The Parthenon

Doric order is the earliest of the orders of architecture developed by the Greeks. It is rather sturdy in style and the top is plain. The order first appeared in the 7^th century BC. Within the period of two centuries it was further improved and perfected: the proportions, heavy in the earliest Doric columns, became more slender.

Of all surviving temples “the Parthenon…enjoys the reputation of being the most perfect Doric temple ever built”. It has been the centerpiece of Acropolis and a symbol of the leadership of Greece. Built under Pericles between 447 BC and 432 BC, it is the culminating masterpiece of Greek architecture. Ictinus and Callicrates were the architects and Phidias supervised the sculpture. Being a “perfect Doric temple”, the Parthenon has many distinct Doric features:

· a rectangular floor plan;

· the metopes. They all represented various instances of the struggle between the forces of order and justice, on the one hand, and criminal chaos on the other:

§ on the west side, the mythical battle against the Amazons;

§ on the south, the battle between the Lapiths and the Centaurs;

§ on the east, the battle between the gods and the giants;

§ on the north, the Greek versus the Trojans.

§

· relief sculptures. Those at the west end of the temple depicted the contest between Poseidon and Athena for the right to be the patron deity of Athens. The eastern group showed the birth of Athena from Zeus’ head.

· the frieze. It runs around the upper edge of the temple wall. It has a single subject on all four sides depicting a procession of horsemen, musicians, sacrificial animals, and other figures with various ritual functions. There is also a scene centered on a child handing a folded cloth to an older man and seated gods and goddess