Comparing The Parthenon And The Pantheon

Two buildings that stand today as testaments to the civilizations that built them, even if not perfectly in their original form, are the Greek Parthenon and the Roman Pantheon. Together they are monuments to human’s artistry and ability to create. Both buildings are connected in a number of ways and yet each also has very distinctive features and functions. Despite their similarities and differences, each stands as an example we can use to learn about the cultures from which they came. The Parthenon and the Pantheon are both built on sites that held the remains of previous versions of themselves. The Parthenon was erected upon the site of two previous temples of Athena, the primary function of the Parthenon as well (Silverman, n.d.). The …show more content…
Though the front of each is similar, the Parthenon has a rectangular shape supported with Doric order columns along all four sides and the temple for Athena on one side with a treasury on the other supported by Ionic order columns on the interior (Silverman, n.d.). The Pantheon, while it has a pronaos similar to the Classical Greek style, has Corinthian order capitals to its columns and once you pass through them you enter into the circular open rotunda, with alcoves along the edges for display. It is clear that the Pantheon was intended for people to come into and see the beauty of the interior, whereas the Parthenon, like most Greek temples, was intended for individuals to look into it at the statue of Athena in her temple home from the exterior, framed among the Doric order columns (Ancient-Greece.org, n.d.). Standing at the respective exteriors, individuals would also note that the friezes beneath the pediments are different. The Pantheon’s pediment is now blank, though there are holes suggesting something was once there, and the frieze simply exclaims “Marcus Agrippa, the son of Lucius, three times consul, built this.” (Ranogajec, n.d.). That signature proclamation is different from the Classical Greek pediment and frieze which are upon the Parthenon. Its frieze with metopes and triglyphs in relief, most of which have not withstood the test of time, contained …show more content…
The Parthenon shows that the Greeks felt the importance of beauty and culture being in the view of all of its citizens. Having a piece of artistry that all its people could enjoy from the friezes and pediment along the exterior. The Romans, with their Pantheon, wanted to share in that glory and already showed a deep respect for the Classical Greek style by applying it to their own buildings. However, mere emulation wasn’t enough as the Romans put their own stamp on the building, incorporating their mastery of construction to build the rotunda and changed the function from at art piece on the exterior, to having a building with its true glory was in the interior, where it could instead be seen during state functions. Both are great architectural works of their times, but each gives us a look into the pinnacle of each culture and their mastery of the artistic techniques of their