Parthenon Vs Pantheon Essay

Improved Essays
The grandiose course of human history has bared witness to many great wonders of the world. Whether it be the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, or the ancient pyramids of Egypt and Mesoamerica, human ingenuity has truly shown its ability to stand the test of time through its many architectural accomplishments. This essay will discuss the architectural accomplishments of two particular monuments of human history – the Greek Parthenon, and the Roman Pantheon. The Parthenon and the Pantheon equally possess unique styles and designs that have influenced architecture since their constructions. This essay will elaborate on these unique architectural visions of the Parthenon and the Pantheon, drawing similarities and differences between the two wonders of Greek and Roman culture. The Greek Parthenon was completed in approximately 432 B.C. by Pericles (Reed College, 2015), a great Athenian politician, to construct the Greek Parthenon, giving birth to one of the greatest architectural works in history. The Parthenon was used primarily as a temple of worship for the gods and goddesses of Athens. The Parthenon is housed in a rectangular shape, with Dorian style …show more content…
According to the Ancient History Encyclopedia, the architectural designs of the Parthenon considered the effects of straight columns on the human eye, stating, “To give the illusion of true straight lines, the columns lean ever so slightly inwards, a feature which also gives a lifting effect to the building making it appear lighter than its construction material would suggest (Cartwright, 2015).” Through the use of geometric principles known at that time, the Athenians were able to construct a Doric temple that was structurally sound, and illusive in its aesthetic beauty to the human

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Classical Age DBQ

    • 1240 Words
    • 5 Pages

    This artwork shows an example of propaganda surrounding the Persian Empire since it depicts the king as a person with all-powerful control over his incredibly widespread Empire. This leaves a physical legacy of the imperial power Persia prided itself in having (textbook, 78-80). Within the Polis of Athens, they utilized architecture to depict their governmental power. An article written in the World History Encyclopedia titled “Parthenon” discusses specific architecture further by explaining the Athenian Parthenon created in 430 BCE under Athenian ruler Pericles. The Parthenon was created in honor of the Greek Goddess Athena and was overall beautifully built with many intricate designs, pillars created to look perfectly straight, and the building placed atop a hill and pedestal.…

    • 1240 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Elgin Marbles

    • 2526 Words
    • 11 Pages

    The temple was built between 447 and 432 BCE in the Age of Pericles. The Parthenon was dedicated to the city’s patron deity Athena. The Parthenon was “constructed to house the new cult statue of the goddess by Phidias and to proclaim to the world the success of Athens as leader of the coalition of Greek forces which had defeated the invading Persian armies of Darius and Xerxes” (Cartwright). For more than a thousand years, the Parthenon continued to be used as Athens’ most beloved temple. The Parthenon’s decorative sculptures set this temple apart from any other temples in Greece.…

    • 2526 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Dbq Ancient Greece

    • 146 Words
    • 1 Pages

    The ancient Greek civilization had two memorable and influential achievements, one of which was architectural and the other political. As seen in the Parthenon, the Greeks were unbelievable architects, and one of the most important inventions, if not the most important invention, was the column (document 2). The column can be seen on many Greek structures including manors, government buildings and other buildings. Columns augmented the Greeks capability of building structures. Another achievement of the ancient Greeks was the ideology of a democracy.…

    • 146 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Parthenon is a building in Athens, Greece that was built between 447BCE and completed in 432BCE.at the height of the Athenian Empire. Implementing the Doric Order, it is generally considered to be the most important building from the era of Classical Greece as a symbol of Athenian Democracy, Ancient Greece, and western civilization. The Pantheon is a building in Rome, Italy that was built during the reign of Augustus and completed by Hadrian in 126CE. One of the best preserved structures from Ancient Roman era, it's been used continuously since its inception.…

    • 375 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Parthenon was designed to house an enormous gold and ivory statue of Athena, which was designed by the sculptor Phedias, as mentioned by Plutarch in his writing of the Life of Pericles “But is was Phedias who directed the making of the great golden statue of athena, and his name is duly inscribed upon the marble table on the Acropolis as…

    • 344 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gateways To Art Summary

    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The text “Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts”, introduces and discusses a lot of information that has to do with spirituality and religious art. Many architectural works that have been created as an art form also function as sacred spaces. It should be known that although there are many sacred spaces across different belief systems, that they actually have many architectural features in common. In Greece, we have the Parthenon and the Acropolis.…

    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Hagia Sophia and Pantheon are of these old Roman structures, vital for their changing verifiable parts and their significance as points of interest. I believe these structures speak to a great part of the historical backdrop of both urban areas and give an important wellspring of knowledge for recorded and imaginative examination. In my comparison paper, I will discuss the significance of the Pantheon and Hagia Sophia to both Roman and Byzantine empires. The Pantheon all by itself is an astounding architectural design.…

    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Some may say that this is an act of disrespect, but that is simply false. The Parthenon does show Jove in a sculpture of the birth of Athena on the east pediment of the building, which is actually the front of the building. The fact is that the Parthenon was built to honor Athens’ patron goddess: Athena. The west pediment of the building is an aetion for how Athens got its name: Athena named it after herself after winning the contest.…

    • 1619 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Page 2 of 4 The Parthenon and the pantheon temples were a symbol to the architectural advances for the early civilized cities that reflected on them. The Parthenon and the pantheon worshiped and served the need for the Greek and Romans. The location of both temples was on a high point is the city that can be easily remarked and seen and this way will be close to…

    • 926 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Greek and Romans were two contrasting civilizations that both valued Architecture but approached it and used it differently from one another. Ancient Greek architects strove for precision, beauty and excellence which hallmarked Greek Art in general. They paid very much attention in ensuring many of their buildings mirrored one another. This obviously meant the Greeks were under strict rule to when it came to designing their mammoth structures. There precision in ensuring that buildings were replications of one another eventually erected rules of the required width the pillar should be and the consideration of the height of these soaring pillars.…

    • 1060 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It was constructed using a fixed proportional schematic of 4:9 that can be seen in the ratio of length to width and the number of columns on either side. The temple displayed a combination of both Doric and Ionic styles within some of the architectural elements. This combination was chosen deliberately to imply that Athens was the political power leader of Greece. Having made of pure marble, the Parthenon weighed about 22,000 tons. The massive size of the temple represented the importance of religion to…

    • 562 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Parthenon Research Paper

    • 1004 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In fact much of the design of the Parthenon was outside the norm of the temples of the Athenian empire. Although it is a post and lintel, which isn’t that out of the ordinary in a structural viewpoint, it is said to have inspired architecture in various buildings even centuries later. For example, most temples…

    • 1004 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Pantheon Symbols

    • 936 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Religion and the divine play large roles in many of the most influential Empires of the ancient world, including Rome. The Pantheon demonstrates this through its structure, history, and most importantly, function. The Pantheon is a prominent symbol of the Roman Empire in its advanced structural design shown through its incredible unsupported dome, rich elements of history such as being consecrated into a church to save the structure, and the Roman people’s manic devotion to religion. Located in Rome, Italy, the Pantheon was built by Marcus Agrippa and designed by Apollodorus of Damascus in 125 AD. The Pantheon has always had a rich connection to the divine as it was formerly a Roman temple dedicated to gods of pagan Rome and currently stands…

    • 936 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Greek and Roman empires has written their names in golden words in the world history and has brought huge legacy to humanity and they inspire almost of the world in one aspect or the other. The Parthenon and the Pantheon are two examples that portray how mighty those cultures were, with skillful artisans and avant-gardist thinker. Consider how the style and function (use) of each building serves as a typical example of its culture. The Parthenon was built 447-438 BC, by Iktinos, Kalikrates (diffen.com, n.d.) and present the cultural style and live of the Greek empire by that time.…

    • 772 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Temples have always been a staple in civilizations through the ages. Though differing in religion, design, even whether or not they are called temples, all notable cultures have built buildings for their religion. This common occurrence offers a prime opportunity to compare cultures. The Ancient Near East, Egyptian, Biblical Israel, and Greek cultures specifically, serve as great examples of the developing times and civilizations. By looking at function, choice of location, construction, architectural designs, decoration, and role in society, many similarities become apparent.…

    • 825 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays