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