ipl-logo

Parthenon And Pantheon: A Comparative Analysis

499 Words2 Pages

For this week 's assignment, we have been tasked to compare and contrast two great monuments of antiquity, the Parthenon and the Pantheon. Both antiquities separated by five hundred years, two different cultures, and two unique emperors, Pericles in Athens for the Parthenon, and Hadrian in Rome for the Pantheon. Both created as monuments to great achievements and conquests, but each created to give a different vision of power and authority as we shall see through the two readings given for the assignment.
Being the older one, I will start with the Parthenon. This temple dedicated to Athena was built after the Peloponnesian War, from 447 to 432 BC once Athens full control of the Delian League and had made the transition from city state to empire …show more content…

Aesthetic and classical portrayal of power attributed to the gods and the fates but who did the Athenians and especially Pericles think they were kidding? Everyone outside Athens was made aware of the authority and iron clad rule that existed at that point. Whose patron goddess was in full regalia but that of Athens?
When you look at the Pantheon you see that it is a different type of temple. The Pantheon in its last version, was completed by Hadrian in 128 AD, one of his various rebuilding projects throughout Rome. It was attributed to Marcus Agrippina by Hadrian and originally built after the Battle of Actium. Its most prominent feature is a concrete dome that has an ocular opening on top which provides most of the inside lighting. Its outside facade is lined with Corinthian columns and has many more columns inside with accompanying arches (Wikipedia, 2016).
The use of Corinthian columns and portrayals of the gods during Hadrian 's time served to show the Roman appreciation of classical Greece. In portraying mythical battles and past battles such as the Battle of Actium, he was able to show the authority and power of Rome. Through the demonstration of past Roman conquests and emperors, Hadrian was able to demonstrate his power without outwardly proclaiming

Show More
Related
1793 Words | 8 Pages

Much of Athenian life and politics was based on stories of Athenian history. These historical events shaped the way and life of Athenian actions. Yet what happens when the histories that become integral aspects of Athens are based on inaccuracies? The history of Harmodius and Aristogeiton and the impact that it had on Athens was so deep that it led to the catastrophe that was the trials surrounding the defacement of the statues of Hermes. However, Athenian misunderstanding of the situation brings into question the legitimacy of Athenian democracy as a whole, something Thucydides uses his retelling of Harmodius and Aristogeiton to convey.

Read More
332 Words | 2 Pages

How Mary Shelley’s Use of Allusions Further Her Story In the gothic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley allusion is used many times to clue in the reader as to how the character is feeling or to help understand a metaphor used in the text. Shelley uses literary allusions to explain how a character feels and why they do what they do. This literary device is shown in multiple parts of the novel such as chapter 15 and letter 2.

Read More
664 Words | 3 Pages

Pericles argues that Athens has become a model for others, and articulates what it is to be a good citizen. This can be seen when he says, “although the eyes of an enemy may occasionally profit by our liberality; trusting less in system and policy than to the native spirit of our citizens; while in education, where our rivals from their very cradles by a painful discipline seek after manliness, at Athens we live exactly as we please, and yet are just as ready to encounter every legitimate danger.” (Thucydides, 2.39) It proves that Ancient Athens’ valued greatness and worked in order to achieve the excellence of the state, by focusing on rebuilding themselves back up after the Persian war. Pericles played a big role in this because he showed his ambitions to rebuild Athens, which lead to the thriving of other subjects such as literature, philosophy, science, art, and religion.

Read More
875 Words | 4 Pages

Athens, located in southern Greece, experienced an expansion in culture and education during the years between the Persian War and Peloponnesian War (477-431 BC) which set the stage for future expansions of culture in civilizations like Ancient Rome and Europe during the Renaissance. Although Athens was very prosperous, innovative and ruled by strong leaders during their Golden Age, they still didn’t have a perfect government or social structure which puts into question how successful this period actually was. 1st Paragraph (Outline) Pericles 's had great success in beautifying Athens and increasing its culture, through innovative art and architecture, as well advances in theater, which created a Golden Age because the people of Athens experienced

Read More
722 Words | 3 Pages

If you have never had the opportunity to see the Parthenon in Greece and the Pantheon in Italy, it’s possible that the similarity of the names would lead you to believe that they are the same or, at least, almost identical. While it is true that certain elements of the buildings mirror each other, there are major differences in their structures and functions. The architecture of each reflects the cultural ideals of the times. After the Greeks overcame the Persian invasion, Athens became the head of all of the Greek city-states. During this period, the country enjoyed peace and great prosperity.

Read More
1488 Words | 6 Pages

The cultural values of Athens relate to architecture and their religion, while Sparta exemplified warrior values in their cultural values, but both societies shared cultural background rooted in myths and legends. The Athenian Parthenon was built by architects Iktinos and Kallikrates under the supervision of Pericles. It was a large and expensive project dedicated to the Greek god “Athena.” The Parthenon was also built on a hill or the Acropolis of Athens, highest point of Athens (Doc #2).The money used to build this Parthenon was originally meant to make Athens’ navy stronger and bigger, but Pericles used this fortune to build the Parthenon showing the power and wealth of Athens.

Read More
525 Words | 3 Pages

So you 're just wandering through the twisty mediaeval streets of the centro storico (historical center), and as if the cobblestones and ivy weren 't enough, you turn the corner, and out of nowhere is this massive temple. That 's Rome for you. The best preserved ancient structure in the city, the Pantheon as you see it now was built under Hadrian between AD 120-128 circa, although the pediment above the portico is actually 100 years older and signed by Agrippa (which did in fact confuse archaeologists and historians for years). The round

Read More
552 Words | 3 Pages

“Classical Ideal” In the documentary, “Art of the Western World-The Classical Ideal”, the narrator provides a history and a perspective on the Greek and Roman creation of the “Classical Ideal” to art and architecture. The narrator infers that the foundation of the two societies, namely their democratic falsifies and religious foundations, along with their focus on fitness, personal strength, calculations and intelligence, drove Greece and later Rome, to perfect their visions of balance, symmetry and beauty in their architecture and art. Greece and Rome are often held out as the greatest societies to have ever existed.

Read More
1397 Words | 6 Pages

Two very important historic buildings from the Greek and Roman civilizations, namely the Parthenon and the Pantheon respectively, are worthy of academic exploration. An analysis of their function and style will help to put their design and features into perspective, and create a better appreciation for their emulation in Western civilization. These buildings possess very unique individual characteristic designs, which bears testimony to the societies from which they originate. However, they are also a resourceful database of knowledge in terms of their symbolism, rich heritage of their era and application to the present civilization.

Read More
1020 Words | 5 Pages

People have dealt with many struggles and enduring issues throughout history. From the start of civilizations all the way through modern society, enduring issues are a part of life and the evolution of societies. Even today, you can look at modern society and find many examples of the impact of different enduring issues. All of these issues influence other civilizations, cultures, and societies in different ways. One such enduring issue is the issue of cultural diffusion.

Read More
350 Words | 2 Pages

Athens Greece, a place of physical beauty and wealth contains many people. Contributing to its physical beauty are great monuments such as the Parthenon or the Theatre of Epidaurus. At these locations are where the wealth displays itself, whether it is by inheritance, fortune, or knowledge. Great civilizations like Athens reflect these virtues and continue to prosper during times of change. Previous scholars taught uncomprehensible but relatable divine interventions: teaching rationality with mystical religion.

Read More
1002 Words | 5 Pages

The Forum of Trajan is a Roman example of axial planning because as you entered through its triumphal arch towards a statue of Trajan in the center, the surrounding structures were at opposite angles and lines, creating a clear sense of order and focus. [12] The complexity of this planning demonstrates the outlook and organization that went into any of the architecture in Rome and Athens. [13] While many citizens at the time did not appreciate (or may have not noticed) this visual architectural connection between Rome and Athens, the members of the elite who traveled, did especially the Roman Emperor Augustus. The cities of Rome and Athens became increasingly similar during the Augustan period and created a hybrid style that was influenced by Augustus. Though the exchange in architectural culture between these two cities was common there were subtle difference.

Read More
1683 Words | 7 Pages

The Pantheon was first built with a rectangular plan but when Hadrian came in 125AD and rebuilt it, he added a dome. Currently, the Pantheon is used as both a church and also a historical heritage site. On the other hand, the Brunelleschi 's Dome is part of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, and it is one of the biggest churches in Florence which is in Italy (Mainstone, 1997). The construction of the church began in 1296

Read More
885 Words | 4 Pages

through 432 B.C while that of Pantheon was constructed much later in 126AD. The difference in the time of construction suggests the reason Pantheon building is looking more recent than the Parthenon building. The Parthenon building is located in Athens while Pantheon is located in Rome. The Column pillars of Parthenon was made of Doric and ironic order while Pantheon was built with Corinthians columns. Granite columns used in the Pantheon building were actually quarried in Egypt while the columns of Parthenon building were constructed in Athens with all the sculptural work of art (Moore, 2004; Silverman,

Read More
707 Words | 3 Pages

The Parthenon in Athens and the Pantheon in Rome depict the splendor of these two cultures. Starting with the Parthenon, it was completely constructed in 432 B.C.E by the architects Iktinos and Kallikrates to honor the Athen’s patron deity, Athena, and to house her statue. It is rectangular and consisted of a series of Doric columns. However, it is a mixture of the Doric and Ionic orders. The Pentelic marble, bronze, gold, and ivory are the basic media used in this construction.

Read More

More about Parthenon And Pantheon: A Comparative Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document