The Parthenon in Athens and the Pantheon in Rome - Essay Example

A Comparison: The Parthenon, the Acropolis in Athens and the Pantheon and Colosseum in Rome – How each Represents its Period and Culture? Greek History and the Acropolis: In comparing the Greek and Roman cultures one must first study a brief history of the cultures surrounding the cities in which these magnificent buildings were first built. Athens began as a great limestone rock, a holy or sacred place rising to the Attica plateau. The Acropolis as it is called means in Greek, “the highest point of the town.” Many ancient cities were built on principles of height as a fortress for protection; however, the Acropolis has special meaning as a sacred place for an emerging Greek dynasty. The great limestone rock measures from the basin to 70 meters and levels out at the top at 300 meters long and 150 meters wide. The top has become very flat due to many landfills over the coarse of history which allowed construction of its temples and buildings. The Acropolis was a prime location for habitation and worship due to its shallow caves and underground water springs. Its steep slopes were also a great source of protection during an unstable time in history. A deep well dug at the north end of the rock was very useful to the defenders during a long siege. It provided an almost endless underground water supply. The Acropolis functioned also as a residence for royalty, a place to worship for the Goddess of fertility and nature, and her male companion God Erechtheus. The Acropolis hill is sometimes called the “sacred rock” of Athens and is seen as holding the most important sites of the city and secrets of the ancient Greek culture. This sacred rock is the beginning of some of the architectural masterpieces of Greek history and culture. Relics of offerings made to the Goddess Athena in marble, korai, bronze and clay date back to the Archaic period around 650-480 B.C.). The Parthenon: The Parthenon was built on the site of other cultures that came before them. It was considered a sacred place. The purpose of the Parthenon was to cement the temples of earlier cultures as well as experience and praise the Greek goddess Athena. The name Parthenon refers to the worship of the goddess who is the patroness of the city of Athens. Mythology has it that she was born fully-grown out of the head of her father Zeus. This reverts back to the Greek belief that she represented the greater order of spiritual development with the gifts of intellect and understanding. She is seen as a symbol to the human aspect of wisdom. Two architects, Ictinus and Callicrates, supervised by the sculptor, Phidias, built the Parthenon. Considered a temple, the Parthenon was built according to the Doric order of architecture, the simplest of classical Greek architectural styles. It represented simplicity along with power; built to precise dimensions using mathematical ratios of sacred geometry. The building is rectangular and measured 101.34 feet wide by 228.14 feet long from the top of its base. When new it was constructed of white marble, 46 columns, and tile roofing. It contained a nearly 40 foot tall statue of the goddess Athena. The statue was constructed of wood, gold and ivory. Athens most significant and prosperous time in history was the 5th century BC under the reign of Pericles. During this time the Greeks developed a constitution that gave all citizens the right to participate in the governing of the state. Democracy was the most significant achievement of the early Greeks. Considered the Golden Age of Athens, the Parthenon was built when arts, philosophy and drama were at their highest point. Unfortunately, the Peloponnesian War with Athenians and Sparta ended development. The building has been damaged over past centuries by looters, modern day automobile exhausts, industrial pollution and acid rain. There has been little done by local government officials to save its history and contents. Brief Roman History: The Greeks saw their culture in the present, their only past was a Greek past. The Romans, however, gained much knowledge from the past of the Greeks which gave them an awareness of their past, present. and future. History contends that the Romans survived and thrived due to the positive image they maintained of themselves. This was exemplified in optimism, and the confidence to act and manifest a kind of world they wanted. The Romans were able to build upon what the Greek culture started. The Greeks were considered thinkers; the Romans were considered doers. The period of 32 B.C. to A.D. 476 represents the era of the Roman Empire. The Romans did enjoy the good life. They developed a “religion of culture” which appealed to all Romans. The Greeks, on the other hand, felt there had to be a virtue of city-state and a breakdown of the polis (city) would result in a need for therapy. The Romans wanted nothing to do with this therapy. During this time Christianity was on the rise and seen as a mystery cult among the lower population. However, it developed so fast it became a major threat to the older more ancient modes of worship. History documents A.D. 476 as the fall of the Roman Empire. Even though the Romans fell, they were able to maintain their existence for more than 1000 years. There have been many theories of what lead to the fall of the Roman Empire. One theory is that their class system fell into ruins and only left a class system of very rich and very poor. Some historians have suggested that the middle class disappeared. Other historians have suggested that the Roman leaders were poisoned by the lead in their drinking cups, shortage of manpower, or that they just got lazy. However, the rise of Christianity was obviously one of the main contributors. The Pantheon: The Pantheon was built as a Roman temple and dedicated to all the pagan Gods of Rome. Stamps on the side of the building document that it was built between A.D. 118 and 125. The original purpose of the Pantheon is not known, however, it was always seen as a temple. Historians find it hard to see how worship could take place in the Pantheon since it is very different from traditional Roman temples. This amazing building has been in use since it was built. It was given to Pope Boniface the VIII in A.D. 608, and has been used as a church since then. The architect is unknown. The most prominent feature is the series of connecting arches, which rest on eight piers. The Romans perfected the use of arches to carry the tremendous weight of their large buildings. Being aware of the weight of the materials used to construct the building, they used lighter materials at the top of the dome. On the lower levels they used travertine, then a mixture of travertine and tufa, and then tufa and brick, then all brick, and finally pumice on the ceiling of the dome. The rotunda is perfectly round. It contains an oculus, or opening in the top of the dome, which is the main source of light. As the earth turns the light brightens up the interior. When it rains the slightly convex flooring drains the water into the still functioning Roman drainpipes underneath. It’s one of the existing marvels of the Roman cultural architecture. Michelangelo saw it “as a work of angels, not men.” The name Pantheon means, “everything divine.” The Colosseum: The Colosseum is a very impressive piece of architecture among the skyscrapers we see today. It is a reminder of glory as well as past cruelty of the Romans. Inside its grand system of arches and columns were seen some of the most cold-blooded killings of thousands of people. These victims were seen as criminals, as well as professional battlers and animals. The grand structure was built from the booty from the Jewish War. The finished results made it capable of holding 50,000 spectators. It was opened in A.D. 80. A system of drains were built underneath the structure to divert the flow of streams around the structure. Doughnut shaped foundations were constructed under the outer walls and seating. It was a very well executed and thought out endeavor. The name of the architect is unknown. The original plans called for an arena 300 x 180 Roman feet, which was around 29.6 cm (a Roman foot). Since the Romans had perfected the arches, it was only appropriate that they use a series of arches in the Colosseum. Each entrance arch was 20 Roman feet wide with 3 Roman feet extra for the columns in between. The exterior was decorated with bronze shields and the arches were filled with painted statues of Gods. The emperor had a private entrance under the seats. The hierarchy of seating consisted of five sections from bottom to top coinciding with the class system of Roman society; it was made up of predominantly the male adult population. The arena floor was covered with sand and sometimes it was dyed red to disguise the color of blood. The structure is a massive system of arches, vaults, and brick-faced concrete. It’s very much different from the conventional Greek and Roman public buildings. It was a structure built for Roman pleasure in which spectators watched murderous games in a custom built amphitheater. Scavengers, fires and earthquakes have destroyed much of what is seen today. It’s a majestic ruin and a reminder of Roman imperial power. Detailed Comparison and Conclusion: Both Greece and Rome were Mediterranean countries. The government of Athens was an oligarchy, which evolved into a democracy. Kings governed Rome in the beginning, then a mixed Republican form of government, and finally emperors. Both the Greek and Roman economy was based on agriculture. Big farms took over in Greece and produced wine and olive oil which became major exports of the Romans. Both Greeks and Romans worked mines. The Greeks had slaves, but the Roman economy was solely depended on slave labor until its fall. Both cultures had a currency system; however, the Romans debased its system to fund the Empire. The social classes were somewhat different. The Grecian classes consisted of slaves, freedmen, metrics, citizens and women. The Roman classes consisted of slaves, freedmen, plebeians, and patricians. Greek women were not citizens; however, Roman women were citizens. Wealth divided both societies. Greek art has always been considered superior to Roman art. Roman art is seen as fake or imitating Greek art. The Greeks began the culture as thinkers. The Romans expanded the Greek culture through action. Both made undeniable contributions to the world through their governments, economy, religion, arts and architecture. Some contributions made by the Romans through their bloody warfare in the Colosseum are a part of ancient history that some would like to forget. However, it’s a true part of their history that may well have contributed to their eventual demise. References A Brief Reference to the History of Athens. “Athens History.” Web. 22 November 2011. http://athensguide.org/athens-history/. Acropolis Athens Greece. Web. 22 November 2011. http://greece-athens.com/. Gill, N.S. Ancient/Classical History. “Comparisons Between Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.” Web. 22 November 2011. http://ancienthistory.about.com/. Hopkins, Keith. “The Colosseum: Emblem of Rome.” 22 March 2011. Web. 22 November 2011. http://bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/colosseum/. History of the Acropolis. “Ancient Greece History,” Web. 21 November 2011. http://ancient-greece.org/history/acropolis/. Interesting Facts about the Parthenon. “Places of Peace and Power.” Web. 22 November 2011. http://sacredsites.com/. Parthenon, Athens. “Places of Peace and Power.” Web. 21 November 2011. http://sacredsites.com/. Roman Pantheon. Web. 22 November 2011. http://rome.infor/pantheon/. The History Guide. “Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History.” Lecture 10. Web 22 November 2011. http://historyguide.org/. The Pantheon: temple of Roman Gods. Web. 22 November 2011. http://italyguides.it/us/roma/pantheon/. Read More