devoid of straight lines:

• the upper parts of the steps have a slight deflection in the center, the columns are somewhat thicker in the center, and the corner ones have a larger volume compared to the rest;
• The pediments of the Parthenon face inward, while the entablatures protrude outward.

All these optical techniques actually made it possible to create the illusion of perfect straightness. In addition, the principle of the golden ratio was used in the construction of the temple.

The external facade of the structure was decorated with numerous metopes - relief images of the gods: Zeus, Apollo, winged Nike, etc. The Parthenon, like all sanctuaries of ancient Greece, was painted in bright colors.

The dominant colors in the color palette were shades of red, blue and gold. Over time, they have worn out and we can judge the beauty of the building only according to the words of ancient scrolls.

Parthenon – Temple of Three Religions

The fate of the Parthenon was such that it became a place where the words of three religions were heard - paganism, Orthodoxy and Islam. The history of the greatness of the temple did not last long.

Parthenon, Acropolis of Athens (Carole Raddato / flickr.com)

The last ruler who revered the wise goddess was Alexander the Great. Subsequently, Athens was subjected to numerous seizures. The temple was looted, the gilding was removed from the statues, and the sculptures themselves were barbarously destroyed. However, the cult of the goddess Athena was so high among the Athenians that the sanctuary was restored by the incredible efforts of the townspeople, despite the fact that the treasury was actually looted.

After restoration, the temple operated for another 800 years and became the last refuge of paganism in the territory of modern Greece. With the advent of Christian power, pagan traditions were still strong in the city. In order to stop idolatry in the 4th century. n. e. The monastery of Athens was turned into an Orthodox church in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The building was rebuilt in accordance with the canons of Orthodox architecture, but in general it looked the same as before. In its new form, the temple began to attract pilgrims from all over the Orthodox world. Emperors and generals came running for words of support for the servants of the new “old” shrine.

Reconstruction of the Parthenon (Emiliano Felicissimo / flickr.com)

In the 15th century Greece came under the influence of the Ottoman Empire. The new authorities first hastened to get rid of Christian symbols, and this time the Parthenon acquired the features of Muslim mosques. However, apart from the excision of Christian subjects and words, no fundamental changes occurred in the appearance of the temple. In the 17th century During the military clash between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League, the walls of the Parthenon were practically destroyed.

In 1840, restoration work began, which breathed new life into the religious building. The restoration process continues to this day with varying degrees of success.

Today, the fate of the Parthenon is again under threat. Financial problems that began after the country joined the EU became the main obstacles to the revival of the greatest historical monument.

The Acropolis is the sacred site of ancient Athens. And the center of the Acropolis became Parthenon- full of greatness temple of ancient greece, erected in honor of the goddess Athena. It was built from 447 to 437 BC. The architects of this monumental building were Ictinus and Callicrates. The Parthenon is a classic ancient Greek temple, but this does not deprive it of its originality.

The building was built in the form of a peripterus - its main room is framed on all sides by a colonnade. The architects who supervised the construction of the temple adhered to the canons of Greek architecture, which state that the number of columns on the longitudinal side of the building should be one more than twice the number of columns at the end of the building. Thus, there were 8 columns at the end and 17 along the length of the temple.

But this is far from the only feature emphasizing the uniqueness of this masterpiece of architecture. Ancient architects, knowing that straight lines, when viewed from a distance, are perceived by the human eye as slightly concave, so they resorted to a number of simple but very effective techniques - the columns were erected with a barely noticeable narrowing towards the top, the columns located in the corners leaned slightly towards center and so on. Such manipulations made it possible to present the Parthenon as a perfectly even, harmonious building.

The main building material for the construction of the temple was marble. Its walls are made of marble blocks and lined with perfectly polished marble slabs. The columns in this building are also made of marble. The pediments, cornices, and all the richest stones are also made from this expensive stone. sculptural decoration of the Parthenon. And the roof of this building was wooden.

Daylight entered the main hall of the temple only through the door, so a lot of lamps were installed inside. And in such semi-darkness stood a twelve-meter Athena statue, sparkling with expensive decoration. The famous Phidias sculpted Athena in long robes, with an expensive helmet on her head, the hands and face of the goddess were made of ivory, and her clothes, weapons and jewelry were made of thin sheets of pure gold. Is it true goddess sculpture has not survived to this day.

The Parthenon is the main temple and landmark of the Acropolis in Athens, located in the archaeological zone of Greece, on a limestone rock, rising among other ancient temples and buildings, such as the Erechtheion, the Propylaea, the Temple of Nike the Wingless.

The amazing temple has a striking architectural composition, which attracts tourists from all over the world who strive to capture the beauty of the Parthenon in photographs.

Who built the Parthenon?

Its construction began even before our era in 488 under the influence of Pericles. It was built specifically on the heights of the Acropolis of Athens. The temple was dedicated to Athena Parthenos, thus the Greeks thanked the goddess for the victory in the Battle of Marathon over a strong enemy - the Persians.

The temple built at this time was similar in size to the current Parthenon. However, in 480 the Persians destroyed the Acropolis, including the still unfinished Parthenon. After this, construction stopped for 30 years. Work resumed in 454, construction was supervised by the architects Ictinus and Callicrates, as well as the sculptor Phidias, who supervised the construction.

The Parthenon in Athens was built from locally quarried Pentelic marble, which was initially pure white, but over time oxidized to a warm yellowish hue, as if filled with sunlight. It is noteworthy that other buildings before the Parthenon were built from limestone. No mortar was used during the laying; the blocks were carefully adjusted to each other and fastened together with iron pins.

After the birth of Christ, the Parthenon in Greece was turned into a Christian church, which was consecrated in honor of Hagia Sophia. They even built a bell tower in the temple premises.

In 1460, during the reign of the Ottoman Empire, the Turks turned the Parthenon into a mosque, next to which a minaret stood. In 1687, Athens was besieged by the Venetians and the temple was used as a gunpowder warehouse. This had a very negative impact on his condition; the entire middle part of the temple was destroyed due to a cannonball flying into it and the subsequent explosion. In addition, the English lord took away part of the Parthenon sculptures, so part of the unique heritage ended up in France and London.

Exterior of the magnificent Parthenon

The location for this magnificent structure in Greece was not chosen by chance; the architects made a lot of effort to place the temple in the most advantageous position from an artistic point of view. The Parthenon was supposed to crown the Acropolis of Athens, towering above all other buildings.

The size of the temple depended on the size of the rock, since the architects of ancient Greece adhered to the rule of the golden ratio in construction. To enter the Parthenon Temple you need to climb only three marble steps; the total height of this wide staircase is only one and a half meters.

The Parthenon has a rectangular shape, decorated in the Doric order, due to which it has a majestic colonnade that can be seen from afar. The temple has 8 columns at the ends and 17 on the sides (50 in total), all of them narrow upward and each is decorated with decorative grooves - flutes. The columns at the corners stand with a slight slope towards the center. All these features are designed to make the building more sophisticated and holistic in appearance, especially when looking at the temple from afar.

What did the Temple of Athena Parthenon look like?

In ancient times, the entire internal space of the Parthenon was divided into two parts.

1. The room to the east is longer and was called Hekatompedon. In the space hidden behind the columns inside the temple, there used to be a statue of the goddess Athena. The figure was decorated with gold and ivory, it had a wooden base and a decent height - 12 meters, the architect Phidias worked on it. In her hand, Athena held a smaller statue of Nike. On her head was wearing a helmet with three crests with images of a sphinx and griffins.
2. The western room was called the Parthenon. The treasury and archives of the state were kept in it. Subsequently, the entire temple began to be called the Parthenon.

The Parthenon was decorated with various sculptural compositions, bas-reliefs and high reliefs. One of them depicts the birth of a goddess. According to legend, Zeus swallowed his pregnant wife so that the born heir could not surpass him and kill him. But, despite this cunning of Zeus, the divine child was still able to be born. Hephaestus, the god of fire, cut off Zeus's head, and the newborn goddess Athena jumped out.

Another pediment depicts the dispute over Attica. Athena and the god of the seas, Poseidon, argued over which of them would be the patron of the city. The inhabitants liked the olive tree that Athena grew more than the salt spring carved out of the rock by Poseidon.

At the end of the temple there is a depiction of a solemn procession walking along the Parthenon in honor of the Panathenaic festival and the worship of the patron goddess of the city. Horsemen, priestesses and priests took part in it. Athena was presented with new clothes called peplos.

Some metopes of the Parthenon depict various scenes from battles and not only between people. On them, the Greeks fight with centaurs, Amazons, the gods fight with giants. They also illustrate scenes from the Trojan War.

Many parts of the Parthenon were previously painted, mainly blue and red colors. It was painted in a special way: a thin layer of wax and dye was applied, then, under the influence of temperature, the paint penetrated into the stone. A magnificent effect of coloring marble was achieved, while its structure was visible. The building was also decorated with bronze wreaths.