The Altar of Zeus - Term Paper Example

? The Altar of Zeus: A Crucial Look at its Aesthetic Form and Socio-Political Substance Year Level – Section March 13, The Altar of Zeus Introduction Regarded by many as one of the most outstanding pieces of architecture from the Greco-Roman Era, the Altar of Zeus is a huge rectangular structure currently found in a museum in Berlin, Germany. It was originally situated in Pergamon, with dimensions of 36.4 meters by 34.2 meters, and made mostly of marble, as stated in the online article of Michael Lahanas entitled The Pergamon Zeus Altar and the Gigantomachy. The Altar is primarily composed of four parts. Its most prominent part is found in the frontal frieze which displays the mythological epic called the Gigantomachy. Inside the Altar is another famous frieze that depicts the story of a Greek historical figure named Telephos. Contrary to the frontal frieze which exudes the elements of violence and dynamism, the inner frieze is more subdued both in its style and narrative. In order to better understand the significance of the Altar of Zeus, this paper is to be divided into three parts. The first part will provide a historical background behind the construction of the Altar. The second part will extensively examine the Altar by studying its aesthetic form, as well as its socio-political significance. The third part will analyze the observations obtained in order to justify why the Altar is deemed to be an essential piece of art. Historical Background of the Altar of Zeus The historical background of the Altar is tied closely with the history of Pergamon itself. After the death of Alexander the Great during the Hellenistic Age, his companions divided his vast empire alongside the accumulated wealth among themselves. However, a struggle soon ensued among his successors. This led to the victory of Lysimachus, a Macedonian leader who then transferred most of the treasure to Thrace, as stated in Robin Hard’s book called The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology. He relocated the remaining portion in Asia Minor, in which he assigned Philedairos as the leader and protector of wealth. After Philedairos’ death, his treasure was passed on to his nephew, Eumenes I, who stood as the leader of Pergamon. Eumenes I and his successors were able to effectively handle the wealth by spending it mostly on security—financing mercenaries and paying off the nearby enemies to prevent their invasion. Aside from this, Eumenes I also spearheaded massive construction projects that were aimed at modeling Pergamon after the Athens of ancient Greece. In this light, the Altar of Zeus is said to symbolize the triumph of the Pergamene people against the Galatians—Celtic people who came from central Europe. Historically, the Gauls were notorious for antagonizing Pergamon and for being the enemies of various Hellenistic kingdoms as stated in Nigel Spivey’s book called Greek Art. Before 241 B.C., the city of Pergamon had paid tributes to the Gauls to avoid their attacks. This arrangement was put in finality when Attalos I assumed the role as the Pergamene leader in 241 B.C. and decided to engage the Gauls in battle. After their victory, the Pergamene people commemorated their success by narrating the historic events in legendary stories and by creating various works of art. The successor of Attalos I, Eumenes II, soon sponsored the building of the Altar of Zeus at around 180 B.C. in order to honor the victory of Rome over the allies of Antiochus the Great of Syria, eight years earlier. By winning this battle, Eumenes II was able to acquire a significant portion of the Seleucid Empire. Through the brief review of the Altar’s historical background, it can be said that the material not only immortalized the success of Eumenes II’s empire against the Syrians, it also highlighted the significance of the Grecian or Athenian culture in the lives of the Pergamene people, as seen in the depiction of the battle between mortal creatures and gods. Closer Look at the Altar of Zeus At this point, it is crucial to examine the Altar based on its aesthetical form and its socio-political significance in order to have a richer view of its artistic worth. Overall Architecture The Altar of Zeus, being an essential adjunct of the temple of Pergamon, served as a place of worship for the Pergamon people. The temple was an oblong structure of great size that was decorated with friezes. From what was discovered of the temple, it seems that it had a huge four hundred feet square base where an elaborate seven foot frieze was located. From the base, a series of steps leading up to a rectangular court was found. The court was ornamented with Greek columns, as well as an ionic portico with two projecting sides in which a high podium depicting the Gigantomachy, or the battle between the gods and the giants, was placed. Going into the inner side of the back wall of the ionic portico, a smaller frieze that represented the story of Telephos was positioned. Inside this structure stood the Altar of Zeus. In the next parts, emphasis is to be put on the major parts of the temple—the outer and the inner frieze—in order to underscore its two important art works: the Gigantomachy frieze and the Telephos Frieze. Gigantomachy Frieze As mentioned previously, the Gigantomachy is an outer frieze found in a high podium inside the court. This frieze is particularly famous since the sculpted figures epitomize the climax of Greek artistic expression—the perfect combination of both modeling and composition in the delivery of intense emotion, as highlighted in Nigel Spivey’s book called Greek Art. The outer frieze describes the traditional story of the Gigantomachy, a Greek myth about the defeat of the giants—Gaia’s children—against the gods of Olympus. In the story, that David Penso mentioned in this online article entitled Gigantomachy in Ancient Greek Sculpture that the giants were enormous human-like creatures who were born after the blood of Uranus’ genitals poured into Gaia the Earth, thus inseminating her. These armored giants were half-human and half-serpent who attacked their opponents by throwing boulders at them. The existence of the giants was Gaia’s way to avenge the defeat of the Titans against Zeus. Nevertheless, these giants got lost in their battle with Zeus as they were crushed by his thunderbolts, as well as by Apollo’s arrows and Athena’s power. Looking at the overall style of the Gigantomachy frieze, it can be said that it epitomizes the sculptural style during the Hellenistic period, that is, the movement toward a more natural portrayal of human figures, as mentioned in Robin Hard’s book called The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology. In this sense, this unique artistic style was essentially captured in the face to emphasize a more dramatic effect: firstly, by differentiating the hair strands through the use of more irregular tufts of considerable depth and manifold shadows in order to display more variations; secondly, by widening the bridge of the nose; thirdly, by making the lips rounder and fleshier; and lastly, by opening the mouth to show more teeth. Indeed, this radical shift in style delivered a newer and more expressive look and feel of the sculpted figure. Taking into consideration these artistic elements, it can be said that the presentation of the giants and of the gods in the Gigantomachy frieze allows for the showcasing of more powerful emotions—a right combination of both restlessness and turmoil. It must also be noted that like the rest of the artistic works created during the Hellenistic period, the Gigantomachy highlights great contrast between the mystery of the shadow and the violence of the bodily movements, as further reinforced by the swirls in the god’s clothes. In a much wider historical context, it must be pointed out that the artistic form of the Gigantomachy frieze can be linked to the immensity of the influence of Athens on the culture and lifestyle of the Pergamon people. Firstly, the Pergamon people worship Athena, the patron goddess of Athens as discussed in Robin Hard’s book called The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology. Secondly, the overall design of the frieze strongly indicates the connection between the modeling of Pergamon after Athens. This can be seen on how Athena is prominently displayed not only in the frieze but also in a separate sanctuary built near the Altar of Zeus. These works clearly strengthen Athena’s significance in the Pergamon culture—a firm symbol of victory. Thirdly, it can be said that the narrative of the Gigantomachy follows certain accounts of Greek history. Specifically, it can be claimed that the triumph of the gods against the giants parallels the victories of Athens in Persian Wars. Thirdly, looking at the overall style of the frieze, it can be asserted that it could have been patterned after the designs of the Parthenon pediment, another essential Greek art work. The posing and the treatments of the characters of the Gigantomachy were clearly derived from Parthenon’s pediment structure as critically underscored in Robin Hard’s book called The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology. Building on the previous point presented, it is crucial to note that the striding outward in opposed diagonal poses of Zeus and Athena, and of Artemis and Apollo in the Gigantomachy frieze highly resembles the dynamic unity of the Parthenon pediment. In addition to this similarity, various historians have discovered that some artistic elements found in the Gigantomachy frieze such as the depth of relief, the appearance of bodies and clothes, and the groupings of the bodily figures together are similar with the styles seen in Parthenon pediments. Lastly, there is an obvious parallelism between the characters of the Gigantomachy frieze and the Parthenon pediment. Indeed, the facial expressions of the defeated giants match the angry faces of the remaining bulge-eyed centaurs on Parthenon both on physical features and emotional intensity. With these observations in mind, it is vital to establish the strong influence of Greek mythology and culture in the lives of the Pergamon people—not only in art but more importantly in their culture. Revisiting the historical background behind the construction of the Altar of Zeus, it is crucial to ask if there is a connection between Pergamon’s history and the Gigantomachy. In this light, it can be stated that not only did the Gigantomachy frieze elevate the appreciation of the Pergamon people on Greek mythology, it also helped them in identifying themselves closer with the Athenians, as exemplified by their success against the barbaric Gauls. In this sense, pride becomes the overarching emotion that is drawn from contemplating on the frieze. The inclusion of Athena in the Gigantomachy clearly bolsters this point, as she symbolizes victory. Telephos Frieze Another important facet of the Pergamon temple is the inner frieze which artistically narrates the story of the Attalid dynasty before the arrival of Philedairos in Pergamon. With this, it is important to underscore the striking difference between the Telephos Frieze and the Gigantomachy Frieze—the former focusing on historical happenings while the latter banking on the mythological tale. In this light, the narrative of the Telephos Frieze traces the lineage back to the earliest known Attalid ancestor, Telephos who was a rule of Mysia, as depicted in Nigel Spivey’s book called Greek Art. Through a detailed analysis of the artistic form of this inner frieze, it is speculated that the inclusion of Heracles into the design depicts him either as the father of Telephos or his official guide in his adventures. Indeed, the character of Telephos serves as a direct nexus between the outer and the inner frieze of the temple. Moving further into the narrative of the inner frieze, Jacqueline Clements in her online article entitled The Narrative Structure of the Telephos Frieze noted that Telephos joined in the Trojan War where he appeared both as a victim and as an ally of the Greeks. This contextual confusion was beneficial for the Pergamon people during the time the Roman Empire was gaining power as it maintained peace and order through the recognition of the Roman culture. Thus, the uncertainty of Telephos’ allegiances in the narrative appealed to both Greece and Rome. Being an ally of Greece, patriotism to Greek heritage was preserved while being a sympathizer to Troy, tribute was paid to the mythical roots of Rome. By further studying the inner frieze, it can be observed that while the Gigantomachy frieze strongly depicts the battle between the giants and the gods, the Telephos frieze includes a series of scenes that illustrate the story of the primary character, with each scene complete with landscape details and crucial characters that make up the entirety of his story. In addition to this, it is worth mentioning that while the Gigantomachy frieze is composed primarily of the wild battle between the gods and the giants, the Telephos frieze consists of scenic panels which depict important events in the culture and life of the Pergamon people. One example of this is the Building of Auge’s boat. Thus, it can be claimed that the linear discontinuity of the scenes in the Telephos frieze mark the value being given to the lives of both notable and ordinary people in Greece in various times. Unlike the previous frieze that displays a known mythological happening, the inner frieze stands as a historical document to the lesser known events in the history of Greece. With this, it is assumed that the inner frieze was targeted to a more intellectual group of audience, as evidenced by the lack of inscriptions on any of the figures, which was present in the Gigantomachy frieze. Another significant difference of the Telephos frieze from the Gigantomachy frieze is the overall mood of the art work, which is generally more restrained and less chaotic. Indeed, while the outer frieze delivers more dynamism and intensity in the emotions of its characters, the inner frieze provides lighter feeling of relief as seen in the facial expressions and movements of the characters. Therefore, the general feelings that can be drawn from the inner frieze are calmness and control. Specifically, unlike in the Gigantomachy frieze where the clothing of the characters exhibit more flying folds, the Telephos characters had clothing drapes that elegantly move down in linear patterns. Although the Telephos frieze is less popular than the Gigantomachy frieze, it is essential to understand its distinct worth in narrating another account of Grecian history, that which is defined by relatively peaceful living and societal developments. Analysis At this point, the primary observations are to be revisited in a more orderly manner in order to shed light on its artistic worth in the culture of both Pergamon and Greece. Firstly, it must be noted that the altar of Zeus stands as a testament to the immense influence of Greek art into the lives of the Pergamon people. The adoption of Greek style in the overall architecture of the temple and of the major designs of the Gigantomachy and the Telephos friezes bolsters the assertion that Greek culture was indeed viewed positively and ideally by the Pergamon people. Secondly, Greek mythology was effectively used in order to not only boost the artistic worth of the outer frieze, but also to reinforce the parallelism between the triumph of the gods against the giants and the historical victory of the Pergamon people against the Gauls. In this regard, the frieze was able to share its unique role in helping reinforce the idea that like Athens, Pergamon was also the paragon of civilization. Thirdly, and in connection to the second point, Athena was very much heralded in Pergamon art works because she symbolized victory—a condition that was tightly linked with the general trait sought by most Pergamon people, which is pride. Fourthly, the contrasting messages delivered by the inner and the outer friezes underscore the different target audiences of the Altar of Zeus. While the Gigantomachy frieze generally appealed to a general and public audience, its inner counterpart communicated with the more discerning and highly intellectual individuals. Through these observations, it is logical to conclude that the Altar of Zeus is important in not only narrating specific historical events in the lives of the Pergamon and of the Greeks, but also in clearly expressing the vital role that the Greek culture played in the enrichment of the Pergamon culture. Conclusion: The Role of Art Through the examinations conducted, it can be said that art can effectively capture certain periods in the lives of people through a medium that is both appealing and memorable. Indeed, while the experience of its power rests heavily on the audience who are understanding and appreciating the given material, emphasis must be also placed on the message that the creator of art aims to render since art can be a tool to educate people about their culture and their lives. Works Cited “The Pergamon Zeus Altar and the Gigantomachy”. Mlahanas.de, 2012. Michael Lahanas Online Sources, 2012. Web. 13 Mar 2012. “Gigantomachy in Ancient Greek Sculpture”. Tripod.com, 2012. David Penso. Hellenistic Files, 2012. Web. 13 Mar 2012. “The Narrative Structure of the Telephos Frieze”. Camws.org, 2006. Jacqueline Clements. Classical Association of the Middle West and South, 2012. Web. 13 Mar 2012. Hard, Robin. The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology. New York: Routledge, 2004. Print. Spivey, Nigel. Greek Art. London: Phaidon Press Limited., 1999.Print. Read More