The Importance Of Parthenon In Greece

Many people create bucket lists of historic places they’d like to visit on dream vacations and adventures that span the globe, or seek to soothe a sense of wanderlust created by travel books and geographic television shows. Many people include on their list the Parthenon in Greece, to get a feel for how life was for a culture so influential on so many in our modern day and age. Or perhaps some people prefer the mystique surrounding Stonehenge in England, a relic of times past and shrouded in mystery. Considered excellent photography opportunities now, these locations were at once both extremely valuable to their cultures for religious purposes and more, and the architecture reflects much about the times they were built in. The Greeks worshipped …show more content…
Greeks valued balance because it creates a sense of harmony, something valued highly in both architecture as well as personality; it was considered the reflection of someone considered an intellectual with a well-developed sense of morality. The Greeks designed each of their major cities with this in mind, and thus, the acropolis was born. Each big city was based on a similar formula (they were very fond of mathematics and algorithms), with components including a cluster of buildings on the highest elevation of the territory, and it served as a fortress for protection as well as the center of worship for the patron god or goddess. The layout is extremely functional, and dually purposive. The location, on a hill or mountain, allows a far view of approaching enemies, as well as the opportunity to possible reach the ear of the patron god since it was the closest structure to the Heavens. The Parthenon is the most famous example of an acropolis, and it was built for the city of Athens that worshipped Athena. It doubled as the main temple and the treasury, a hub of funds gathered by neighboring Greek cities to pay for the many battles with barbarians. Its columns were built of white marble, transported from out of the township’s territory, designed …show more content…
The Parthenon is a famous example of a structure that is common among Greek cities, as a larger representation of their deference for their gods as well as the sensible value upon protection. After battles with “barbarians” (Persians), and ownership by the Turks, the Parthenon was rebuilt and maintained for a long time, losing only to time itself (Gateways 372). From the remains, we know about the rituals the Greeks practiced, and structural facts like the roof being made of timber. Stonehenge, however, serves a limited purpose in that it is really only used for worship once a year, and the people who practiced their rituals there did not spread their religion widely, or it disappeared as agriculture relied more on technology and less on the favor of nature’s