The Style And Function Of The Greek Parthenon And The Roman Pantheon

707 Words3 Pages
The style of the building and the purpose it is built give a brief and thoughtful storybook about the culture of the architect as art, generally, and architecture, particularly, is a language itself. Thus, buildings narrate the stories of the people among the history and tell their traditions and habits to the next generation through its design, inscriptions, and details. In this essay, I will discuss how both the style and function of the Greek Parthenon and the Roman Pantheon served as typical examples of their cultures in Athens and ancient Rome. In addition to the similarities and differences between these two cultures through the two buildings.
Both the Greek and the Roman architecture inspired the cultures and architects until these days due to the diverse meaning they carry and symbolize in astonishing ways through the different orders, columns, roofs, friezes, and domes. 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. (Cartwright, 2012). Thus, they reflect the efflorescence of Athens and its leading role in that period. Also, the