In which city is the Parthenon attraction located? Parthenon: history of creation

Greece is famous throughout the world, first of all, for its glorious ancient history, which left an incredible amount of cultural monuments. Thus, in the capital of the country, on a high hill, the monumental marble Parthenon, the main sanctuary of ancient Athens, rises above the bustle of the city. Almost 2.5 thousand years have passed since the construction of this majestic structure, which managed to survive all the troubles and hardships that befell it. Today this temple is protected by the world organization UNESCO and is gradually returning its facades to their former luxurious appearance.

History and significance of the Parthenon in Ancient Greece

The Parthenon (Greek Παρθενών, English the Parthenon) is a classic ancient Greek temple in Athens, distinguished by its unique architectural forms.

It is impossible to tell the story of the construction of this sanctuary without mentioning in which city and what country the Parthenon is located, as well as what customs and beliefs prevailed at the time of its construction. Therefore, first we will take a short historical excursion to ancient Athens and get acquainted with the deity to whom the Parthenon is dedicated to this day.

Patroness of Athens

Ancient Greece was dominated by a polytheistic religious system based on the myths of the various Gods of Ancient Greece. In connection with the Parthenon, we are interested in the main god - Zeus, and his daughter Athena.

The myth says that Zeus was predicted to have a daughter, followed by a son who would overthrow him from the throne. Therefore, when his wife Metis (Wisdom) became pregnant from him, the Supreme God did not find anything better than to swallow her. But the child of love did not want to give up, and soon Zeus began to have an unbearable headache. Unable to endure the torment, he ordered his head to be cut, and so his daughter Athena was born. Wisdom was reflected in the girl’s eyes, and on her body she wore military attire, for which she was called the Goddess of justice, wisdom, military tactics and strategy.

Unlike other deities, Athena did not stay too long on Olympus, but paid attention to ordinary people. She gave them a lot of knowledge and crafts, taught them how to draw up laws and conduct government affairs, and helped restore justice in disputes and battles. For her care, the grateful people of Greece greatly revered the wise and magnanimous Athena and sought to build the best of Greek temples in her honor.

After a dispute with Poseidon, wisely resolved by King Cecrops, Athena became the patroness of the most important cultural and political center of Ancient Greece - the city of Athens. Therefore, it was decided that the Acropolis of Athens would place the Parthenon on its lands.

And if we delve deeper into history, it is worth mentioning that the architectural complex that has come down to us had a predecessor. The first temple to be built on this site was Hekatompedon, also dedicated to Athena. Unfortunately, as a result of the Persian attack, the structure did not survive. When the Athenians won the war, they began with even greater enthusiasm to restore the old Hekatompedon and build a new, larger and more luxurious Parthenon temple in recaptured Athens.

Construction of the Parthenon

Construction of the new sanctuary began in 447. The location of the temple was chosen immediately. It was located in the upper city: the majestic Parthenon and the sacred Acropolis in the minds of the Greeks were supposed to become one.

The decision to build the temple was made by the Athenian ruler Pericles, despite the fact that the construction of the Parthenon required large financial investments. The construction budget included 450 talents, an amount unheard of for the Greeks, because in those days they built an entire ship for 1 talent! There was indignation and grumbling among the people, but Pericles managed to convince people of the need to decorate the Parthenon Acropolis with unprecedented beauty and power in honor of Athena.

The architect of the building was Callicrates, and the design of the future shrine was developed by Iktin. It was this master who achieved a unique optical perception of the temple by the eye, having decided to make the columns of the Parthenon not perfectly straight and at an angle. The famous sculptor Phidias (author of the Statue of Zeus at Olympia) was responsible for the external and internal decoration of the shrine, as well as the sculptures decorating the pediments of the Parthenon.

The architectural type of the temple is designed in the classical Greek style and has a Doric perimeter surrounded by columns. There are a total of 50 columns on all sides of the Parthenon: 8 on the central facades, and 17 on the side facades. Unlike the Colosseum, the colonnade of the classical Parthenon allows you to view the facade of three sides of the building from one point. The height of the erected temple was 14 m, width 31 m and length 70 m.

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The Parthenon was finally built in 438, and in the same year the temple was consecrated at the Festival of Panathaeus. However, another 6 years after the official opening, Phidias decorated the pediments and friezes of the erected Parthenon. He also invented and sculpted the sculpture of Athena Parthenos (Virgin, Virgin), in whose honor the sanctuary received its name.

Periods of decline and revival

The Parthenon Temple of Athena, located in the city center on the Acropolis, has gone through a lot over the years. A brief summary of the history of the Parthenon is as follows.

After its construction, the temple was revered for approximately 100 years. Its last patron was Alexander the Great, who donated 14 shields for the eastern pediment and the armor of defeated warriors to the shrine. After his death, dark days awaited the Parthenon.

The rulers allowed themselves to plunder the temple’s precious decor and turn the shrine almost into a brothel. And in the 3rd century BC. A major fire broke out in the building, destroying part of the roof, ceilings and doors of the shrine. It also caused the sculpture of Athena Parthenos to disappear without a trace. After the fire, the temple was restored, but the Parthenon looked a little different.

After 800 years, the ancient sanctuary was destined to turn into a Christian cathedral. All the ancient wealth was taken to Constantinople, and the temple itself was again slightly rebuilt in a new way. Centuries passed, and in the 15th century the Parthenon became a Muslim mosque, because... Athens was captured by the Turks. They painted over all the scenes that contradicted their faith, but nothing else was touched on the interior decoration.

Later, in 1687, ammunition was stored here during the war. The shelling of the Acropolis from above and a direct hit on the boxes of gunpowder literally turned the Parthenon into ruins. For two hundred years these fragments stood on the hill as a memory of the former glorious past. In 1840, attention was again paid to the ancient sanctuary and it was decided to carry out its restoration. This process continues to this day with varying degrees of success.

Where is the Parthenon and how to get to it

In the minds of many travelers, Greece is primarily Athens and the Parthenon.

Tourists will not have to wander for long through the streets of Athens, looking for the place where the ancient Parthenon is located. It is very easy to find it, because... The main temple of Athens, like the Roman Pantheon, is located in the historical center of the capital.

The guiding landmark is the Acropolis, the main sanctuary in Greece, located on an elevated hill. To get there, take the red line of the local metro and get to the Akropolis station of the same name. You will enter the pedestrian street Dionysiou Areopagitou, which, gradually rising uphill, will lead you directly to the Temple of Athena.

Features of the Parthenon architecture

Unfortunately, the Parthenon, the ancient Greek temple of the goddess Athena and a monument of ancient architecture, has not survived to this day in all its glory. According to the surviving descriptions of the architectural complex, it was an innovation and breakthrough in Greek architecture of that time.

Surrounded by Doric columns, the Temple of the goddess of wisdom Athena was supposed to be the most majestic and luxurious building in Greece. But due to subsequent actions of Christian and Muslim invaders, the temple lost most of the elements of ancient decor.

The eastern pediment of the building was decorated with the sculptural composition “The Birth of Athena,” and the western part was dedicated to the dispute between Athena and Poseidon for patronage of the Greek capital. The historical scenes contained friezes and metopes of the Parthenon. In particular, they depicted the battle of gods with giants, as well as battles with Amazons, episodes of the Trojan War and solemn processions.

The statue of Athena, made of wood and decorated with gold and ivory, deserves special attention. Phidias did not spare a whole ton of gold for the brilliance and grandeur of his statue, and his descendants plundered it a century after the construction of the temple.

But the distinctive features of the architectural design are hidden not in the decor, but in the base of the temple.

Layout

The heights of the Acropolis provide natural protection during a siege, so no thought was given to the defensive function during the construction of the temple.

The Parthenon is the main temple and landmark of the Acropolis in Athens, located in the archaeological zone of Greece, on a limestone rock, rising among other ancient temples and buildings, such as the Erechtheion, the Propylaea, the Temple of Nike the Wingless.

The amazing temple has a striking architectural composition, which attracts tourists from all over the world who strive to capture the beauty of the Parthenon in photographs.

Who built the Parthenon?

Its construction began even before our era in 488 under the influence of Pericles. It was built specifically on the heights of the Acropolis of Athens. The temple was dedicated to Athena Parthenos, thus the Greeks thanked the goddess for the victory in the Battle of Marathon over a strong enemy - the Persians.

The temple built at this time was similar in size to the current Parthenon. However, in 480 the Persians destroyed the Acropolis, including the still unfinished Parthenon. After this, construction stopped for 30 years. Work resumed in 454, construction was supervised by the architects Ictinus and Callicrates, as well as the sculptor Phidias, who supervised the construction.

The Parthenon in Athens was built from locally quarried Pentelic marble, which was initially pure white, but over time oxidized to a warm yellowish hue, as if filled with sunlight. It is noteworthy that other buildings before the Parthenon were built from limestone. No mortar was used during the laying; the blocks were carefully adjusted to each other and fastened together with iron pins.

After the birth of Christ, the Parthenon in Greece was turned into a Christian church, which was consecrated in honor of Hagia Sophia. They even built a bell tower in the temple premises.

In 1460, during the reign of the Ottoman Empire, the Turks turned the Parthenon into a mosque, next to which a minaret stood. In 1687, Athens was besieged by the Venetians and the temple was used as a gunpowder warehouse. This had a very negative impact on his condition; the entire middle part of the temple was destroyed due to a cannonball flying into it and the subsequent explosion. In addition, the English lord took away part of the Parthenon sculptures, so part of the unique heritage ended up in France and London.

Exterior of the magnificent Parthenon

The location for this magnificent structure in Greece was not chosen by chance; the architects made a lot of effort to place the temple in the most advantageous position from an artistic point of view. The Parthenon was supposed to crown the Acropolis of Athens, towering above all other buildings.

The size of the temple depended on the size of the rock, since the architects of ancient Greece adhered to the rule of the golden ratio in construction. To enter the Parthenon Temple you need to climb only three marble steps; the total height of this wide staircase is only one and a half meters.

The Parthenon has a rectangular shape, decorated in the Doric order, due to which it has a majestic colonnade that can be seen from afar. The temple has 8 columns at the ends and 17 on the sides (50 in total), all of them narrow upward and each is decorated with decorative grooves - flutes. The columns at the corners stand with a slight slope towards the center. All these features are designed to make the building more sophisticated and holistic in appearance, especially when looking at the temple from afar.

What did the Temple of Athena Parthenon look like?

In ancient times, the entire internal space of the Parthenon was divided into two parts.

1. The room to the east is longer and was called Hekatompedon. In the space hidden behind the columns inside the temple, there used to be a statue of the goddess Athena. The figure was decorated with gold and ivory, it had a wooden base and a decent height of 12 meters, the architect Phidias worked on it. In her hand, Athena held a smaller statue of Nike. On her head was wearing a helmet with three crests with images of a sphinx and griffins.
2. The western room was called the Parthenon. The treasury and archives of the state were kept in it. Subsequently, the entire temple began to be called the Parthenon.

The Parthenon was decorated with various sculptural compositions, bas-reliefs and high reliefs. One of them depicts the birth of a goddess. According to legend, Zeus swallowed his pregnant wife so that the born heir could not surpass him and kill him. But, despite this cunning of Zeus, the divine child was still able to be born. Hephaestus, the god of fire, cut off Zeus's head, and the newborn goddess Athena jumped out.

Another pediment depicts the dispute over Attica. Athena and the god of the seas, Poseidon, argued over which of them would be the patron of the city. The inhabitants liked the olive tree that Athena grew more than the salt spring carved out of the rock by Poseidon.

At the end of the temple there is a depiction of a solemn procession walking along the Parthenon in honor of the Panathenaic festival and the worship of the patron goddess of the city. Horsemen, priestesses and priests took part in it. Athena was presented with new clothes called peplos.

Some metopes of the Parthenon depict various scenes from battles and not only between people. On them, the Greeks fight with centaurs, Amazons, the gods fight with giants. They also illustrate scenes from the Trojan War.

Many parts of the Parthenon were previously painted, mainly blue and red colors. It was painted in a special way: a thin layer of wax and dye was applied, then, under the influence of temperature, the paint penetrated into the stone. A magnificent effect of coloring marble was achieved, while its structure was visible. The building was also decorated with bronze wreaths.

The rocky rock of the Acropolis, which dominates the center of Athens, is the largest and most majestic ancient Greek shrine, dedicated primarily to the city's patroness, Athena.

The most important events of the ancient Hellenes are associated with this sacred place: the myths of ancient Athens, the largest religious holidays, the main religious events.
The temples of the Acropolis of Athens blend harmoniously with their natural surroundings and are unique masterpieces of ancient Greek architecture, expressing innovative styles and trends in the correlation of classical art, they have had an indelible influence on the intellectual and artistic creativity of people for many centuries.

The Acropolis of the 5th century BC is the most accurate reflection of the splendor, power and wealth of Athens at its highest peak - the "golden age". In the form in which the Acropolis appears before us now, it was erected after its destruction by the Persians in 480 BC. e. Then the Persians were completely defeated and the Athenians vowed to restore their shrines. The reconstruction of the Acropolis begins in 448 BC, after the Battle of Plataea, on the initiative of Pericles.

- Erechtheion Temple

The Myth of Erechtheus: Erechtheus was a beloved and revered king of Athens. Athens was at enmity with the city of Eleusis; during the battle, Erechtheus killed Eumollus, the leader of the Eleusinian army, and also the son of the god of the sea Poseidon himself. For this, the thunderer Zeus killed him with his lightning. The Athenians buried their beloved king and named the constellation Auriga after him. At the same place, the architect Mnesicles erected a temple named after Erichtheus.

This temple was built between 421 and 407 BC and housed the golden lamp of Callimachus. Construction of the Erechtheion did not stop even during the long Peloponnesian War.

The Erechtheion was the most sacred place of worship in Athens. The ancient inhabitants of Athens worshiped Athena, Hephaestus, Poseidon, and Kekropos (the first Athenian king) in this temple.

The entire history of the city was concentrated at this point and therefore the construction of the Erechtheon temple began in this place:

♦ in this place a dispute broke out between Athena and Poseidon over the property of the city

♦ in the northern porch of the Erechtheion temple there is a hole where, according to legend, the sacred serpent Erechtonius lived

♦ here was the grave of Kekrops

The east porch has six Ionic columns, to the north there is a monumental entrance with a decorated gate, on the south side there is a porch with six maidens, known as caryatids, who support the vault of the Erechtheion, now replaced by plaster copies. Five of the caryatids are in the new Acropolis Museum, one is in the British Museum.

The Parthenon is one of the most famous monuments of ancient architecture. This 2,500-year-old magnificent temple on the Acropolis in Athens has survived earthquakes, fires, explosions and repeated looting attempts. And although the Parthenon was in no way an engineering breakthrough in construction, its style became the paradigm of classical architecture.

1. Acropolis in Athens

The Acropolis in Athens, where the Parthenon is located, is also called the "sacred rock" and was used for defensive purposes.

2. Cultural layers

Cultural layers discovered on the slopes of the Acropolis indicate that there were settlements on the hill since 2800 BC, that is, long before the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures.

3. The Acropolis was a sacred place

Long before the construction of the Parthenon, the Acropolis was a sacred place and there were other temples on it. The Parthenon replaced the old Temple of Athena, which was destroyed during the Persian invasion in 480 BC.

4. House Parthenos

The name "Parthenon" is derived from one of the many epithets of Athena (Athena Parthenos), and it means ""house of Parthenos"". This name was given to the temple in the 5th century BC because a cult statue of Athena was installed inside it.

5. Construction of the Parthenon

Construction of the Parthenon began in 447 BC. and was completed in 438 BC, but the final decoration of the temple continued until 432 BC.

6. Ictinus, Callicrates and Phidias

The Parthenon, which was built by the architects Ictinus and Callicrates under the supervision of the sculptor Phidias, is considered by most modern architects and historians to be the highest expression of ancient Greek architectural genius. The temple is also considered the culmination of the development of the Doric order, the simplest of the three classical Greek architectural styles.

7. 192 Greek warriors

Several modern historians (including art historian John Boardman) believe that the frieze above the Doric columns of the Parthenon depicts the 192 Greek soldiers who died at the Battle of Marathon against the Persians in 490 BC.

8. Stones from Pentelikon

Some of the financial records of the construction of the Parthenon have been preserved, which show that the largest expense was the transportation of stones from Pentelikon, which was located sixteen kilometers from the Acropolis of Athens.

9. The Greek government and the EU have been restoring the Parthenon for 42 years

The Parthenon restoration project (which is funded by the Greek government and the European Union) has been ongoing for 42 years. It took the ancient Athenians only 10 years to build the Parthenon.

10. 12-meter statue of the goddess Athena

The rectangular building, 31 meters wide and 70 meters high, was built of white marble. Surrounded by forty-six columns stood a 12-meter statue of the goddess Athena, made of wood, gold and ivory.

11. Tyrant Lahar

Although much of the structure remains intact, the Parthenon has suffered significant damage over the centuries. It all started in 296 BC, when the Athenian tyrant Lacharus removed the gold covering from the statue of Athena in order to pay the debt of his army.

12. In the fifth century AD, the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church

In the fifth century AD, the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church, and in 1460 a Turkish mosque was located in the Parthenon. In 1687, the Ottoman Turks placed a gunpowder warehouse in the temple, which exploded when the temple was shelled by the Venetian army. At the same time, part of the temple turned into ruins.

13. 46 external columns and 23 internal

The Parthenon had 46 outer columns and 23 inner columns, but not all remain today. In addition, the Parthenon used to have a roof (it currently does not).

14. The Parthenon's design is earthquake resistant

The Parthenon's design is earthquake-resistant, even though the temple's columns are quite thin.

15. The Parthenon was used as a city treasury

The Parthenon was also used as the city's treasury, like many other Greek temples of the era.

16. The construction of the Parthenon was not financed by the Athenians.

Even though the Parthenon is the most popular Athenian building of all time, its construction was not financed by the Athenians. After the end of the Persian Wars, Athens became, in 447 BC, the dominant power in what is now Greece. Funds for the construction of the temple were taken from the tribute paid to Athens by other city-states of the Delian League.

17. Delhi League deposits were kept in an opisthodome

The monetary deposits of the Delian League, which was ruled by Athens, were kept in the opisthodome - the rear closed part of the temple.

18. The Parthenon, Erechtheion and the Temple of Nike were built over the ruins of the Acropolis.

During the "classical period" not only the Parthenon, but also the Erechtheion and the Temple of Nike were built over the ruins of the Acropolis.

19. The first theater in history

Besides these structures, another important monument at the foot of the Acropolis is the "Theater of Dionysus", which is considered to be the first theater in history.

20. The Parthenon had a multi-colored facade

From 1801 to 1803, part of the remaining sculptures of the temple were taken away by the Turks (who controlled Greece at that time). These sculptures were subsequently sold to the British Museum.

23. A full-scale replica of the Parthenon is located in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Parthenon is the most copied building in the world. There are many buildings around the world that were created in the same style. There is also a full-size replica of the Parthenon located in Nashville, Tennessee.

24. The opening of the Acropolis Museum took place in 2009

More than half a million people visited the new Acropolis Museum within the first two months of its opening in 2009.

25. Golden Rectangle of the Parthenon

A rectangle's length to width ratio of 1.618 was considered most pleasing to the eye. This ratio was called the "golden ratio" by the Greeks. In the world of mathematics, this number is called "phi" and it was named after the Greek sculptor Phidias, who used the golden ratio in his sculptures. From the outside, the Parthenon is a perfect “golden rectangle”.

On the Athenian Acropolis stands the temple of the Virgin Athena Parthenos, dedicated to the patroness of the city of Athens (daughter of the supreme god Zeus) during the reign of Pericles.

Work on its construction began in 447 BC and ended mainly in 438 BC. e., and finishing and sculptural work was carried out even before 434 BC. e.

The architect of the Parthenon is Ictinus, his assistant is Callicrates. The creator of the Parthenon is the famous ancient Greek sculptor Phidias, based on sketches and under whose general supervision work was carried out to create sculptures: the Virgin Athena Parthenos, the marble frieze, metopes, dandies of the Parthenon by the best masters of the 5th century BC.

The Parthenon in Athens was built in honor of the victory of the Greeks over the Persians, which was expressed in the solemnity of the forms of the Doric columns of the temple, in its harmony and harmony, in its proportions.

The interior of the temple was given a majestic appearance by a two-story colonnade. At the same time, the Parthenon inside was divided into the eastern part (a larger room), where there was a statue of Athena Parthenos, made in the chrysoelephantine technique, and the western part, called, in fact, the Parthenon, in which the Athenian treasury was kept.

Architectural and structural solution of the Parthenon

The Parthenon in ancient Greece is a temple of the Doric order, the architecture of the Parthenon is such that in plan it has the shape of a rectangle, its height is 24 m. Its base is the flat top of a huge rock of the acropolis, which seems to serve as a natural pedestal.

The optimal dimensions of the Parthenon, which was supposed to stand on a rock, were determined according to the principle of the “golden ratio”, namely: the ratio of the mass of the temple and the rock should correspond to the proportions of the temple - this ratio, by the way, was considered harmonious in the times of ancient Greece.

The Parthenon in Athens is surrounded on all sides by columns: the architecture of the Parthenon included 8 columns on the short sides and 14 on the long sides. Parthenon columns were placed more often than in the earliest Doric temples.

The entablature is not so massive, so it seems that the columns easily support the ceiling. The columns of the Parthenon are not strictly vertical, but slightly inclined into the building. And they are not all the same thickness. The corner ones are made thicker than the others, but against a light background they appear thinner.

By slightly tilting the columns, making them of different thicknesses, the creators of the temple thereby corrected optical distortions that violated the harmony and plasticity of the building, giving it harmony.

The Parthenon column is divided by vertical grooves - flutes, which make the horizontal seams between the parts of the column almost invisible and seem to eliminate its closedness.

Artistic and decorative design of the Parthenon

The structures that decorated the Parthenon are of significant value to us: a marble frieze, 92 metopes located on the four sides of the temple, two pediments.

Frieze of the Parthenon. On the upper part of the temple wall behind the outer colonnade you can see a frieze - zophorus. It is a continuous multi-figure 160-meter bas-relief marble ribbon, which depicts 350 people and 250 animals from various angles.

The Parthenon frieze was dedicated to the Great Panathenaia festival, which was held in Athens every 4 years in honor of the patroness of the city, the goddess Athena.

At the beginning of the frieze, a competition of horsemen is shown, then there are slaughtered animals, they are replaced by a procession of festively dressed people of Athens, carrying to the Parthenon the festive robe of Athena (peplos), woven by Athenian girls.

At the end of the procession, the end part of the frieze shows the feast of the 12 gods of Olympus. The frieze groups are small in size, but expressive, never repeating the many hundreds of figures of people and animals.

The architecture of the Parthenon involved the placement of metopes above the colonnade, on the outside of the temple, the plots of which were built on the mythological stories of Attica, depicting the minor exploits of Athena.

There were 92 metopes in total - 14 on the front sides and 32 on the side walls. They were carved in high relief - high relief. On the eastern pediment, a scene of a battle between gods and giants is depicted. On the western side there is a scene of the Greeks fighting the Amazons.

On the metopes on the northern side of the temple is the fall of Troy, on the southern side is the struggle between the Lapiths and the centaurs. But the pediment groups are dedicated to the main and most important events in the life of the goddess.

– eastern and western. The eastern pediment, which is better preserved, depicts the birth of Athena from the head of Zeus, according to ancient Greek myth.

In the right corner of the eastern pediment there are three female figures, perhaps these are three Moiras (goddesses of fate). The smooth softness and warmth of chiaroscuro in the folds of clothing of the female figures are interestingly conveyed.

The western pediment depicts a dispute between Athena and Poseidon over dominance over Attica.

Parthenon painting, cladding. The Parthenon was built entirely from squares of white Pentelic marble, laid dry. The properties of this marble are such that, due to the presence of iron in it, over time it acquired a golden patina, which gave the slabs a warm, yellowish tint.

However, some of the Parthenon slabs were painted when it was necessary to highlight some individual elements. Thus, the triglyphs, which were obscured by the cornice, were covered with blue paint. Blue paint was also used for the background of the metopes and pediments.

Gilding was used to paint the vertical slabs of the pediments. The upper parts of the temple were painted dark red, sometimes occasionally shaded with narrow strips of gilding.

The Parthenon in Athens in its original form existed for about two millennia. The following have survived to this day: on the territory of the acropolis - destroyed columns of the temple, a few fragments of metopes, friezes, pediments - are stored in various museums around the world.