The Parthenon is one of the iconic ancient Greek temples. It is considered the embodiment of beauty and the classical Greek style. It was built in the 5th century B.C.E., which is taken as the high classical moment for the whole Western civilization (“Parthenon (Acropolis)”). The construction is dedicated to Athena, the goddess of wisdom protecting Athens. The temple has recognizable and iconic features familiarizing viewers with the peculiarities of the Greek style. The Doric elements, such as massive columns, shallow broad flutes, vertical lines, and columns touching the stylobate (“Parthenon (Acropolis).”). These features contribute to the creation of a classic, and at the same time, beautiful image that can be easily recognized even today The importance of this concept of beauty is evidenced by the fact that many buildings today, such as Le Madeleine in Paris or Jefferson Memorial are built following the style (“Parthenon (Acropolis).”). This understanding of beauty in Architecture became critically important for the next generations.
Another notable feature of the Parthenon is the existence of sculptures to emphasize the beauty of the place and show its importance. For instance, the west pediment is decorated with sculptures depicting Athena battling with Poseidon to explain who was the real patron of the ancient city (Ryals 159). Sculptures are another critical part of ancient Greek culture, and they also embodied their vision of beauty. Perfect shapes with ideal bodies are seen in multiple other works of this period and are followed by sculptors representing later periods (“Greek history – Classical period (480-323 BC)”). In such a way, Parthenon can be considered a reflection of classic Greek art as it combines the elements of Doric style, light, and visually attractive shapes, and unique use of sculptures to show the perfection of the human body and translate a particular message to a viewer.
Works Cited
“Greek history – Classical period (480-323 BC).”YouTube, uploaded by The Benaki Museum, Web.
“Parthenon (Acropolis).”YouTube, uploaded by Smarthistory, Web.
Ryals, Justin. Humanities: Greek and Roman. Valencia College, 2020.