the building programme on the acropolis propylaia, temples to athena, parthenon, erectheion, athena...

The Building Programme on the Acropolis

Propylaia, Temples to Athena, Parthenon, Erectheion, Athena Nike

Temple

History• 566 BCE Reorganization

of the Panathenaia

• 550 Peisistratid stone poros temple (Hekatompedon)

• 490 Marble buidling on site of Parthenon

• 480 Burning of the Parthenon and Acropolis buildings

• 447 - 438 Parthenon

• 438 Propylaia

• 425 - 421 Athena Nike

• 421 Peace of Nikias

• 415 Sicilian Expedition

• 421 - 406 Erectheion

Parthenon • Perikles, the politician

• Phidias, the sculptor

• Iktinos and Kallikrates, the architects

• Athens hegemony of the Delian league

• 1/60th of treasury paid to Athens

• Doric order - most perfect example

RES PARTHENONICA

• 69.50 by 30.86 meters

• Octastyle. Doric with many elements derived from Ionic order.

• Perfect ratio system (9:5) creating a vital building

• Curvature of stylobate, entasis of columns - the building breathes

• All possibly carved elements are sculpted: metopes of the exterior Doric frieze, both west and east pediments, Ionic frieze of cella

Creativity of Architects

• Iktinos and Kallikrates

• Re-use of earlier pre-Persian column drums.

• Enlargement of Temple.

• Doric innovation to use Octastyle façade.

• 20 meter deep foundations on the south side to give a footing for expanded building.

Sculptural Themes

• West Pediment: Struggle of Athena and Poseidon for control of Athens.

• East Pediment: Birth of Athena.

• 92 Metopes. East: Gigantomachy. West: Amazonomachy. South: Centauromachy. North: Fall of Troy.

• Ionic Frieze: Peplosphoros OR the Sacrifice of the Daugthers of Erectheus.

Athena Parthenos

Plan - Parthenon

• Prodomos• Hekatompedon naos -

Pheidian cult statue• Parthenon -

opisthodomos: city treasury.

• Optical Refinements

– Entasis of columns

– Curvature of Stylobate and Crepidoma

Doric Corner Contraction

West Pediment

East Pediment

Propylaia• Mnesikles - architect

• 438 - 432 BCE: unfinished?

• Propylaia is the plural of propylon.

• Pinakotheke to the northwest.

• Southwest wing curtailed because of Athena Nike sanctuary and Mycenaean wall foundations.

• West section and East section.

• West: Doric façade

• East: Five doors to Acropolis.

Plan of Propylaia

Pinakotheke

• Pausanias (2nd c CE) saw works of Polygnotos.

• Eleusinian limestone erasure step.

Interior View

• Doric Façade. • Ionic interior

colonnade. • Five doors to

the Acropolis. Center one NOT the most used.

View from the East

Propylaia Model

Athena Nike • Kallikrates - architect. • Tetrastyle, distyle,

Ionic• Erected on Mycenaean

bastion. • Archaic altar below.

Pentelic marble. • East frieze: Gods. • West frieze: Battles of

Greeks and Persians. • Xoanon: Wooden cult

statue.

Nike Bastion

Nike East

Facade

Nike East Frieze

Erectheion

• Housed older cults on the acropolis: Erectheus, Athena Polias, Psoeidon, Hephaistos, Boutos.

• Irregular plan due to terrain, multi-cult, interruption of construction.

• Below the floor: Tomb of Kekrops, legendary king of Athens.

• Caryatid Porch.

PLAN - ERECTHEION

Erectheion: Caryatid Porch

Erechtheion: Over view

North Porch