Ancient Greek Architecture
by Krysta CardinaleGreek architecture was not seen as an art for most of the ancient civilization’s history. It was missing in Greece from about 1200 BC to the 7th century BC. During the 7th century BC, the prosperity of Greece rose to allow the undertaken of Greek buildings. However, many of the early forms of Ancient Greek architecture were constructed out of mud and wood, which cannot withstand the hand of time. There are only a few ground-plans that remain, and almost no written records of these very early Greek buildings. The majority of modern day knowledge of Greek architecture comes from the surviving structures of the Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman periods. The Parthenon and the Acropolis are two famous structures from Ancient Greece.
The original inhabitants of the Greek peninsula are said to be Neolithic. They were very primitive and basic in building structures. They built houses of mostly circular, oval, or rectangular shapes including only one large room, very rarely two rooms. Their building material consisted of mud bricks and stones. They used reeds and brush to help build these houses. The next group of settlers in Greece was the Minoans. The Minoan architects built mostly residential towns with very little public places or temples. Their Greek buildings differed vastly from the earlier inhabitants. The Minoan houses contained many rooms separated by pillars. They also had stairways, although very primitive in nature. This began a whole new era in Ancient Greek architecture and Greek buildings.
Classical Greek Architecture
The Classical Greek period of architecture can be broken down into three orders. These three orders were the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. The differences in them can be seen in temple structures and column style.
The Doric order is the most basic for the Ancient Greek temples and is known for being used by the Spartans. This order started out with wooden shafts being used mostly, but then later replaced with stone. The material used for the roofs included thatch, terra-cotta, and marble. The Doric temples were very similar in layout and design to those of the Ionic order. The Ionic order had more slender columns than that of the Doric. In the Doric, the columns’ dimensions were four to five meters high; in the Ionic they were eight to nine. Ionic columns had molded bases, and sculpted figures were often placed on the lower part of them. The tops of the columns had rectangular blocks of stone, engraved with line shapes. The Corinthian order was not as commonly used as the other two. The reason would be that the Corinthian was much fancier and elaborate in detail.
The Parthenon
The Parthenon was built in the 5th Century BC as the Temple of Athena. It is the best-known remaining building of Ancient Greece. It is also considered as Greek architecture’s finest achievement. The Parthenon is located at the Acropolis of Athens, and considered one of the world’s greatest cultural monuments. It got its name from the stature of Athena Parthenos stored in an eastern room of the structure. Parthenos refers to the Greek goddess’s virginal and unmarried status. This statue was made out of ivory and gold.
It was built starting in 447 BC to replace an older temple of Athena that was destroyed in 480 BC by the Persians. Phidias was the general supervisor of the construction and head of the sculptural decoration. Iktinos and Kallikrates were the architects. The construction of the building was completed by 438 BC and details continued for at least the next five years. The Parthenon was sculpted out of limestone and marble. It is considered part of the Doric order and its base dimensions are 69.5 meters by 30.9 meters, or 228 feet by 101.4 feet. The internal columns are in two tiers and support the roof. The external columns are at a diameter of 1.9 meters, or 6.2 feet, and a height of 10.4 meters, of 34.1 feet.
Even though this temple is considered part of the Doric order, it does contain some Ionic architectural features. The structure is known for its richness in decoration and elaborate details, and is considered unique among other Ancient Greek buildings.
Like many other Greek temples, the Parthenon was used as a treasury for the Delian League that later became the Athenian Empire. In the 6th century AD, the Christian Church converted the temple. It was then dedicated it to the Virgin Mary. It was then converted into a mosque after the Turkish conquest. In 1687 AD a Venetian cannonball exploded inside the structure and severely damaged it and the all its sculptures. In the 19th century some of the surviving sculptures were removed and taken to England by Lord Elgin, and are now in the British Museum.
The Parthenon continues to be one of the most visited sites in Greece. It is currently being restored and reconstructed to its original form by the Greek Ministry of Culture.
The Acropolis
The Acropolis is actually one of many acropolises in Greece; however the one at Athens earned this name because it is the best known all throughout the country. The Acropolis at Athens rises 512 feet above sea level. It is a flat-topped rock consisting of steep cliffs on three sides, and one accessible side by foot only. It was formed by a layer of blue-grey limestone on a layer of schist-sandstone marl. It is home to many Ancient Greek buildings.
The entrance way was a monument in itself. This gateway was named the Propylea, and to the right is the tiny Temple of Athena Nike. To the left is the temple, Erectheum that has columns sculpted as figures of women (known as caryatids). At the center of the Acropolis is the Parthenon. There are also remains of the ancient outdoor theatre called Dionysus. This is where Greek plays were first performed. A reconstructed Theatre of Herodes Atticus is a few hundred yards away. Both the theatres were once very elaborate with marble walkways and audience capacities in the thousands.
The Acropolis of Athens holds a very high cultural significance. Every four years there was a festival held called the Panathenaea. In popularity, it was a rival to the Olympic Games. This festival consisted of a procession throughout the city of Athens and up the walkway into the Parthenon. A ceremonious woven wool robe was then placed on the ivory and gold statue of Athena, sculpted by Phidias.
