Acropolis Research Paper
The Acropolis of Athens has stood as a monument of triumph to the people of Athens for centuries past. The temples within its walls were used to worship Greek gods like Athena and Poseidon. Rising over three hundred feet above the city of Athens, it can clearly be seen why it is called the Acropolis, which loosely translated means top of city. It isn't the only acropolis in Greece, but it is revered more than the others because of its almost flawless planning in where each building is placed. It took two hundred years of experimenting to get it right. Each building is placed specifically to be pleasing to the viewer's eye. From the viewer's point of view every building is seen in perspective, and at no point from the entrance is one building
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seen from only one facade. This is what made the Acropolis at Athens so amazing. What makes the Acropolis even more amazing is the buildings within its walls. There is the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion, the temple of Athena Nike, and more.
The final, and most majestic temple of the acropolis is the Parthenon.
It is the most important and characteristic monument of the ancient Greek civilization and still remains its international symbol. It was dedicated to Athena Parthenos, the patron goddess of Athens. It was built between 447 and 438 B.C. and its sculptural decoration was completed in 432 B.C. The temple is built in the Doric order and almost exclusively of Pentelic marble. It is built with eight columns on each of the narrow sides and seventeen columns on each of the long ones. The sculptural decoration of the Parthenon is a unique combination of the Doric metopes and triglyphs on the entablature, and the Ionic frieze on the walls of the cella. The metopes depict the Gigantomachy on the east side, the Amazonomachy on the west, the Centauromachy on the south, and scenes from the Trojan War on the north. The relief frieze depicts the Procession of the Panathenaea, the most formal religious festival of ancient Athens. The scene runs along all the four sides of the building and includes the figures of gods, beasts and of some 360 humans. The two pediments of the temple are decorated with mythological scenes: the east, above the building's main entrance, shows the birth of Athena, and the west, the fight between Athena and Poseidon for the name of the city of Athens. The Parthenon retained its religious character in the following centuries and was converted into a Byzantine church, a Latin church and a Muslim
mosque.
Throughout the years the Acropolis has been viewed as a masterpiece of Greek architecture. Even though the Acropolis is not in its pristine condition, it still is beautiful in its white marble glory, raising three hundred feet above the city of Athens. The Acropolis' glory is all due to the impeccable designing created by the greek architects of that time. They planned the Acropolis out with great detail, portrayed in the artwork. It was successful. They were able to create the wonder of the Greek world, the Athenian Acropolis. Their timeless effort is appreciated by architects and enthusiasts throughout the world. Even today, architects use the basic elements of the Acropolis to complete their own works. Whether they use the ionic style columns or the carved friezes, they tie their building to the basic construction of the greek Athenian Acropolis.
seen from only one facade. This is what made the Acropolis at Athens so amazing. What makes the Acropolis even more amazing is the buildings within its walls. There is the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion, the temple of Athena Nike, and more.
The final, and most majestic temple of the acropolis is the Parthenon.
It is the most important and characteristic monument of the ancient Greek civilization and still remains its international symbol. It was dedicated to Athena Parthenos, the patron goddess of Athens. It was built between 447 and 438 B.C. and its sculptural decoration was completed in 432 B.C. The temple is built in the Doric order and almost exclusively of Pentelic marble. It is built with eight columns on each of the narrow sides and seventeen columns on each of the long ones. The sculptural decoration of the Parthenon is a unique combination of the Doric metopes and triglyphs on the entablature, and the Ionic frieze on the walls of the cella. The metopes depict the Gigantomachy on the east side, the Amazonomachy on the west, the Centauromachy on the south, and scenes from the Trojan War on the north. The relief frieze depicts the Procession of the Panathenaea, the most formal religious festival of ancient Athens. The scene runs along all the four sides of the building and includes the figures of gods, beasts and of some 360 humans. The two pediments of the temple are decorated with mythological scenes: the east, above the building's main entrance, shows the birth of Athena, and the west, the fight between Athena and Poseidon for the name of the city of Athens. The Parthenon retained its religious character in the following centuries and was converted into a Byzantine church, a Latin church and a Muslim
mosque.
Throughout the years the Acropolis has been viewed as a masterpiece of Greek architecture. Even though the Acropolis is not in its pristine condition, it still is beautiful in its white marble glory, raising three hundred feet above the city of Athens. The Acropolis' glory is all due to the impeccable designing created by the greek architects of that time. They planned the Acropolis out with great detail, portrayed in the artwork. It was successful. They were able to create the wonder of the Greek world, the Athenian Acropolis. Their timeless effort is appreciated by architects and enthusiasts throughout the world. Even today, architects use the basic elements of the Acropolis to complete their own works. Whether they use the ionic style columns or the carved friezes, they tie their building to the basic construction of the greek Athenian Acropolis.