Parthenon description. What you need to know about the greatest temple of Athens, the Parthenon? Brief history and description

Name: Παρθενών (el), Parthenon (en)

Location: Athens, Greece)

Creation: 447–438 BC.

Architect(s): Kallikrat, Iktin

Customer / Founder: Polis of Athens in the reign of Pericles

Architecture of the Parthenon

1. Entablature. Orders of stone temples were borrowed by the Greeks from ancient wooden buildings. They are based on a simple connection of the load-bearing parts (column with a capital) and the load-bearing floor beams - the entablature. In the era of the classics (V-IV centuries BC), the order system reached perfection.
2. Architrave. Each stone beam of the architrave (the lower part of the entablature) is 6 centimeters narrower in the center than at the edges. Hewn along a curved line, from a distance they look absolutely flat.
3. Frieze. Inside the temple, right under the beams of the peristyle, there was a carved marble frieze. The marble reliefs of the Parthenon depict Athenian horsemen, mythological characters, the competition of the gods, the heroic battles of the Greeks with the Amazons, episodes of the siege of Troy. The main theme of the frieze is a solemn procession in honor of the celebration of the Day of the great Panathenas, dedicated to the goddess Athena. In 1801-1803 the frieze panels were dismantled. In the upper part of the frieze, the sculptural images are made in more relief. This technique softens the impression of a sharp decrease in figures that occurs when viewed from below.
4. Doric order. The Parthenon is surrounded by monumental Doric columns. The trunk of the column along the entire height is cut through by vertical grooves - flutes. They create a special play of chiaroscuro and emphasize the volume of the column.
5. corner column. Corner columns are thicker than others. They are closer to the neighboring ones and slightly inclined towards the center of the building - otherwise the building would seem to be falling apart. The remaining columns are also tilted inward by 6 cm relative to the vertical axis.
6. steps. The Parthenon stands on a podium, the curved surface of which rises towards the center. The stairs are also curved. The harmony of the Parthenon is based on complex geometric calculations.
   Entasis. The columns of the Parthenon are slightly convex in the middle. If they were straight, they would appear concave from a distance. The “correction” for an optical illusion was called entasis by the Greeks.
7. Statue of Athena. The statue of Athena, the patroness of the city, was made of gold and ivory by Phidias. She stood opposite the eastern entrance and was illuminated by the rays of the rising sun. The height of the statue is 12.8 m.

Symbolic interpretation of the structure of the Parthenon

• In the Parthenon, the maximum number of columns perceived from one point, for example from the Propylaea, is 24 (8 + 17-1 angular, common for two facades), which directly correlates with the number of hours that make up a day.
• The number of drums in the column is 12, which directly correlates with the number of months in a year.
• Each triglyph consists of three protruding parts, which corresponds to the division of the month into three decades of ten days, adopted in ancient Greece. The total number of triglyphs-months around the entire perimeter of the temple is 96, which corresponds to the eight-year calendar cycle that was widespread in antiquity. It was as if time, real time, was placed in triglyphs: an eight-year cycle typed from decades and months.
• Between triglyphs, in metopes, mythological time was placed - the history of the struggle of the Greek tribe of Lapiths with the centaurs. Behind the Doric frieze, containing an eight-year cycle, in the depths of the peripter on the wall of the cella, closer to Athena, to the main deity of the temple, there is a relief frieze depicting the Panathenaic procession, which took place every four years. Behind the external general calendar eight-year cycle, a private four-year cycle of time is hidden, which is most important for the temple of Athena.
• Under each triglyph is a board with 6 drops: 6 drops above the column and 6 drops above the intercolumnium. It can be assumed that a year consisting of 12 drops-months was placed in each step of the columns. The total number of drops around the perimeter of the temple: 96 boards of 6 drops was 48 years - a period multiple of an eight-year cycle, and possibly correlated with the average duration of human life at that time.
• Under the cornice shelf, stone drops also hung from the mutul boards: 6 rows of three in each row. If we assume that each of them corresponded to a decade, then we get six months of three decades. In this case, for each step of the columns (two boards - 3 × 12 drops), there is again a year, consisting of 12 months of three decades each. The Latin name for these drops is "regula" (from "regulo" - to direct, streamline) indicates the continuity of tradition in the understanding of time as the universal regulator of life.

This is far from a complete analysis of the development of the Doric tradition in the Parthenon, but it already reveals this temple as a complex, harmoniously balanced spatio-temporal system containing both archaic and later, modern for its builders, ideas about the world order.

In the Parthenon, a person, having ascended the steps of the stylobate, found himself not only in sacred space, but also in sacred time, approved by the rhythm of the columns and the flow of flutes flowing to the very floor.

About the Parthenon as a monument of its era and the features of its composition

N.I. Brunov

Moscow, Art, 1973

1. 
   The Parthenon was the repository of the treasury, the state bank.
   Various receipts flowed into the treasury of the goddess Athena on the acropolis: precious metal vessels, income from lands belonging to the goddess, parts of military booty, a tenth of the silver mines. Together, this amounted to a very large amount, which was the state fund. The treasury of Athens was actually at the disposal of the state. The Goddess was a banker...

1. 
   The main building material of the Parthenon is Pentelian marble, the quarries of which are located near Athens in the Pentelikon mountain range. The changes that this marble undergoes under the action of sunlight are very significant. In the quarry it is white, similar in color to sugar. The surface of the stone is crystalline, small-grained, transparent, so that the eye penetrates a little deeper, which gives the stone a kind of transparent texture. Due to the fact that inside the marble there are microscopic pieces of metal, and under the action of sunlight microscopic mosses develop in it, the stone is painted in the air in a golden yellowish color, very beautiful and giving it a warm tint ...
2. Architectural and artistic composition of the Parthenon
   • 
     The dissection of the architectural massif of the Parthenon is the fruit of analytical architectural thinking. Most significantly for the architecture of the Parthenon, this analysis is combined with a holistic emotional perception of the architectural composition. This is the similarity of the architecture of the Parthenon with the architecture of the oriental despots, and this is its difference from many works of architecture of subsequent eras ...
   • 
     In the Parthenon, the relationship between the column and the human figure, observed in other classical temples, is expressed with particular persuasiveness. In this respect, the Greek column continues a tradition dating back to the distant past. ultimately to a primeval vertically placed stone as a funerary monument or a monument erected in memory of an event ...
   • 
     Pentelian marble in a quarry, in nature, or even a piece of it exposed to sunlight, is significantly different from what the architects did with it in the building itself. They, of course, deeply considered the natural properties of Pentelian marble and those changes. Which further causes the action of sunlight in it. However, depending on the inclusion of Pentelian marble in the architectural and artistic composition, its figurative quality has undergone significant changes. In accordance with the three-part dialectical structure of the Parthenon, it is necessary to consider separately the interpretation of the building material in the crepe, columns and entablature…
   • 
     A characteristic feature of archaic and classical peripteres, especially clearly expressed in the Parthenon due to its system of eight columns on the front sides, is the compactness of the outer volume, to the main part of which no additional volumes adjoin. In ancient times, this feature should have been especially evident, since a complex asymmetric composition dominated in urban residential buildings ...
   • 
     New in the Parthenon in comparison with geometrism in the architecture of Egypt is a synthetic combination of geometricity and organicity. In classical Greek architecture, a living sense of matter is very strongly expressed ...
   • 
     The peripteral shape of the building creates an interpenetration of the mass and the surrounding space. The latter is introduced into the architectural volume, forming external porticos. It is impossible to tear them away from the surrounding space and from the landscape, which from the porticos offer beautiful views in all directions. True, both when contemplating the Parthenon from the outside, and when looking at nature from the porticos, the massive shafts of the columns prevail over the spaces between them, the columns come to the fore and squeeze the intercolumns with their volume. However, the columns are arranged in relation to the space surrounding the temple, and with the opening landscapes, which serve as a necessary background for the perception of the columns themselves ...
   • 
     In the Parthenon, the process of crystallization of the unity of the outer volume of the peripter, which began in the archaic era, was completed ... The unity of the volume of the Parthenon is greatly enhanced due to the inclination of the columns towards the naos, giving the entire volume a slightly tapering upward shape. This narrowing grows in a more sheer form from the ground to the three steps of the crepe, continues and ends with more gentle slopes of the roof. As a result, a curving curve of the outline of the silhouette of the building is formed ...

Janos Korom Dr. / flickr.com Parthenon in Athens (Panoramas / flickr.com) János Korom Dr. / flickr.com Chris Brown / flickr.com Parthenon, 1985 (Nathan Hughes Hamilton / flickr.com) The Parthenon rises on the Acropolis (Roger W / flickr.com) jjmusgrove / flickr.com Nicholas Doumani / flickr.com claire rowland / flickr. com Dennis Jarvis / flickr.com The Parthenon at night (Arian Zwegers / flickr.com) psyberartist / flickr.com George Rex / flickr.com Reconstruction of the Parthenon (Emiliano Felicissimo / flickr.com) Comrade Foot / flickr.com In front of the Parthenon (Kristoffer Trolle / flickr.com)

The Acropolis of Athens Parthenon is the most outstanding religious building and the greatest monument of ancient Greek architecture. Built in the 5th c. BC, the temple struck its contemporaries with its size and grandeur, and continues to amaze and interest eyewitnesses of the modern era.

What is the Parthenon - what did it mean in ancient Greece?

The temple of Athena the Virgin in the city named after her was the main cult object of the ancient Hellenes. For the inhabitants of the city of Athens, it became consonant with the meaning of the words of prosperity and well-being.

Such a reverent attitude is explained by the fact that it was dedicated to the goddess Athena, who was considered the patroness of the city and ancient Greece.

The word "Parthenon" in the language of the ancient Hellenes meant "pure". In other words, Athena became the forerunner of the "Pure Virgin Mary" in the Christian religion. Also, the goddess was an ancient Greek invariant of the widespread archetype of the “mother goddess”.

Legend of Goddess Athena

Interestingly, Zeus himself gave birth to Athena. According to ancient Greek myths, the supreme god of Olympus was foreshadowed by death at the hands of his son.

In front of the Parthenon (Kristoffer Trolle / flickr.com)

Fearing the fulfillment of the words of the prophecy, the Thunderer swallowed his wife Metis, who was carrying a child under her heart.

However, the prediction did not come true - a daughter was born who came out of the head of Zeus (the heavenly ruler himself ordered to cut his skull, because he could not stand the torment).

Athena, like her brother Ares, became the patroness of wars. But unlike her divine relative, she stopped injustice and advocated the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

According to ancient Greek mythology, it was Athena who gave people crafts, in particular, taught women how to weave. In addition, the goddess contributed to the development of science and philosophy.

The Hellenes, who valued the intellectual factor of life above all, decided to thank their patroness by erecting the most majestic temple in the history of mankind in her honor.

Where is the Parthenon located?

The temple of the warrior maiden is located in the very center of the modern capital of Greece, on the Athenian Acropolis and is visible even from the most remote point of the city. The word "Acropolis" meant "Upper City". And this city performed defensive functions - the Athenians hid behind its walls, waiting for the siege.

Acropolis - home of the gods

One glance at the Acropolis is enough to understand that the gods played a primary role in the life of the inhabitants of ancient Greece - its entire territory is dissected by temples and sanctuaries dedicated to almost all the gods of Olympus.

The buildings of the Acropolis amaze with the genius of architectural thought and serve as classic examples of the use of the golden section in construction.

The Greeks valued the correctness and proportionality of forms so much that even in plastic art they applied the rules of the golden section.

The Parthenon in Athens is not the first building of the Acropolis erected in honor of Athena. Even 200 years before him, the goddess was glorified in the temple of Hekatompedon. According to ancient historians, both sanctuaries actually existed in parallel until the first fell into decay.

Today, the monastery of Athena is a ruin, carved with traces of numerous destructions, but they still retain the stamp of their former greatness. The temple is the hallmark of Athens and all of Greece.

Every year, crowds of tourists interested in history tend to the foot of the Acropolis to touch the history.

Acropolis of Athens (© A.Savin, Wikimedia Commons)

Who built the Parthenon?

The construction of the main temple of Athens, the Parthenon, dates back to 447 BC. e. The building was designed by the famous architect of antiquity Ikten. The construction was carried out by Kallikrates, the court architect of the ruler Pericles, who initiated the construction.

Parthenon, 1985 (Nathan Hughes Hamilton / flickr.com)

Under the guidance of the master, other objects of the Acropolis were also erected, and more than a dozen civil objects of Athens. All projects of the master are built in the best traditions of the architecture of Ancient Greece - using the principle of the golden section.

The temple of the goddess Athena was originally part of an extensive program of the Athenian ruler Pericles to improve the city.

An interesting fact is that 450 talents were spent on its construction. Considering that 1 warship could be built for 1 talent, we can say that Pericles left his empire without a navy, but gave the world one of the unique architectural monuments.

The construction of the temple lasted 9 years, and in 438 BC. e. he opened his doors. However, for another 6 years, finishing work was carried out, which was led by Phidias, who went down in history thanks to an interesting fact of his creative biography.

Parthenon at night (Arian Zwegers / flickr.com)

The master is the creator of one of the seven Wonders of the World - a sculpture of Zeus in Olympia. For the new temple, the sculptor created a statue of Athena Parthenos - an eleven-meter sculpture made of ivory and gold. It was a rich gift for the revered goddess.

The monument has not reached our days, and we can judge its beauty only from the preserved ancient sources.

The interior of the temple was filled with numerous sculptural compositions and statues of gods. Many of them are irretrievably lost. Some are kept in museums around the world. Statues from the Parthenon can be seen in the Hermitage.

Most of the surviving heritage is in the London Museum - these are statues and metopes, bought back in the 19th century. from the Ottoman government. Currently, Greece is working to return the exhibits to their native land.

Features of the architectural solution

The Parthenon temple was in many ways an innovative structure. Its appearance and design findings at one time amazed contemporaries and still arouse research interest.

Architecture of the Parthenon (George Rex / flickr.com)

The temple was actually completely built of Pendelian marble, which cost a lot of money, and the decoration abounded in gold.

Under the influence of sunlight, the southern facade acquired a golden hue over time. The north side of the building, which was less exposed to radiation, had its original gray color.

The temple of the warrior goddess is located on the highest point of the Acropolis, and in the rays of the setting sun, a visual effect of a golden glow is created.

At the same time, observers get the impression that the temple is small. As you approach, the panorama expands and the building "suppresses" with its massiveness.

Hyperbolic diagram of the curvature of the Parthenon (© A.Erud, Wikimedia Commons)

From the side, there is a visual image that the building has an ideal straight structure. In fact, most of the architectural elements are devoid of straight lines:

• the upper parts of the steps have a slight deflection in the center, the columns are somewhat thickened in the center, while the corner ones have a larger volume compared to the rest;
• The pediments of the Parthenon face inward, while the entablature protrude outward.

All these optical techniques actually made it possible to create the illusion of perfect straightness. In addition, the principle of the golden section was used in the construction of the temple.

The outer facade of the building was decorated with numerous metopes - relief images of the gods: Zeus, Apollo, winged Nike, etc. The Parthenon, like all the sanctuaries of ancient Greece, was painted in bright colors.

Dominant in the color palette were shades of red, blue and gold. Over time, they were worn out and we can only judge the beauty of the building according to the words of ancient scrolls.

Parthenon - temple of three religions

The fate of the Parthenon was such that it became a place where the words of three religions sounded - paganism, Orthodoxy and Islam. The history of the greatness of the temple did not last long.

Parthenon, Acropolis of Athens (Carole Raddato / flickr.com)

The last ruler to honor the wise goddess was Alexander the Great. In the future, Athens was subjected to numerous captures. The temple was plundered, the gilding was removed from the statues, and the sculptures themselves were barbarously destroyed. However, the cult of the goddess Athena was so high among the Athenians that the sanctuary was restored by the incredible forces of the townspeople, despite the fact that the treasury was actually plundered.

After the restoration, the temple operated for another 800 years and became the last refuge of paganism on the territory of modern Greece. With the advent of Christian power, pagan traditions in the city were still strong. In order to stop idolatry in the IV century. n. e. the monastery of Athena was turned into an Orthodox church in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The building was rebuilt in accordance with the canons of Orthodox architecture, but in general it looked the same as before. In a new incarnation, the temple began to attract pilgrims from all over the Orthodox world. Emperors and commanders came running for words of support from the ministers of the new "old" shrine.

Reconstruction of the Parthenon (Emiliano Felicissimo / flickr.com)

In the XV century. Greece fell under the influence of the Ottoman Empire. The new authorities, first of all, hastened to get rid of Christian symbols, and this time the Parthenon acquired the features of Muslim mosques. However, in addition to the excision of Christian stories and words, no cardinal changes occurred in the external appearance of the temple. In the 17th century During the military clash between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League, the walls of the Parthenon were almost destroyed.

In 1840, restoration work began, which breathed new life into the religious building. The process of recovery with varying degrees of success continues today.

Today, the fate of the Parthenon is once again under threat. The financial problems that began after the country's accession to the EU became the main obstacles to the revival of the greatest monument of history.

Greece is famous all over the world, first of all, for its glorious ancient history, which left an incredible amount of cultural monuments. So, in the capital of the country, on a high hill, the monumental marble Parthenon, the main sanctuary of ancient Athens, rises above the bustle of the city. Almost 2.5 thousand years have passed since the construction of this majestic structure, which managed to survive all the troubles and hardships that fell on it. Today, this temple is protected by the UNESCO World Organization and is gradually returning its former luxurious appearance to its facades.

The History and Significance of the Parthenon in Ancient Greece

The Parthenon (Greek: Παρθενών, English the Parthenon) is a classical ancient Greek temple in Athens, distinguished by unique architectural forms.

It is impossible to tell the story of the construction of this sanctuary without mentioning in which city and which country the Parthenon is located, as well as what customs and beliefs reigned at the time of its construction. Therefore, first we will make a short historical excursion to ancient Athens and get acquainted with the deity to whom the Parthenon is dedicated to this day.

Patroness of Athens

Ancient Greece was dominated by a polytheistic religious system based on the myths of the different Gods of Ancient Greece. In connection with the Parthenon, we are interested in the main god - Zeus, and his daughter Athena.

The myth says that Zeus was predicted to have a daughter, followed by a son who would overthrow him from the throne. Therefore, when the wife of Metis (Wisdom) became pregnant from him, the Supreme God did not find anything better than to swallow her. But the child of love did not want to give up, and soon Zeus began to have an unbearable headache. Unable to endure the torment, he ordered to cut his head, and so his daughter Athena was born. Wisdom was reflected in the eyes of the girl, and on her body she wore military vestments, for which she was called the Goddess of justice, wisdom, military tactics and strategy.

Unlike other deities, Athena did not stay too long on Olympus, but paid attention to ordinary people. She gave them many knowledge and crafts, taught them to draw up laws and conduct state affairs, and helped restore justice in disputes and battles. For her care, the grateful people of Greece greatly honored the wise and generous Athena and sought to build in her honor the best of the Greek temples.

After a dispute with Poseidon, wisely resolved by King Kekrop, Athena became the patroness of the most important cultural and political center of Ancient Greece - the city of Athens. Therefore, it was decided that it was the Acropolis of Athens that would place the Parthenon on its lands.

And if we delve deeper into history, then it is worth mentioning that the architectural complex that has come down to us had a predecessor. The first temple built on this site was Hekatompedon, also dedicated to Athena. Unfortunately, as a result of the Persian attack, the structure failed to survive. When the Athenians won the war, they began to restore the old Hekatompedon with even greater enthusiasm and build a new, larger and more luxurious Parthenon temple in recaptured Athens.

Construction of the Parthenon

The construction of a new sanctuary began in 447. The location of the temple was chosen immediately. It is located in the upper city: the majestic Parthenon and the sacred Acropolis in the minds of the Greeks were to become one.

The decision to build the temple was made by the Athenian ruler Pericles, despite the fact that the construction of the Parthenon required large financial investments. The construction budget included 450 talents, an unheard-of amount for the Greeks, because in those days a whole ship was built for 1 talent! Indignation and murmuring arose among the people, but Pericles managed to convince people of the need to decorate the Parthenon Acropolis with unprecedented beauty and power in honor of Athena.

The architect of the building was Kallikrates, and the project of the future shrine was developed by Iktin. It was this master who achieved a unique optical perception of the temple with the eye, having come up with the idea of ​​making the columns of the Parthenon not perfectly even and at an angle. The famous sculptor Phidias (the author of the Statue of Zeus at Olympia) was responsible for the external and internal decoration of the shrine, as well as the sculptures decorating the pediments of the Parthenon.

The architectural type of the temple is decorated in the classical Greek style and is a Doric perimeter surrounded by columns. On all sides of the Parthenon there are a total of 50 columns: 8 for the central facades, and 17 for the side ones. Unlike the Colosseum, the colonnade of the classical Parthenon allows you to view the facade of three sides of the building from one point. The height of the erected temple was 14 m, width 31 m and length 70 m.

Read also: Acropolis - the main attraction of Athens: history, opening hours, travel tips

The Parthenon was finally built in 438, and in the same year the temple was consecrated at the Feast of Panathea. However, even 6 years after the official opening, Phidias decorated the pediments and friezes of the erected Parthenon. He also invented and sculpted the sculpture of Athena Parthenos (Virgo, Virgin), in honor of which the sanctuary got its name.

Periods of decline and rebirth

The Temple of Athena Parthenon, located in the city center on the Acropolis, has experienced a lot over the years. A brief description of the history of the Parthenon is as follows.

After the construction, the temple was revered for about 100 years. Its last patron was Alexander the Great, who presented the shrine with 14 shields for the eastern pediment and the armor of defeated warriors. Dark days awaited the Parthenon after his death.

The rulers allowed themselves to plunder the precious decor of the temple and turn the shrine almost into a brothel. And in the 3rd century BC. a major fire broke out in the building, destroying part of the roof, ceilings and doors of the shrine. He also caused the sculpture of Athena Parthenos to disappear without a trace. After the fire, the temple was restored, but the Parthenon looked a little different.

After 800 years, the ancient sanctuary was destined to turn into a Christian cathedral. All ancient riches were taken to Constantinople, and the temple itself was rebuilt a little in a new way. Centuries passed, and in the 15th century, the Parthenon became a Muslim mosque, because. Athens was captured by the Turks. They painted over all the plots that contradicted their faith, but the interior decoration was not affected in any way.

Later, in 1687, during the war, ammunition was stored here. The shelling of the Acropolis from a height and a direct hit on the boxes of gunpowder literally turned the Parthenon into ruins. For two hundred years, these fragments stood on the hill, as a memory of the past glorious past. In 1840, attention was again paid to the ancient sanctuary and it was decided to carry out its restoration. With varying degrees of success, this process continues to this day.

Where is the Parthenon and how to get to it

In the minds of many travelers, first of all, Greece is Athens and the Parthenon.

Tourists do not have to wander through the streets of Athens for a long time, looking for the place where the ancient Parthenon is located. It is very easy to find him, because. the main temple of Athens, like the Roman Pantheon, is located in the historical center of the capital.

The guiding landmark is the Acropolis - the main sanctuary in Greece, located on an elevated hill. To get to it, you should take the red line of the local metro and get to the Akropolis station of the same name. You will come out to the pedestrian street Dionysiou Areopagitou, which, smoothly rising uphill, will lead you straight to the Temple of Athena.

Features of the architecture of the Parthenon

Unfortunately, the Parthenon, the ancient Greek temple of the goddess Athena and a monument of ancient architecture, has not survived to this day in all its glory. According to the surviving descriptions of the architectural complex, it was an innovation and a breakthrough in the Greek architecture of that time.

Surrounded by Doric columns, the Temple of the goddess of wisdom, Athena, was to become the most majestic and luxurious building in Greece. But due to subsequent actions of Christian and Muslim invaders, the temple lost most of the elements of antique decor.

The eastern pediment of the building was decorated with the sculptural composition "The Birth of Athena", and the western part was dedicated to the dispute between Athena and Poseidon for patronage over the Greek capital. Historical scenes contained friezes and metopes of the Parthenon. In particular, they depicted the battle of the gods with giants, as well as battles with the Amazons, episodes of the Trojan War and solemn processions.

The statue of Athena, made of wood and decorated with gold and ivory, deserves special attention. Phidias did not regret the brilliance and grandeur of his statue of a whole ton of gold, and the descendants plundered it already a century after the construction of the temple.

But the distinctive features of the architectural solution are hidden not in the decor, but in the foundation of the temple.

layout

The height of the Acropolis provides natural protection during the siege, so that the defensive function in the construction of the temple was not thought.

Most likely under the leadership of Phidias. About 80% of the original frieze, 524 feet (160 meters) high, has survived - 420 feet (130 meters). The rest is known only from drawings by the French artist Jacques Carrey, made in 1674 13 years before the shelling of the temple by the Venetians, who destroyed it.

Most of the frieze is now in the British Museum in London (constituting the bulk of the so-called Elgin Marbles). Almost everything else is in Athens, with other ruins in six different institutions: fragments of a frieze can be found in the Beasley Archives in the Ashmole Museum, Oxford, the Spurlock Museum, Erban, the Sculpture Gallery, Basel, and other places.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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✪ Phidias, Frieze of the Parthenon, 438-432 BC

✪ Classic: Sculptural group of the eastern pediment of the Parthenon

✪ Battle of the Lapiths with the centaurs, Metope of the Parthenon, Myron, ca. 440 BC e.

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We are in the British Museum. Before us is the frieze of the Parthenon, which encircled the temple. The frieze was not located on the outside ... Yes, mostly inside the portico. The figures are carved rather shallowly, and although they were painted much brighter, I think that they were difficult to see. In general, we observe the procession of the inhabitants of Athens on the birthday of Athena, the patron goddess of the city. The procession crossed the whole city and only then reached her temple. Yes, to the Parthenon. Inside the temple stood a gigantic sculpture of the goddess Athena by Phidias. So what is depicted here is not a mythological plot, but an episode from the life of the Athenians themselves. That is, they put themselves on a par with the gods. The townspeople who participate in the procession look very idealistic and noble. And the procession ends with a sacrifice, where the gods and goddesses themselves are present. In a word, in a sense, gods and people ... The boundary between them is blurred. Let's take a closer look at the procession. To begin with, let's say that it is very long: it stretched along two walls of the building. The procession began rather slowly… Yes, and it is gradually gaining strength and energy. There are dozens of horses and riders here, and they are all depicted in slightly different ways. Horses partially overlap other horses, overlap riders. There is an incredible sense of rhythm, a sense of movement. After all, this is a frozen picture of stone, right? It is motionless, but everything is arranged so skillfully: the hooves of the horses, their legs, the legs of the riders... The anatomy of the horses, their muscles, their veins are worked out... And it is clear that, as you said, all the horses are located differently, and all together they create a sense of movement. I can almost hear their hooves clatter! The male figures have broad shoulders, narrow hips, beautiful torsos, powerful muscles in the arms. They have beautiful faces, very calm. We see how people, the Athenians, tame the strength and recalcitrance of the wild nature, embodied in horses. There is something amazing in the fact that the animal rampages, rears up, and the rider just sits and holds the reins with nobility. He is so confident in himself that he even turns around, not at all worried that the horse might buck. There is something noble and heroic about it. So, if the frieze really depicts a Panathenaic procession, and this is the generally accepted version, although some historians offer other options. Then this is most likely a peplos folding scene. It was woven by the Athenians, which was considered a great honor. And, of course, then he was solemnly carried around the city to be put on the statue of the goddess Athena in the temple, in the Parthenon. This group of sculptures was located above the main entrance to the temple. You could go up the stairs from either side, but to get into the main hall you would have to go right under it, you would look up at the gods. These figures are poorly preserved. There is a certain stillness about them, and they are more isolated from each other than the mishmash of horses and riders in the procession that I like so much. But what is especially interesting in these figures is how the drapery is made. It was as if one of the sculptors working under Phidias simply liked to play with these draperies. They twist, move, gather into folds. Before us are three figures that are sitting face to face, but one man turns away. And here's one of those figures... I've never seen anything like it. Ares, god of war. It is he? Yes. He's so... human and divine at the same time. We don't see his face, but his perfect body and the confidence with which he holds himself... His posture, his movements - the way he raises his knee and leans back, and looks... In this revenge, a feeling of complete serenity. And yet his gestures are so human! He is absolutely comfortable in his own body, and the sculptor managed to express this very skillfully. Frieze is amazing in its diversity, complexity and unity... In understanding the diversity of human movements, the relationship between man and animal, man and God. In this sense, the frieze is like a mirror that reflects how the Greeks saw themselves in this world. Subtitles by the Amara.org community

Construction

In the Life of Pericles, Plutarch reports: “he managed all the projects and acted as an overseer for him (Pericles) - Phidias ... Almost everything was under his control, and as we have already said, he was responsible for all the work and other masters on duty of friendship with Pericles” . From the description it follows that Phidias was not an architect (this term usually refers to the creative embodiment of the project), most likely he was a manager. It is thanks to these indirect evidence (the famous statue of Phidias Athena Parthenos and his leading role in the construction plans of Pericles) that we can conclude that Phidias is the author of the frieze. The frieze includes 378 human figures and 245 animals. It was 160 meters long (524 feet) when completed, 1 meter high and its maximum depth reached 5.6 cm. The frieze consists of 114 blocks averaging 1.22 meters in length each, it depicts two parallel processions . An extraordinary innovation in the construction of the Parthenon was that the naos, following the six-column pronaos, supported

Address: Greece, Athens, Acropolis of Athens
Start of construction: 447 BC e.
Completion of construction: 438 BC e.
Architect: Iktin and Kallikrat
Coordinates: 37°58"17.4"N 23°43"36.0"E

Brief history and description

At the top of the rock of the Acropolis of Athens rises the monumental marble temple of the Parthenon, dedicated to Athena Parthenos (ie the Virgin) - the patroness of the city. In this monument, the famous politician Pericles embodied the idea of ​​triumphant democracy and the unfading glory of Athens.

View of the Acropolis of Athens and the Parthenon

The Parthenon was built between 447 and 437 BC. e. on the site of an earlier temple, which was erected to commemorate the victory over the Persians in the Battle of Marathon. For the construction of the Parthenon, Pericles spent 450 silver talents, "borrowed" from funds collected for military purposes.

To understand how huge the amount spent was, you can use the following comparison: the construction of one trireme (warship) cost 1 talent, that is, Athens could build a fleet of 450 ships with 450 talents. When the people accused Pericles of squandering, he replied: “Our descendants will be proud of this temple for centuries!

Temple in the night illumination

If money is more important to you, then I will write off the costs not to your account, but to mine, and I will perpetuate my name on all buildings. After these words, the people, who did not want to concede all the glory to Pericles, shouted that he attributed the construction costs to the public account. The head of the work was appointed Phidias sculptures; he also carved most of the decorations of the Parthenon with his own hands. The consecration of the temple took place in 438 BC. e. during the Panathenaic festival, held in honor of the goddess Athena. During the Byzantine period, marked by the triumph of Christianity, the Parthenon was turned into the Temple of St. Mary, and the statue of Athena was taken to Constantinople.

View of the temple from the west

In the 1460s, when the Turks captured Athens, the Parthenon was converted into a mosque. But the temple suffered the greatest destruction in 1687, during the war between the Venetians and the Turks, when a red-hot cannonball that flew through the roof made a huge explosion.

In the 19th century, the English diplomat T. Elgin, having received permission from the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, took an unsurpassed collection of sculptures from the Parthenon to England, which is still kept in the British Museum.

View of the temple from the southeast

The Parthenon is a magnificent example of the Doric style.

The Parthenon is a classic ancient Greek temple - a rectangular building framed by a colonnade. According to the standards of ancient Greek architecture, the number of columns on the side facade is 1 unit more than twice the number of columns on the front side of the building (in relation to the Parthenon - 8 and 17). Ancient architects gave the massive temple elegance by developing a system of optical correction. From a distance, straight lines are perceived as slightly concave, and in order to eliminate this “defect”, the architects made the middle part of the columns slightly thickened, and the corner columns tilted slightly towards the center, thereby achieving the appearance of straightness.

South facade of the temple

Sculptures of the Parthenon - myths in stone

The Doric frieze of the facade was decorated with bas-reliefs depicting scenes of martial arts: the battle of the Lapiths and centaurs - from the east side, the Greeks and Amazons - from the south, gods and giants - in the north, and participants in the Trojan War - in the west. The sculptural composition on the eastern pediment is dedicated to the myth of the birth of Athena. As befits goddesses, Athena was born in an unusual way, namely from the head of Zeus. Legend has it that Zeus swallowed his pregnant wife to prevent the birth of a son who would dethrone him. Soon the god of thunder felt severe pain, and then the blacksmith Hephaestus hit him on the head, and Athena jumped out.

East facade of the temple

On the western pediment, the dispute between Athena and Poseidon for the possession of Attica is immortalized in stone, when the olive tree donated by Athena was recognized as a more valuable gift than the source of sea water carved into the rock by Poseidon's trident. Along the perimeter of the outer walls of the temple, at a height of 11 meters from the floor, another frieze, Ionic, stretched in a continuous ribbon. Its reliefs illustrate scenes from the traditional ceremony of celebrating the "Birthday of the Goddess Athena" - Panathenaia. Horsemen, chariots, musicians, people with sacrificial animals and gifts, etc. are depicted here. The end of the procession is depicted on the eastern end: the priest receives from the Athenian peplos - a new garment woven for Athena. In ancient times, the Parthenon housed a treasury where the treasury of the Athenian Maritime Union was kept..