Parthenon Vs Pantheon

The Parthenon and Pantheon are two of the most famous buildings in the World. While there are commonalities between the two buildings, the intent of each is starkly different. The function of each building serves as the inspiration for which stylistic decisions were made. The remnants of these buildings provide historians a glimpse into a different time. The style of these buildings are emulated throughout the world, showing that these buildings were architectural masterpieces. It is important to understand the similarities and differences between these two structure and their functions to better understand the culture and daily life of Ancient Greece and Rome.

The construction of the Parthenon began around 447 B.C. (“The Parthenon”, n.d.).
The original construction of the building was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa as his personal place of worship in 27 B.C. (“Pantheon, Rome”, n.d.). The original Pantheon was destroyed because of a great fire in 80 A.D. (“Pantheon, Rome”, n.d.). It was rebuilt by Domitian, but later destroyed again in 110 A.D due to a lightning strike that caused a fire (“Pantheon, Rome”, n.d.). The Pantheon was again rebuilt and repairs were made to the building in 202 A.D. by emperors Septimius Severus and Caracalla Severus (“Pantheon, Rome”, n.d.). In 609 A.D., the Pantheon was gifted to the pope who converted the building into a Christian church (“Pantheon, Rome”, n.d.). The building today still serves this same purpose. The design of the building is fairly unusual. A rectangular portico leads into the building with three lines of granite columns. The pediment is adorned with relief sculptures. The portico leads into a large rotunda which features multiple brick relieving arches on the wall that are visible on the outside and built into the brickwork. The interior of this dome was intended to symbolize the heavens. The only natural source of light is the oculus in the dome’s apex and the entry door. The dome also features sunken panels that are evenly spaced out and thought to have symbolic meaning. Modifications were made once it was renovated to serve as a Christian church. These
The Parthenon was designed as a tribute to Athena, while the Pantheon of today serves as a church. The design of both the buildings is classical in nature, with the use of columns and relief sculptures. However, there are numerous differences between building that is telling of the different cultures of Greece and Rome. The designs on the frieze of the Parthenon depict Greeks in similar fashion to gods. This confidence was not displayed in the Roman Pantheon. The Pantheon is rather a place of worship and not symbolic of confidence or boasting. The construction of the Parthenon took place in a time where the Greeks were proud of their historic defeat of the Persians and they wanted to celebrate their victory by designing themselves like the gods they worshipped. The Pantheon in contrast speaks to the religious culture that is symbolic of Rome. Despite these differences, the similarity in the buildings is hard to ignore and they are both still celebrated