Art and Architecture

Question 1

Titles x10

Answer 1

Context/Purpose
Temple of Nike
Erectheion
Propylaea
Parthenon
Statue of Athena Promakos
Agora
Poseidon at Sounion
Artemis at Rhamnous + Brauron
Stoa at Thorikos

Question 2

Context/Purpose legacy (2 sources, 3+1 quotes)

Answer 2

Plutarch 1
- Building programme gave the ‘greatest pleasure to the Athenians…testimony that the tales of the ancient power and glory of Greece are no mere fables’ - 12

'bring her glory for all time'

Using 'ivory, gold, ebony, cypress-wood''

- Th 1.10 - Building for a lasting legacy, comparison to a ruined Sparta '[for Athens] one would conjecture from what met the eye that the city had been twice as powerful as it is'

Question 3

Context/Purpose - political - allies (1s, 4q)

Answer 3

Plutarch 12 Built using funds from Delian League

Athens 'disgraced herself by transferring from Delos into her own keeping the funds' 'with their own contributions.we are gilding and beautifying our city….with costly stones and statues and temples worth millions'

Question 4

Context/Purpose - political - Pericles (1s 1q)

Answer 4

Focus on how it would bring jobs, transforming the ‘whole people into wage-earners’
‘so through these demands, the city’s prosperity was extended far and wide’

Plutarch 31 - Corruption of Pheidias - ‘not proven’ but still imprisoned in Plutarch 31 (‘his friendship with Pericles, with whom he had great influence’)

Question 5

Context/Purpose religious

Answer 5

Building temples, Erectheion, Temple of Nike, Parthenon
Focus is on Acropolis not a grander boule or agora

Question 6

Temple of Nike religious

Answer 6

Temple of Nike
- Bottom wall - Godess Nike engaged in sacrifice - clear religious imagery
- East frieze gathering of the gods
Pediments (probably) Gigantomachy and Amazonomachy

Question 7

Erectheion religious

Answer 7

Erectheion
- Athena Polias
- Also respecting other cults (explaining weird shape)
- Coryatids - religious symbolism - but also extravagance

Question 8

Propylaea religious

Answer 8

Night sky - separation between Acropolis and Athens

Question 9

Agora religious

Answer 9

The fact that it is limited
Political function secondary as not really expanding the agora buildings in a similar way to Acropolis
Boule actually shrunk

Question 10

Temple to Poseidon at Sounion - religious

Answer 10

Poseidon - reminder of his power bringing sailors safely

Question 11

Sanctuary to Artemis at Brauron - religious

Answer 11

• Never finished
  - Widely spaced columns for sacrifices and gifts
  - Shrine to it on the Acropolis
  Fixed after Perisan wars

Question 12

Statues on Acropolis political

Answer 12

Pausanias 1.28.2
- Athena promakos built from the bronze of the ‘Persians who landed at Marathon’

- Reliefs upon the shield include the 'fight between Centaurs and Lapithae' - still political a representing a foreign enemy being defeated by brave Greeks

- Spear and crest of Athena 'visible to those sailing to Athens, as soon as Sunium is passed' - exaggeration (mountain)

- Bronze chariot 'tithe (taxed) from the Boeotians and Chalcidians in Euboea' - power over the allies, 

- 'statue of Pericles' by statue of Athena 

Battle of the Amazons ‘figure representing himself’ and ‘introduced a particularly fine likeness of Pericles fighting an Amazon’ (31)

Question 13

Temple of Nike political

Answer 13

Statue of Athena Apteros (without wings, so never leaving Athens)
Taking off sandals

Pediments and friezes depicting battles
West frieze - Pelop War?
South frieze - Greeks vs Persia (Marathon?)
North frieze - Greeks fighting Persia - Plataea (cavalry)

Question 14

Erectheion political

Answer 14

Athena Polias - defender of city
Frieze - 2 foot, limestone, extravagant - early athenian myths - propaganda and religion mixed

Question 15

Propylaea political

Answer 15

• Grand entrance, showing power, double pediments, gilded and extravagant marble - showing their power

Question 16

Agora political

Answer 16

• Stoas( royal, painted and Herms) - all built/rebuilt after Persian wars
  - Political function, social function, business function - open buildings
  - Painted stoa Is extravagant, depicting Amazonomachy, trojan war, marathon and Oenoe (victory over Sparta) - Polygnotus, Micon and Panaenus - prominent Athenian painters built it. Victory shields hung on walls
  
  • Heliaia and Bouleterion - essential parts to be rebuilt

Question 17

Temple of Poseidon at Sounion poltiical

Answer 17

Context of naval empire
Frieze depicting labours of Theseus - king of Athens
- Proof of Athenian spirit

Question 18

Temple to the goddess Artemis at Rhamnous

Answer 18

• Thought to be a statue of Nemesis in it - made using Persian marble

Goddess Nemesis - retribution - against the Persians

Question 19

Parthenon religious

Answer 19

Pausanias 1.24.5
East pediment ‘bears upon the birth of Athena’

West pediment ‘quarrel of Poseidon with Athena over the country’ - depicting her greatness

Statue of Athena
- Ivory and gold - so would shine

Procession of the Athenians as the inner frieze - meant to be viewed during the Panathenaia - religious significance

Honouring Athena, piety,
Battles on metope are mythical

Question 20

Parthenon political

Answer 20

Treasury behind statue, jewels from allies laid around statue

Athenian wealth shown

Extravagant, curve outwards to make it look more impressive

Greater than temple at Olympia on purpose (6x12 vs 8x16 columns) (50 statues on pediments vs 12)

Artistic skill (religious and political)

All metopes celebrate Greek/Athenian power

Metopes
- East - Gigantomachy - Greek gods putting down barbarians
- West -Amazonomachy - Athenians repelling Asiatic invader
- South - Centauromachy - as on the shield, representing foreign power defeated
North - sacking of Troy (analogy for the Persian power)

Frieze commemorating Marathon (192 figures shown - death toll of Marathon)
Replicating Persian architecture from Persepolis)