How Did Religion Influence Greek Architecture

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Greek religion had a profound impact on the development of Greek society and culture. In Greece, people believed in many different gods and goddesses who were responsible for various aspects, and these religious cultures deeply impacted Greek architecture, sculpture, and ceramics. In the following paragraphs, I will first introduce the features of Greek religion and then introduce their influence on Greek art and architecture. Greek religion is polytheistic. Specifically, people in different Greek city-states worshipped different gods and goddesses, which were related to various aspects of people's lives, nature, and human emotions (Hemingway, 2003). For example, in the Greek Pantheon, there are twelve main deities, including Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, …show more content…

Specifically, many Greek temples, sculptures, and pottery have themes related to deities. The Greeks incorporated mythological legends and the worship of deities into their architecture and artistic creations. For example, the Parthenon in Greece was built in honour of Athena, and the entire building uses many Doric order columns, which embody the beauty of balance, harmony, and strength. In addition, many Greek sculptures are also related to deities. For instance, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia was created by the ancient Greek sculptor Phidias. The entire statue is about 12 meters high and decorated with ivory, gold, and gems, giving people a sense of solemnity and solemnity. As Pausanias said, when you look at the statue, your soul seems to be touched (Pausanias, 1918). These miraculous creations reflect people's religious beliefs. Furthermore, many pottery decorations depict mythological stories and scenes from ancient Greece. Common themes include the battle between Achilles and Hector, the twelve labours of Hercules, the carnival of Dionysus, the judgment of Paris, and the adventures of Odysseus (Donnellan, 2019). The decorations on these pottery reflect the culture and beliefs of the ancient Greek people. Therefore, the religion of ancient Greece had a profound effect on its architecture and artistic

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