Greek Architectural Movements & the Parthenon

This project will examine various artistic and architectural developments of Ancient Greece that influenced the design of its most famous architectural achievement, the Parthenon. The beauty of the Parthenon is not in its creation of a new architectural style, but rather its amalgamation and flawless implementation of several artistic movements all within one single work of art. Numerous Greek temples demonstrate some of the consequential developments that impacted construction of the Parthenon.  

The Temple of Aphaia illustrates the Ancient Greek practice of using optical refinementsto counteract optical illusions. Ancient Greek architects designed their temples to be highly ordered, mathematically perfect. However, they realized that once these perfectly designed temples were constructed, optical illusions would occur that caused these temples to appear imperfect. As a result, architects began to make adjustments to their perfect temples. These optical refinements made the temples less perfect technically but combated the optical illusions in such a way that made the temples appear perfect once again. 

The Temple of Hera at Samos, the Temple of Zeus at Nemea, and the Temple of Apollo in Corinth provide examples of the architectural “orders”of Greek temples. One of the most important and recognizable features of Greek temples is their impressive columns. Greeks developed three distinct styles of columns, which are also referred to as “orders.” The three orders are: the Doric Order, the Ionic Order, and the Corinthian Order. The Doric Order was the first order to be developed. Columns in the Doric Order are meant to look sturdy, imposing, and daunting. As such, the Doric Order is often described as a “masculine order.” The Ionic Order, by contrast, is more slender, elegant, and intended to imply knowledge. The Ionic Order is often described as a “feminine” order. The Corinthian order was developed after the Parthenon, so it will not be covered in this project.

The Temple of Hephaestus showcases the use of relief sculptures in temples’ friezes. The frieze is the horizontal band that wraps around the very top of a temple’s exterior sides. Friezes were adorned with ornamentation, including impressive relief sculpture that artists employed to tell stories in a fashion similar to a comic book – chronologically ordered panels depicting a series of scenes to tell a particular story.

The Temple of Artemis in Corfu displays the use of large-scale sculpture on Temple pediments. In contrast to frieze sculpture which tells a story through a series of scenes, pediment sculpture depicts a single scene. The pediment is the triangular section at the top of both short sides of Greek temples. Pediment sculpture was sometimes relief sculpture, but sometimes at the more lavish temples, free standing sculpture. 

The Temple of Artemis at Sardis shows how the true purpose of Greek templesimpacted their design. Unlike the temples, churches, and mosques of today, the Greek temple was not a building which pious Greeks would congregate within to worship a deity. In fact, non-clergy Greeks were not allowed to enter their temples at all. The purpose of a Greek temple was to provide a home for a large statue of a Greek God or Goddess. These statues are called Icons. Religious services that ancient Greeks attended occurred outside the Greek temples. Most Greek services involved sacrificing an animal, dedicating the inedible parts of the animal to the deity, cooking the animal, and eating – much like an ancient barbeque! These sacrifices were performed on altars located outside of temple walls.

Each of these movements (the use of optical refinements, the application of both Doric and Ionic Orders, the display of frieze and pediment sculpture, and the demonstration of the purpose of temples) influenced the design of the Parthenon, making it one of the most magnificent architectural achievements the world has ever seen.

Parthenon reconstruction image citation:
447-436 B.C. Athens: Acropolis: Parthenon Drawing Ictinus & Callicrates Reconstruction. https://library.artstor.org/asset/ARTSTOR_103_41822003553151.