What was the purpose of the Parthenon frieze?
The Parthenon friezes meant to convey a Panathenaic procession, the victory of the Athenians at Marathon, the power of Athens as a city-state, and the piety of its citizens. The Parthenon is one of the most iconic buildings in the Ancient World.
What was the main function of the Propylaea?
The Propylaea was the monumental gateway to the Acropolis commissioned by the Athenian leader Pericles in order to rebuild the Acropolis at the conclusion of the Persian Wars.
What does the word Propylaea mean?
PROPYLAEA (pro pul i ya) The Propylaea or Propylaia is the monumental gateway leading to the entrance to the Acropolis in Athens. The word propylaia is the plural of the Greek propylaion, meaning “fore-gate,” indicating that the Propylaea is in fact a series of gateways.
What event did the frieze on the Parthenon show?
A reconstruction of the Parthenon showing the location of the frieze. Illustration by Kate Morton. While the pediment sculptures and metopes depicted scenes from Greek myth, as was usual for the sculpture on Greek temples, the frieze breaks with all tradition as it shows the people of Athens in a religious procession.
What subject does the Parthenon frieze represent?
The theme of an armed conflict fits well with the procession being the one just preceding Marathon. The Parthenon frieze runs around the upper edge of the temple wall of the Parthenon. On the north, west, and south the frieze portrays a procession of horsemen, musicians, and sacrificial animals.
What figures can be found on the Parthenon frieze?
The frieze consists of 378 figures and 245 animals.
What is the biggest structure at the Acropolis?
The Parthenon
The Parthenon, the largest building ever constructed on the Acropolis, measures 288 feet (69.5 meters) by 101 feet (30.9 meters) and stood about 65 feet (20 meters) high. Housing a gold and ivory statue of the goddess Athena, whom the temple was dedicated to, the structure was lavishly decorated in color.
Where is the Parthenon frieze located?
At present, the majority of the frieze is at the British Museum in London (forming the major part of the Elgin Marbles); the largest proportion of the rest is at the Acropolis Museum in Athens, and the remainder of fragments shared between six other institutions.
Where was the Parthenon frieze found?
Parthenon Frieze (Sculpture)
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| Collection: | London, British Museum and Athens, Acropolis Museum |
| Title: | Parthenon, Frieze |
| Context: | From Athens, Acropolis |
| Findspot: | Found at Athens, Acropolis |
Where was the entrance to the Propylaeum located?
The Propylaea, the entrance gate at the ancient ruins of the Acropolis, Athens. Learn about the buildings of the Acropolis of Athens, Greece, particularly the Propylaeum, the Temple of Athena Nike, and the Erechtheum.
Where did the name Propylaea come from in architecture?
The name propylaea is also applied to various monumental gateways, Neoclassical and Romantic in style, built in the late 18th and 19th centuries. They include the Propyläen of Munich (1862) and Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate (1784). This article was most recently revised and updated by Robert Lewis, Assistant Editor.
Why was the Propylaea never completed by the Greeks?
As a result of the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta in 431 BC, the Propylaea was never completed. Not only are the eastern wings missing, the wall surfaces were not trimmed to their finished shapes, and so-called lifting bosses remain on many blocks.
Why was the entrance to the Acropolis controlled by Propylaea?
Entrance into the Acropolis was controlled by the Propylaea. Though it was not built as a fortified structure, it was important that people not ritually clean be denied access to the sanctuary. In addition, runaway slaves and other miscreants could not be permitted into the sanctuary where they could claim the protection of the gods.