Temples throughout the Archaic Period convey a sense of political, social, and economic growth, contributing to a powerful communal city-state identity, and the overall image of superiority of the city-state. Throughout the Archaic Period the militaristic state of Sparta boasted leading status alongside Athens. Through the use of impressive and specific Doric architecture, the promotion of a deity, and the designation of a sacred area, the construction of a new Spartan temple would serve to further promote the city’s superior image and convey the growing unity of the city-state. Patron deities play a central role in the morale, identity, and protection of a city state. Often, temples serve the dual purpose of housing and honoring a god, while …show more content…
Even in the early development of the Doric order, tradition serves as a symbol of prestige and therefore Sparta’s new temple will closely follow the Doric order canon. The first eye catching feature of the temple of Athena and Apollo at Sparta will be the Akroteria lining the exterior roof. Next one might notice a decorated triangular pediment in the front and back of the temple similar to that of the temple of Artemis at Corfu, the first stone temple with a carved pediment. Stone sculpture represents a step up in cost and visual aesthetic from terracotta earthenware sculptures, perpetuating Sparta’s economic status and overall superiority. The temple would then have a Pronaos, or entrance porch, followed by the highly restricted Naos. Elevated at the back end of the Naos, the giant chryselephantine cult statues of Athena and Apollo will loom impressively, further propagating Sparta’s unity under the gods and contributing to the polis’ image of superiority. While the temple of Apollo at Thermon had a row of interior columns down the center of the temple, this is not ideal because these columns block the best location for the cult statues. Instead, the interior columns will mimic those of the temple of Artemis at Corcyra. The new temple will include many columns because they historically indicate prestige as one must go outside of society to outsource wood, and later stone. It is also costly for oxyn to carry stone and represents a large investment of time, money, and organization for the Spartan people, demonstrating their unity as well as the prosperity of the polis. The metopes throughout the new temple may portray similar images of Apollo riding his chariot and Athena helping to kill Medusa as the Temple C. This lavish art and the