Parthenon
The Parthenon in Athens Greece was built from 447 BCE- 438 BCE, the sculptures continuing to be worked on for an additional six years after. The building of the Parthenon was possible because of the embezzlement of Delos, a small city that allied with Athens during the war. After the war was ended, Athens had control of Delo’s treasury, and choose to use it to rebuild the temple that the Persians had burnt down. They had vowed to not rebuild the temple until after the Persians had been defeated, making the construction of this massive building after the signing of the Peace Treaty in 449 significant. The construction of the Parthenon, and the analytical choice of specific stories and their placement on the building, perpetuate three main
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ideals of the Athenians, the celebration of Athens as a superior power, the conquer of the persians and other non-athenian enemies, and the subordination of women. After the Persian war the Athenians rebuilt their temple, this time making it an elaborate symbol of their superiority as a city. The Parthenon was used as a temple, a treasury and as a public space. The sheer size and location on top of a hill made the Parthenon a spectacle, visible from miles away. Being funded by the government shows how the Parthenon was a glorification of Athens as a democratic city, despite being ruled by citizen Thucydides. “The Parthenon moreover was a visible expression of the master-- and the beauty, even the grace-- of democratic Athens.” The temple’s 42 foot tall statue of Athena was symbolic of their praise, and honor of her. They also used the statue as a treasury, using 2,500 lbs of gold to make her gown, and making it so the gold could easily be removed when the city was in need of money. In their glorification of Athens and Athena, they choose battle scenes that reflected their victory, as well as scenes that depicted the god’s battle victories. Creating a parallel between themselves and the gods. This can be seen in the metopes of the mythological battle of Troy, where the Greeks outwit the people of Troy, ending in brilliant victory, and the metopes of Gigantomachy, where the gods defend olympus from being invaded by Giants. The procession in the frieze that surrounds the building creates movement between the two pieces, moving from the mortal battle of Troy, to the immortal battle of the gods, thus creating a connection between themselves and the gods. In their depiction of the battle of Troy, the Athenians group themselves as different from the other Greeks that partook; creating a distinction between them, as Athenians, and the others. A concept that is seen throughout the entirety of the Parthenon. Athenians vs.
non- Athenians is a prevalent message made though utilizing many victorious battles that parallel their victory in the Persian war. In the depiction of the battle of Troy the Athenians simultaneously show Greek vs. Barbarian, and then go further to depict Athenian vs. non Athenian greeks. The metope that is on the opposite side of this battle is Centauromachy, which also depicts a battle of greeks vs. barbarians, these barbarians being Centaurs. The moral of Centauromachy illuminates how men must fight against animalistic impulses, the centaurs being a literal personification of barbarians being animalistic. The use of Gigantomachy on the east metope relates the victorious Greek Athenians to the victorious gods, as well as tells the story of another incident of greek vs. barbarian, these barbarians being the giants. The use of this specific story also relates to the Pediment and piece of the frieze that depict the gods in family scenes, so a scene that perpetuated the idea of the gods as a large family, plus one that works together to battle “others,” creates the idea of the Athenians being a unanimous, working group, like a family. This strengthens the unity of Athens as a powerful united city. The frieze perpetuates this through the use of every member’s face being similar, showing that despite differences in class, the people of Athens were a solid unit. However, in the procession there are examples of Greeks who are made to carry water, a demeaning woman’s job. This notes upon how Athenians believed greeks were best, but Athenian Greeks are better. The fact that non-Athenian greeks were given the job of carrying water, instead of women, as it was a woman’s job, illuminates on the chain of social standing that even non-Attic men were better than Attic women. The message of women as inferior is also depicted in the last metopes that has Amazonomachy. Amazonomachy ties the two concepts of Athenians vs. non Athenians and women as
inferior.
Shown on the metopes and on the shield of Athena, Amazonomachy depicts Greeks as valiantly defeating the Amazonians as an enemy that is non greek, and in doing so creates the idea that women are non greek. It also explains why women need to be tamed as mothers and housewives, or else they will become barbaric. Despite Athena being a female goddess, she is very misogynistic. The platform she stands on shows the story of Pandora which tells of Pandora being made by the gods to punish men. The story of how Athena became the patron of Athens, shown on the West Pediment, “justifies” why women don’t, and shouldn’t, have any political rights. Between Athena and Poseidon, Athena won the vote to be patron because all the women in greece choose her as a woman, and being more numerous in number, Athena won. Furious, Poseidon flooded Athens and to appease him the men revoked women’s rights to voting, polygamy and matriliny.
The importance of these three beliefs are strengthen by being reiterated inside the temple, on the goddess Athena. The chryselephantine statue stands on a base that depicts the story of Pandora, above this scene, shown on the soles of Athena’s shoes, is Centauromachy. The combination of these two stories pushes the idea that women are inferior to men, and need to be protected, and as these would be at eye level to visitors, this theme would be the most impressionable. The reiteration of battles like the Amazonomachy and Gigantomachy, which are paired on Athena’s shield, continue the ideal of Athenians vs. non-Athenians. This is an important topic as the temple is a glorification of the Athenian victory over the Persians, as well as the glorification of Athens. And the massive statue of Athena, the patron goddess of Athens who protects the Athenians in battle demonstrates the power of democracy. The Parthenon was a statement piece. It was a statement of Athen’s as a wealthy, strong, democratic city that had the resources, time, and power to create a beautiful piece of architecture to glorify their patron and protectress Athena, as well as themselves. It is a piece that glorifies and justifies their ideals of Athenians as superior Greeks, their prowess in defeating the Persians after a long war and many lives loss, and how men are truly the superior sex. Religion as an influence on society and their beliefs is also evident as they use mythological stories in excess to elaborate, and express their cultural ideology.
ideals of the Athenians, the celebration of Athens as a superior power, the conquer of the persians and other non-athenian enemies, and the subordination of women. After the Persian war the Athenians rebuilt their temple, this time making it an elaborate symbol of their superiority as a city. The Parthenon was used as a temple, a treasury and as a public space. The sheer size and location on top of a hill made the Parthenon a spectacle, visible from miles away. Being funded by the government shows how the Parthenon was a glorification of Athens as a democratic city, despite being ruled by citizen Thucydides. “The Parthenon moreover was a visible expression of the master-- and the beauty, even the grace-- of democratic Athens.” The temple’s 42 foot tall statue of Athena was symbolic of their praise, and honor of her. They also used the statue as a treasury, using 2,500 lbs of gold to make her gown, and making it so the gold could easily be removed when the city was in need of money. In their glorification of Athens and Athena, they choose battle scenes that reflected their victory, as well as scenes that depicted the god’s battle victories. Creating a parallel between themselves and the gods. This can be seen in the metopes of the mythological battle of Troy, where the Greeks outwit the people of Troy, ending in brilliant victory, and the metopes of Gigantomachy, where the gods defend olympus from being invaded by Giants. The procession in the frieze that surrounds the building creates movement between the two pieces, moving from the mortal battle of Troy, to the immortal battle of the gods, thus creating a connection between themselves and the gods. In their depiction of the battle of Troy, the Athenians group themselves as different from the other Greeks that partook; creating a distinction between them, as Athenians, and the others. A concept that is seen throughout the entirety of the Parthenon. Athenians vs.
non- Athenians is a prevalent message made though utilizing many victorious battles that parallel their victory in the Persian war. In the depiction of the battle of Troy the Athenians simultaneously show Greek vs. Barbarian, and then go further to depict Athenian vs. non Athenian greeks. The metope that is on the opposite side of this battle is Centauromachy, which also depicts a battle of greeks vs. barbarians, these barbarians being Centaurs. The moral of Centauromachy illuminates how men must fight against animalistic impulses, the centaurs being a literal personification of barbarians being animalistic. The use of Gigantomachy on the east metope relates the victorious Greek Athenians to the victorious gods, as well as tells the story of another incident of greek vs. barbarian, these barbarians being the giants. The use of this specific story also relates to the Pediment and piece of the frieze that depict the gods in family scenes, so a scene that perpetuated the idea of the gods as a large family, plus one that works together to battle “others,” creates the idea of the Athenians being a unanimous, working group, like a family. This strengthens the unity of Athens as a powerful united city. The frieze perpetuates this through the use of every member’s face being similar, showing that despite differences in class, the people of Athens were a solid unit. However, in the procession there are examples of Greeks who are made to carry water, a demeaning woman’s job. This notes upon how Athenians believed greeks were best, but Athenian Greeks are better. The fact that non-Athenian greeks were given the job of carrying water, instead of women, as it was a woman’s job, illuminates on the chain of social standing that even non-Attic men were better than Attic women. The message of women as inferior is also depicted in the last metopes that has Amazonomachy. Amazonomachy ties the two concepts of Athenians vs. non Athenians and women as
inferior.
Shown on the metopes and on the shield of Athena, Amazonomachy depicts Greeks as valiantly defeating the Amazonians as an enemy that is non greek, and in doing so creates the idea that women are non greek. It also explains why women need to be tamed as mothers and housewives, or else they will become barbaric. Despite Athena being a female goddess, she is very misogynistic. The platform she stands on shows the story of Pandora which tells of Pandora being made by the gods to punish men. The story of how Athena became the patron of Athens, shown on the West Pediment, “justifies” why women don’t, and shouldn’t, have any political rights. Between Athena and Poseidon, Athena won the vote to be patron because all the women in greece choose her as a woman, and being more numerous in number, Athena won. Furious, Poseidon flooded Athens and to appease him the men revoked women’s rights to voting, polygamy and matriliny.
The importance of these three beliefs are strengthen by being reiterated inside the temple, on the goddess Athena. The chryselephantine statue stands on a base that depicts the story of Pandora, above this scene, shown on the soles of Athena’s shoes, is Centauromachy. The combination of these two stories pushes the idea that women are inferior to men, and need to be protected, and as these would be at eye level to visitors, this theme would be the most impressionable. The reiteration of battles like the Amazonomachy and Gigantomachy, which are paired on Athena’s shield, continue the ideal of Athenians vs. non-Athenians. This is an important topic as the temple is a glorification of the Athenian victory over the Persians, as well as the glorification of Athens. And the massive statue of Athena, the patron goddess of Athens who protects the Athenians in battle demonstrates the power of democracy. The Parthenon was a statement piece. It was a statement of Athen’s as a wealthy, strong, democratic city that had the resources, time, and power to create a beautiful piece of architecture to glorify their patron and protectress Athena, as well as themselves. It is a piece that glorifies and justifies their ideals of Athenians as superior Greeks, their prowess in defeating the Persians after a long war and many lives loss, and how men are truly the superior sex. Religion as an influence on society and their beliefs is also evident as they use mythological stories in excess to elaborate, and express their cultural ideology.