...Acropolis,which located in central Athens acropolis hill, is the most outstanding ancient Greek buildings. Greek for “Acropolis” means “high city” or “Takaoka on the city-state.” As a representative work of ancient Greek architecture, Acropolis of Athens has reached the highest level of sacred buildings, temples, orders and sculptures in ancient Greece. These ancient buildings can be rated as the heritage of mankind and architectural masterpiece, and hold an important position in architecture history. Acropolis, including four greatest ancient Greek art masterpieces—Parthenon Temple, the Propylaea, the Erechtheum and Temple of Athena Nike, is considered to be a symbol of the world’s traditional concepts. Due to the history, there are many Parthenon marbles which they removed from the temple and transported to England in the British museum. Many people require England to return sculptures while others do not want to. It is a controversy topic and different people have very different opinions. In my point of view, returning is necessary because cultural treasures from ancient civilizations belong in the places they come from. Also, the cultural importance of the marbles are very strong, not only do they possess the power to almost unlock the past of ancient Greece but as well they have the power to unite the local Citizens of Greece to their true heritage. The Acropolis is used to prevent foreign invasion of the fortress, surrounded by the walled hilltop, site of the ancient...
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...Antigone - commentary notes The Myth •Characters of a tragedy were not invented from scratch each time the writer composed a new play. •Images and stories inspired by myths were connected with every form of artistic expression and ceremonial ritual, proving that the greeks were not only familiar with a great number of mythical stories, but also made them to define themselves in the world and communicate their specific cultural issues. •In tragic theatre the characters were mentally close to the audience and shared the values of the democratic period in Athens. •The geographical characteristics of the mythical location, which usually existed in reality, could also be used in the stories and affect the dramatic events of the play. •The Theban saga of Lais and his children was one of the most popular in the Greek literary and iconographic tradition. The Festival •The tragedy of Antigone was presented in the theatre of Dionysus as part of a drama competition that took place every year during the city Dionysia, one of the city’s numerous festivals. •The city Dionysia, which was dedicated to Dionysus, god of fertility, wine and theatre, was one of Athens’ greatest annual festivals and aimed to celebrate the god’s arrival in Athens as well as the city’s wealth and prosperity. •The event took place in mid to late march when seagoing again became possible after the winter. •A rough schedule of the festival can be made as it developed...
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...later Byzantine Empire and was relatively prosperous during the period of the Crusades (12th and 13th centuries), benefiting from Italian trade. Following a period of sharp decline under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Athens re-emerged in the 19th century as the capital of the independent Greek state. Contents 1 Name 1.1 Geographical setting 2 Antiquity 2.1 Origins and early history 2.2 Reform and democracy 2.3 Classical Athens 2.3.1 Early Athenian military history 2.3.2 Artists and philosophers 2.3.3 Peloponnesian War 3 Athenian coup of 411 BC 3.1 Corinthian War and the Second Athenian League 3.2 Athens under Macedon 3.3 Hellenistic Athens 3.4 Roman Athens 4 Middle Ages 4.1 Byzantine Athens 4.2 Latin Athens 4.2.1 Burgundian period 4.2.2 Aragonese period 4.2.3 Florentine period 5 Modern history 5.1 Ottoman Athens 5.2 Independence from the Ottomans 5.3 Modern Athens 5.3.1 Population influx 5.3.2 Athens under the Nazis 5.3.3 Postwar Athens 5.3.4 Athens today 5.3.5 Recent historical population 5.4 Notable Athenians 5.5 Ancient sites in Athens 6 Notes 7 Further reading The contest of Athena and Poseidon. West Pediment of the Parthenon. The name of Athens, connected to the name of its patron goddess Athena, originates from an earlier, Pre-Greek language.[1][verification needed] The etiological myth explaining how Athens acquired this name through the legendary contest between Poseidon and Athena was described by...
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...Athens Handout Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, (trans. by R. Crawley) 2.15 The Synoecism of Theseus: From very early times this had been more the case with the Athenians than with others. Under Cecrops and the first kings, down to the reign of Theseus, Attica had always consisted of a number of independent townships, each with its own town hall and magistrates. Except in times of danger the king at Athens was not consulted; in ordinary seasons they carried on their government and settled their affairs without his interference; sometimes even they waged war against him, as in the case of the Eleusinians with Eumolpus against Erechtheus. In Theseus, however, they had a king of equal intelligence and power; and one of the chief features in his organization of the country was to abolish the council-chambers and magistrates of the petty cities, and to merge them in the single council-chamber and town hall of the present capital. Individuals might still enjoy their private property just as before, but they were henceforth compelled to have only one political centre, viz., Athens; which thus counted all the inhabitants of Attica among her citizens, so that when Theseus died he left a great state behind him. Plutarch, Life of Solon (trans. by B. Perrin) Solon and Draco’s Laws: 17 1 In the first place, then, he repealed the laws of Draco, all except those concerning homicide, because they were too severe and their penalties too heavy. For one penalty was assigned to...
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...the war they were currently fighting in, and become a world power. The temple was built in stages because funding was limited due to war. The temple was dedicated to Athena, the bringer of victory. It is also related to the goddess of victory, Nike. There is a statue of Nike in the temple as well. The Athenians might have hoped that their show of dedication to their goddess would coax her to help them defeat the Spartans. 2. What materials were used to build it? The Temple of Nike is not intact. It was torn down and recycled by the Turkish government in 1687, but then was rebuilt in 1835.The temple of Nike was constructed from white pentelic marble. Today, the main structure, stylobate and columns are mostly intact, but the temple is missing its roof. It is currently undergoing a major restoration project, which includes a lot of dismantling and reassembly of the building materials for cleaning. There is a statue inside the temple of the goddess of victory, Nike. This statue is made out of wood and was made without wings. They did this so it could never leave the city. 3. Describe the layout/design of the building. 3. The temple is the earliest fully ionic temple on the Acropolis. The Temple of Athena Nike was built between 427 and 424 BC. It is a tetra style Ionic structure, which means there are 4 columns, with a colonnaded portico at both front and rear facades (amphiprostyle). This building was built on top of the remains of an earlier 6th century BC temple to Athena, demolished...
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...Greek Architecture has heavy influence in current society. The Parthenon is a former temple, on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron. It is one, if not the, most famous temple in the world. The architectural styles the Parthenon includes is the Doric Order, and it has classical architecture. The work began under the orders of Pericles to show the wealth and exuberance of Athenian power. The columns used in Greek Architecture are very popular today, popular buildings across the world use them. There are three types of columns the Greeks created; The Doric Column, the Ionic Column, and the Corinthian Column. The Doric Column was the first created, it has smooth, round...
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...architectural abilities. The lions gate was thus far the most stunning structure of the Mycenaean civilization; displaying symbolism and their engineering abilities. Ten ton a piece each stone stood precisely to its adjacent block. It is curious to think how the Greeks were able to construct such magnificent works without modern technologies. A core belled arched, was held together by constant pressure from outward inward. This labeled the feature the most innovative structure. Polycrates (c.570-522 B.C) a dominant sea force was most known for his agricultural inventions. He managed to create an aqueduct connecting the city of Samos to spring water. Pericles was a democrat and an enlightened intellectual. The Parthenon temple built on the Athenian acropolis; the greatest city-state of all Greece. Such a magnificent structure required time and harsh labor. Ultimately, to make a statement of the grandiosity of the Greek culture and the immensity of their power. Their engineering spoke for them. Their almost natural and...
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...PERICLES Pericles was an Ancient Greek statesman. He was born C. 495 BCE in Athens, Greece. His Father, Xanthippus, and his mother, Agariste, were both wealthy and influential figures. Young Pericles received a great education in Maths and Music under the tutelage of Damon and theoretical physicist Zeno of Alea. When he was 17, Pericles inherited a fortune from his parents which he used to fund others’ artistic endeavors, including a 472 B.C. staging of playwright Aeschylus’ The Persae. By his 20s Pericles became an established patron of the arts through sponsoring the festival of Dionysus. At this time Pericles met and married his wife and they later had 2 sons. In 470 BCE after becoming prominent in the law courts he entered politics....
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...development of Athenian Democracy was the period from 510 to 480 BC? Give reasons for your views. The birth and growth of Athenian Democracy saw drastic changes occur for Greek life economically and socially, especially during 510 to 480 BC, hence why this era is said to be when the most radical reforms occurred due to archons such as Cleisthenes who attached people by proposing political power to all. Therefore some would consider this era to be the most important in the development of Athenian democracy despite Solons attempts previously. The consequences of the expulsion of Hippias in 511 BC proved to be vital in Athenian Democracy being developed. The citizens of Athens were becoming restless after the cruel reign of Hippias and were determined for a change. The rival leaders for political power were “Isagoras, son of Tisander, a partisan of the tyrants and Clesithenes who belonged to the family of the Alcmenidea. Cleisthenes was beginning to lose the political battle after Isagoras getting the Archonship in 508 BC, he decided to appeal to the masses and put forward a measure by which all free people in Attica should be legally placed on the citizen roles. This alarmed Isagoras who, after appealing to King Cleomenes, asserted that any member of the Alcmeaonid family is to lose their citizenship and for the Council to become an oligarchy of 300 Isagoras supporters. The council resists causing the Spartans to seize the sacred Acropolis but the Athenians rose against them...
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...Images of Hellenism March 4, 2014 The Elgin Marbles: Fact or Feeling? “In a confrontation between Greece and Britain over the marbles, Greece is clearly the sentimental favorite.” – John Henry Merryman “The Elgin Marbles.” “The Parthenon Marbles.” “The Marbles.” Regardless of their description, these works of art are inarguably controversial. The debate surrounding the marbles is heated and far from reaching conclusion. Today, the controversy takes the shape of public protests, press releases from public figures, web-campaigns, and popular media coverage. Why is it that so many in the past have cared, and so many in the future likely will care, about the marbles? Perhaps they offer insight into the human condition, providing us with a global and cultural identity. Or maybe we simply enjoy the aesthetic appeal. Yet the reasoning behind a global interest in the marbles is not what lies at the heart of the controversy. The real issue is ownership. And allowing arguments based on national sentiment rather than legality and preservation to dictate the fate of the Elgin Marbles is irresponsible and, to some degree, disrespectful. Before a meaningful exploration of ownership can be pursued further, critical details regarding the actual acquisition of artifacts must be examined. First of all, Thomas Bruce (more commonly known as the Seventh Earl of Elgin, or Lord Elgin), and his crew brought back to Britain 247 feet of the 524 foot long Parthenon frieze. In addition to the...
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...In this paper, I intend to explore the conflicts that arose between those of the aristocratic society, and those who composed the vast number of peasants before, as well as after the life and times of Solon, and the effect and solutions that Solon’s rule had concerning these conflicts. Such major conflicts between peasants and aristocrats include, [but are not limited to] land and slavery (Trumbach). Though, these laws will be explored further later on in this essay. The ruler, Solon imposed a number of laws in order to rectify the problems that were arising between aristocrats and peasants, as well as to mold Athenian society in a much more citizen-oriented way of living (Trumbach). Such laws included relieving the prior debts that peasants owed to the aristocrats, as well as outlawing the creation of debts slaves (Plutarch: Solon, 57). Again, such laws will be explained further along in this essay. This essay will consist of three sections. In the first section, this essay will attempt to explain the conflicts that arose between the aristocrats and the peasants on the basis of land and slavery. It will also attempt to describe how Solon’s laws impacted this conflict, as well as the situations that occurred before, and the situations that occurred after Solon. The second section of this essay will explore the conflicts that arose between aristocrats and peasants on the basis of political power, the views of both parties, as well as the reasoning both parties had...
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...The Elgin Marbles / Parthenon Sculptures I read two articles on the internet that provided some very interesting points in regards to the “Elgin Marble” which are better known as the “Parthenon Marbles.” Between 1801 – 1805, Thomas Bruce, Seventh Lord Elgin, procured the marble art and took them to Britain. Lord Elgin’s original intentions were to obtain some sketches and plaster casts made of the great sculptures and reliefs on the Parthenon and other nearby ruins. At the time Greece was under Ottoman rule. When Lord Elgin obtained his permit for his request, he was given access to take whatever he desired. It was further ordered that Lord Elgin and his agents were not to be hindered from taking away any pieces of stone with inscriptions and figures. This is equivalent to today’s political give and take. For many years, the Ottomans were thankful to Britain for assisting with the Napoleon. Eventually, Greece won their independence from Ottoman rule in 1829 and called for the immediate return of the sculptures. Now, back to Lord Elgin: with his all-inclusive permit in hand; he and his little party began to take some of the most renowned symbols of the golden age of classical Greeks. Lord Elgin had allowed greed to manipulate his original mission. He took advantage of the situation to such a degree; many British people thought Elgin had committed acts of cultural vandalism. In 1816, he was forced to sell the sculptures to the British Government to alleviate...
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...The Parthenon has transitioned through many different uses throughout its history, including a temple for the Greek goddess Athena, a church of the Virgin Mary, and a Mosque. Naturally, this results in it being an important site from Greek history. Thus, in 1801-1802, when Lord Elgin came to the acropolis when Greece was under Ottoman rule, he removed sculptures from the acropolis and took them back to England, where they were called the “Elgin marbles.” In the recent past, there has been some dispute between Greece and England about his justifications in taking the marbles, and whether or not they should be sent back to Greece. After analyzing the two arguments, I argue that the Elgin marbles should remain in the British museum. The first reason these marbles should remain in London is because Lord Elgin was not sporadically taking things from the acropolis, but he did so under the full knowledge and authorities of the Ottoman Empire, who were at this time in control of Greece. Some may argue that the Ottomans didn’t have the right to give away artifacts of Greek history, but if they were the ruling power, who is to say they didn’t? The rulers decide what actions to take,...
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...Abstract This paper will be using sculptural and ceramic illustrations provided by Soltes, explain the evolution from Geometric Greek art into Classical Greek art, culminating with the construction and decoration of the Parthenon (The Temple of Athena). It will discuss what social, cultural/historic events accompanied and promoted this evolution. Greek art and sculpture has had a profound effect throughout the ages. Many of the styles have been reproduced and copied by some of what the modern day audiences would class as some of the finest artists to have ever lived. The Greeks used many different types of materials in their sculptures including stone, marble and limestone as these were abundant in Greece. Other materials such as clay were also used but due to their brittle nature very few have survived. Greek sculptures are very important as the vast majority of them tell us a story about Gods, Heroes, Events, Mythical Creatures and Greek culture in general. Many of the statues that have survived are actually of Roman origin. Like many people today the Romans had a deep respect for Greek sculptures and many were copied. If the Romans had not made these copies, many of the Greek Legends and stories that we know today would have been lost to antiquity. Geometric Art was a dramatic transformation that led to the establishment of primary Greek institutions such as the Greek city and the Greek alphabet. Although primarily visual, transformation is a concept...
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...Cultural riches from ancient civilisations belong in the places they come from. Many museums no longer buy relics, although many like the Louvre or the Metropolitan Museum are still increasing and restoring their collections. Some museums are trying to return these artifacts to their rightful homes. “About 65% of the original sculptures from the Parthenon survive and are located in museums across Europe. The majority of the sculptures are divided between the Acropolis Museum in Athens and the British Museum in London (about 30% each), while important pieces are also held by other major European museums, including the Louvre and the Vatican.” Everyone has the right to define what the past means for us. Not everyone may have the same understanding...
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