Athena Battling Alkyoneos Essay

The sculpture “Athena Battling Alkyoneos” relates to social context by the artist representing the original battle, the Pergmene victory over the invading Gouls in the late 3rd century. There is a second, smaller and less well-preserved high relief frieze on the inner court walls which surround the actual fire altar on the upper level of the structure at the top of the stairs. They depict events from the life of Telephus, legendary founder of the city of Pergamon and son of the hero Heracles and Auge, one of Tegean king Aleus's daughters. built during the reign of king Eumenes II in the first half of the 2nd century BC on one of the terraces of the acropolis of the ancient Greek city of Pergamon in Asia Minor. Eumenes II was able to create the Treaty of Apamea as an …show more content…
They wanted to legitimize their dynasty both in the eyes of the gods, and by the people. The Altar of Zeus at Pergamon was one of several examples of monumental architecture which the Attalids relied upon to achieve their spiritual and political goals. Tragicaly, Attalus III died with no heir, and bequeathed the city to the Romans. In 1878, the German engineer Carl Humann began official excavations on the acropolis of Pergamon, this excavation lasted until 1886. The excavation was in order to rescue the altar friezes and expose the foundation of the edifice. During the excavation other ancient structures on the acropolis were brought back to the surface, that was originally thought to be lost. Upon negotiating with the Turkish government, who was also a participant in the excavation, it was agreed that all frieze fragments found at the time would become the property of the Berlin museums, so the world could see its beauty. In Berlin, Italian restorers reassembled the panels comprising the frieze from the thousands of fragments that had been