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Clasciv MA > temples - greek > Flashcards

temples - greek Flashcards

1
Q

where is the parthenon?

A

athens, greece

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2
Q

how did athens pay for the Parthenon in 447-433BC?

A

Athens paid for the Parthenon by using the money from the Treasury of the Delian league, which was moved from the neutral island of Delos to Athens by a leading polician called Pericles. (Persians sacked Athens but they were defeated by Athenians and other Greeks which then became the Delian league (effectively the Athenian empire) which Athens became the head of).
this was a statement of power

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3
Q

what did the Parthenon symbolise for the rest of Greece?

A

military power and wealth. Pericles also hoped to turn Athens into the architectural centre of the world, the Parthenon being the most prominent building

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4
Q

who were the chief designers and what were their roles?

A

the lead architect was called Phidias. He was in charge of general design and sculpture including the statue of Athena in the Naos
there were two other architects called Iktinos, and Kallikrates.

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5
Q

how many columns did the parthenon have?

A

8 x 17 columns

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6
Q

what is the formula for no. columns

A

𝑥 x 2𝑥 + 1

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7
Q

what is on the west pediment of the Parthenon?

A

the battle of Athena and Poseidon

The Battle of Athena and Poseidon was a contest between the Olympian gods Athena and Poseidon to determine who would protect and name the city of Athens

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8
Q

how long was the ionic frieze on the Parthenon? what did it depict?

A

165 m long. it wrapped the entire way around the temple. It depicted a procession of citizens including men and horses which would have been technically difficult to make

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9
Q

why did the Parthenon not have its own altar or priesthood?

A

it was an offshoot of the cult Athena Polias (Protectress of the City)

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10
Q

give details of the cult statue in the parthenon.

A

height - 13 m tall
sculptor - Phidias
materials - chryselephantine (ivory and gold)
it was added in around 438 BC
in the middle of her helmet is a sphinx and on the other sides are griffins in relief.
she wears a tunic
an ivory head of medusa is on her breast
she holds a statue of victory (goddess Nike) and a spear
near the spear is a serpent

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11
Q

give some details about the statue of victory in the parthenon

A

it is held in the right hand of Athena. it was 172 cm tall and made of solid gold which was melted down when needed

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12
Q

why were some statues made of ivory and gold, not marble and stone?

A

the ivory represented skin and the gold could be melted down for parts if needed

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13
Q

what were the dimensions of the Pantheon?

A

69.5 x 27.1

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14
Q

what was special about the parthenon?

A

no altar because it was an offshoot of the cult of Athena Polias

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15
Q

what do the southern metopes show in the pantheon?

A

centaurs vs lapiths battle

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16
Q

what do the northern metopes show in the pantheon?

A

trojan war

17
Q

what was in the opisthodomos of the parthenon?

A

treasury for the Delian league (an alliance of 100s of Greek states which payed tribute to Athens in exchange for protection from Persian invasion)

18
Q

what was around the parthenon?

A
  • NW - Athena promachos
  • W - Temple of Nike Athena
  • N and a little bit E - Erechtheion (housed small statue for Athena)
  • NE - Altar to Athena Polias (centre of worship and where sacrifices took place)
19
Q

what other statues were in the Parthenon?

A

Athena Parthenos, Athena Nike

20
Q

what is depicted on the eastern pediment of the Parthenon?

A

Athena’s birth (from head of Zeus on Mt Olympus)

21
Q

where is the Temple of Zeus?

A

Olympia, Greece. it is within the sanctuary of Olympia called Altis (a sacred area in the centre of Olympia containing religious buildings)

22
Q

when did the building of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia begin?

A

472BC

23
Q

how many columns does the Temple of Zeus at Olympia have?

A

6 x 13

24
Q

what are some main features of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia?

A

naos, opisthodomos, surrounded by collonades, made of local limestone

25
Q

what is the Parthenon made of?

A

The Parthenon in Athens, Greece is made of Pentelic marble, with the exception of the limestone foundation

26
Q

what is special about limestone?

A

cost-effective, common, easy to work with

27
Q

what are the dimensions of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia?

A

64.1 x 27.7 m

28
Q

what else is in the sanctuary at Olympia apart from the Temple of Zeus

A

7 m tall altar of Zeus

29
Q

describe the altar at the Temple of Zeus at Olympia

A
  • 7m high due to the accumulation of ash from sacrifices over time, highlighting how ancient the site is
  • the hetacomb that took place on the 3rd day of the Olympics took place here
  • the altar was present around 200 years before the temple of Zeus being built, highlighting the relative importance of the Altar and Temple in Greek religion
  • unknown builder
  • existed since at least 776 BC when the Olympic games were founded
30
Q

what was shown on the eastern pediment of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia?

A

myth of Oinomaos and Pelops with Zeus in the centre acting as a judge with the other two on either side

31
Q

what was shown on the western pediment of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia?

A

depicts the battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs (AKA centauromachy) which represented civilisation over barbarism potentially showing how the temple came to be and civilisation

32
Q

what are on the metopes at the Temple of Zeus at Olympia?

A

the 12 labours of Heracles. there are 6 on the eastern metopes and 6 on the western metopes. they depict the heroic attributes of Heracles

33
Q

describe the cult statue at the Temple of Zeus at Olympia

A
  • the cult statue of ZEUS was 13m tall - impressive
  • made of gold and ivory
  • zeus was seated on a throne
  • in his right hand is Victory, in the other is a Sceptre and an eagle made of many metals
  • he wears a garland on his head
  • his sandals and robe are solid gold - expensive
  • Phidias made it/designed it - highlighting the skill required to make it (especially given he also had to make the statue in Athens)
  • there was olive oil in front of the statue to maintain the ivory and create a shimmering effect-looks more impressive
34
Q

how fitting was the decoration of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia for both the worship of Zeus and the glorification of Olympia?

A
  • scale made it fitting e.g., 7m Altar, 13m cult statue
  • materials used (chryselephantine, ivory, gold, limestone)
  • skill required to make the metopes and pediments which depict the gods as powerful
  • the theme of conflict and barbary vs civilisation shows greek values prevailing
35
Q
A

Clasciv MA (22 decks)

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