ATHENIAN ACROPOLIS

Question 1

CIVIC IMPORTANCE OF ATHENIAN ACROPOLIS TO ATHENS

Answer 1

• Acropolis = religious heart of Athens
• Natural outcrop in the city = easiest place to defend
• 6th century it was filled with votive offerings made by individuals –> to patron goddess Athena
• Offerings marked THANKS or HOPE for PROTECTION and GOODWILL show religious nature of the space.
• Acropolis hosted a temple and it was this pre-PARTHENON which Persians destroyed in 480 when they invaded Attica.
• Athenians then swore OATH OF PLATEA, and promised not to REBUILD any TEMPLE –> eternal reminder of BARBARIC IMPIETY.
• PERICLES second half of 5th CENTURY BC –> Parthenon, Propylai, Athena Nike and Erectheion built.
• PRIMARILY RELIGIOUS PURPOSE< integrating Acropolis within life of the city.

Question 2

PARTHENON

Answer 2

• 447 - 432 BC
• entirely made out of marble, overwhelming number of sculptures, outdid any other Greek temple.
• BOTH PEDIMENTS, DORIC FREIZE (metopes) all 4 sides sculpted and IONIC FEEIZE.
• Inside = CHRYSELPHANTINE statute of Athena.
• Myths chosen to decorate PARTHENON relate to each other
• Doric FREIZE (METOPES) sculpted with 4 major battles
• GIGANTOMACHY, CENTRAUROMACHY, AMAZONMACHY, TROJAN WAR which was CIVILISED vs. BARBARIC
• Statue of Athena Parthenon inside Parthenon depicted these myths –> outer side of her shield portrayed the Amazonmachy, inside Gigamantochy and Centaurmachy = golden sandals.
• East Pediment = BIRTH OF ATHENA
• West Pediment = CONTEST BETWEEN ATHENA AND POSEIDON for patronage of Athens.
• IONIC frieze = PORTRAYED GREAT PANATHENAIA, ATHENIAN FESTIVAL IN HONOUR OF ATHENA.

Question 3

IONIC FREIZE

Answer 3

• Depiction of the PANATHENAIAC PROCESSION SHOWS MORTALS WORSHIPPING THEIR GODDESS
• All sections of society have gathered and are united to celebrate Athena
• As they honour her, they revel in their city’s democratic nature and strength and piety.
• Attendance of the gods shows the RECIPROCAL nature of Greek religion; mortals are worshipping the gods, who in turn grant favour and protection to them.

Question 4

DORIC FRIEZE (metopes)

Answer 4

• This shows a series of MYTHICAL battles where order and civilisation has won against chaos and barbarity.
• In each case, the gods and other heroic groups have fought and brought about the current state of the world.
• Each battle represents a further reason why mortals should worship the gods: ensured the end of these offences.

Question 5

THE PEDIMENTS

Answer 5

• Portrays divine scenes related specifically to their patronage goddess Athena. Her birth, EAST SIDE, celebrates her origin
• the contest shown on the west side = EXPLAINS WHY SHE IS THE GODDESS OF ATHENS.
• Both myths = CRUCIAL TO HER WORSHIP AND AUTHOIRTY IN THE CITY. Athena who fought in Gigantomachy and who helped Greek heroes such as Odysseus at Troy –> directly thanked for the civilisation that the Doric frieze celebrates. likewise, she is the one being honoured in the Panathenaic procession.

Question 6

PARTHENON RELIGIOUS PURPOSE?

Answer 6

• Not really, there’s no altar attached to it
• Athena Parthenon no priestess until decades after building erected
• Inscriptions record large amounts of gold and silver were stored inside the Parthenon
• Gold used to decorate the chryselephantine statue of Athena = removable and could be borrowed in times of need
• E.g = Gold on her shoulder melted when Athens was running out of money in their fight against Sparta during the Peloponnesian wars. Parthenon functioned somewhat as BANK or TREASURY
• DISTINCTION BETWEEN RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL, CIVIC ASPECTS OF LIFE = PROBLEMATIC; goddess provided economic support at difficult times.

Question 7

ERECHTHEION

Answer 7

• Most sacred spot
• Athens and Poseidon here allegedly competed for patronage
• Housed grave of King Krekops mythical king of Athens
• dedicated to Erectheus only semi-offspring
• Temple architecture unlike any other because of these sacred sites. Archietects had to ensure that the structure accommodated space for each deity and hero as well as altars for each, dictating the size and layout of the various rooms.
• 6 CARYATIDS statues of females acting as columns –> Some scholars argue that they were carrying the baskets used in the Panathenaia and therefore part of procession ready to serve the goddess. Another argues that since they stand above the grave of KEKROPS = mourners for dead king of Athens who was regarded as the archetypal ancestral figure by Athens.
• Architect VITRUVIUS argues they represent enslaved women of Carya = ACCUSED OF BETRAYAL DURING PERSIAN WARS.
• Believed to be the HOME OF A SERPENT –> representation of Kekrops. —During the Persian Wars, before Erechtheion was built, attack on Athens = imminent and the Athenians were evacuating the city. According to Herodotus, greek snake, a guardian of the city had not eaten the monthly honey-cake offerings made to it and priestess interpreted this as a sign to evacuate the city as goddess abandoned Acropolis
• Temple used for 2 ancient rites :
  1) PLYNTERIA cleansing festival
  2) PANATHENAIA - destination of the procession as the peplos was presented to the olive statue of Athena Polias.