In this essay, I will compare the differences and similarities of two ancient buildings, the Parthenon in Athens, and the Pantheon in Rome. Both buildings are significant structures and important symbols to the people of ancient times.
The Parthenon in Athens, Greece is a Classical Greek rectangular Doric temple built completely of marble with Ionic columns on a limestone base. It was completed in the year 432 BC and built in honor of the goddess Athena for her help in defeating the
Persians in the Pelopennesian Wars. (Silverman. n.d.). According to Encyclopedia
Britannica, the temple’s construction was “Directed by the Athenian statesman Pericles, the Parthenon was built by the Architects Ictinus and Callicrates under the supervision of the sculptor Phidias.” (Editors of
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The Pantheon in Rome is a Classical Greek, circular building with a square porch constructed of a combination of marble, granite and concrete. The porch, a grand entrance to the building, has eight Corinthian columns. The building has a portico in the ceiling of the building’s round concrete dome which is open to the sky. The portico allows light and rain to enter the building, with dramatic effects. Experts believe this was built as a temple honoring the Roman gods and goddesses in 27 BC by Marcus Agrippa.
The original temple suffered catastrophic fire damage in 80 CE. It was rebuilt by
Emperor Domitian on the same spot, and again mostly destroyed by another fire in 110
CE. According to Diffen.com, “the Emperor Hadrian rebuilt it on the same site in 126
AD.” (Diffen LLC, n.d.). This is the current building still standing and in use almost
2,000 years later.
Both the Parthenon and the Pantheon are marvels of Classical Greek architectural design and ingenious construction that still influences architects and artists today. These magnificent buildings were religious places of worship and governance and