lesson 2- The parthenon Flashcards
between what years was the Parthenon built?
between 447-432 BC
who was the leading architect for the parthenon?
Pericles
what was the parthenon made out of?
entirely made from marble
what did the parthenon feature an overwhelming amount of?
Sculptures-
it significantly out-did the amount of architectural sculpture of any other Greek temple, as both pediments, all four sides of the doric frieze (metopes) and an added ionic frieze were sculpted.
what is depicted on the east pediment of the Parthenon?
Athena’s birth- how she was born from the head of zeus after he swallowed her pregnant mother metis as well as Athena Nike crowning the armed goddess
what is depicted on the west pediment of the Parthenon?
the naming contest of Athens- how Athena and Poseidon fought for patronage over Athens. Athena offered an olive tree whilst Poseidon offered salt water
what is the name of the statue inside the parthenon?
chryselephantine statue of Athena Parthenos
what did the chryselephantine statue of Athena Parthenos look like?
-her skin is made of ivory, whilst her dress and armour are made of gold
-her shield portrayed the amanzomachy and the gigantomachy whilst her sandals showed the centauromachy
-she holds the goddess nike (goddess of victory) in her right hand
when was the chryselephantine statue of Athena parthenos made and by who?
it was made by phidias in 438 BC
what happened after the parthenon was destroyed by the persians in 480 BC?
The athenians swore an oath at the battle of Plataea, promising that they would rebuild the acropolis so that it acted as a reminder of their barbaric impiety
what was the significance of the different pediments?
They depicted myths that are crucial to her worship and why she had authority over Athens as patron goddess- why she was worthy of worship.
what did the ionic frieze depict?
the Panathenaic procession- (the festival in honour of Athena)- it shows how all sections of Society have gathered to celebrate Athena and revel in her strength and piety.
what did the doric frieze depict?
a series of mythical battles, where civilisation has won against barbarity- the gigantomachy, the centauromachy, the amazonomachy, and the trojan war
how did the parthenon not have a purely religious purpose?
- no altar has been identified alongside the parthenon and Athena Parthenos did not have a priestess until decades after its construction
-The gold used to decorate the chryselephantine statue of Athena Parthenos (her armour and clothing) could be used in times of need- for example the gold part of her shoulder was melted when athens was running out of money in their fight against sparta during the peloponnesian wars- it appears that the parthenon acted as a treasury or bank.
what years was Pheidias active?
460-429 BC
