what was the theme of the frieze course of the parthenon

by Deontae Murray Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago 10 min read

The frieze of the Parthenon forms a continuous band with scenes in relief that encircles the upper part of the cella, the main temple, within the outer colonnade. The theme represented was the procession toward the Acropolis that took place during the Great Panathenaia, the festival in honour of the goddess Athena.

What is the significance of the Parthenon friezes?

The frieze of the Parthenon forms a continuous band with scenes in relief that encircles the upper part of the cella, the main temple, within the outer colonnade. The theme represented was the procession toward the Acropolis that took place during the Great Panathenaia, the festival in honour of the goddess Athena.

Who numbered the frieze blocks in the Parthenon?

All around the frieze of the Parthenon subjects march or ride horses in a long procession until they finally reach the pantheon of the Greek gods. Here they are meant to offer a sacrifice. Here they are meant to offer a sacrifice.

Where does the narrative of the frieze begin?

The Parthenon frieze, which runs on a continuous line around the exterior wall of the cella, is 1 meter high and 160 meters long. The sculptures are executed in low relief and depict the people of Athens in two processions that begin at the southwest corner and parade in opposite directions until they converge over the door of the cella at the east end of the Parthenon.

What is the iconography of the frieze at Ephesus?

The frieze of the Parthenon is a continuous band with representations in relief that encircles the upper part of the cella, the main part of the temple within the outer colonnade. The theme represented was the procession to the Acropolis that formed part of the Great Panathenaia. The west side depicts the preparation for the procession. The long sides, North and South, depict …

What is the theme of the Parthenon?

The main theme of the sculpture was the fight between order and chaos, a metaphor for the wars between Greeks and the Persian enemy they considered "barbarians".Dec 14, 2014

What themes are pictured on the metopes of the Parthenon?

At the east (or front) of the temple the metopes depicted the Gigantomachy, or the battle between the gods and the giants. The west metopes depicted fights between Greeks and the Amazons (or Persians), while the north and south metopes included scenes from the Trojan War and the Cenauromachy respectively.

What is the main theme of the metopes and pediments on the sides of the Parthenon?

The pediments and metopes illustrate episodes from Greek myth, while the frieze represents the people of Athens in a religious procession. Inside the building stood a colossal image of Athena Parthenos, constructed of gold and ivory by Pheidias and probably dedicated in 438 BC.Jan 11, 2018

What was unique about the frieze that is on the front of the Parthenon?

It is composed of 114 blocks of an average 1.22 meters in length, depicting two parallel files in procession. It was a particular novelty of the Parthenon that the cella carries an Ionic frieze over the hexastyle pronaos rather than Doric metopes, as would have been expected of a Doric temple.

What does the Parthenon frieze portray?

Subject Description: The traditional interpretation of the Parthenon frieze is that it depicts, in some sense, a Panathenaic procession, part of the festival of the same name celebrated each year on the occasion of Athena's birthday.

Why is the Parthenon frieze important?

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.Aug 2, 2020

What was the main purpose of the Acropolis?

The Acropolis was originally seen as a fortress. It was meant to protect Athens from attacks. As the years went on, the people of Athens saw another purpose for the Acropolis. They wanted it to be a beautiful symbol of Athens.

What event is chronicled on the frieze of the temple of Athena Nike detailing victory over the Persians?

How is the frieze on the Temple of Athena Nike unique and significant? Answer: The frieze is referencing the victory over the Persians, the decisive victory at Marathon that also tuned the tide against the Persians.

What was the name of the war between Athens and its allies and the rest of Greece led by the Spartans?

The Peloponnesian War

The Peloponnesian War was a war fought in ancient Greece between Athens and Sparta—the two most powerful city-states in ancient Greece at the time (431 to 405 B.C.E.). This war shifted power from Athens to Sparta, making Sparta the most powerful city-state in the region.Mar 15, 2019

What are some of the major themes of the Parthenon's sculptural program?

All of these mythological battles represent the struggle between the forces of justice and injustice, of civilization against barbarity, of order versus chaos. These three battles (as well as episodes from the Trojan War) were also represented on the outside of the Parthenon, on the metopes of the building.

What was the subject of the Parthenon frieze quizlet?

The Parthenon frieze depicts the procession that occurred every four years as part of the opening ceremonies of the Great Panathenaic Festival in which Athenians carried a robed, wooden statue of Athena to the Parthenon.

What was important about the Erechtheion location?

The precise nature and location of the various religious and architectural elements within the building remain the subject of debate. The temple was nonetheless a seminal example of the classical Ionic style, and was highly influential on later Hellenistic, Roman and Greek Revival architecture.

What is the Parthenon frieze?

The Parthenon frieze is the defining monument of the High Classical style of Attic sculpture. It stands between the gradual eclipse of the Severe style, as witnessed on the Parthenon metopes, and the evolution of the Late Classical Rich style, exemplified by the Nike balustrade.

When was the Parthenon frieze sculpted?

The Parthenon frieze is the high-relief pentelic marble sculpture created to adorn the upper part of the Parthenon ’s naos. It was sculpted between c. 443 and 437 BC , most likely under the direction of Pheidias.

How many blocks are there in the Parthenon?

It is composed of 114 blocks of an average 1.22 meters in length, depicting two parallel files in procession. It was a particular novelty of the Parthenon that the cella carries an Ionic frieze over the hexastyle pronaos rather than Doric metopes, as would have been expected of a Doric temple.

How tall is the Parthenon frieze?

In all, the Parthenon frieze was believed to have measured about 525 feet (160 meters) long and 3.35 feet (1.06 meters) tall. Stretched out from end to end, it would be nearly the length of two football fields! Phidias showing off his frieze to friends.

Where was the Parthenon built?

The temple was built in Athens, Greece, with construction believed to have started in 447 BC ...

How many animals are in the Parthenon?

The Parthenon frieze pictures a procession which includes more than 200 animals, mostly horses pulling chariots, as well as 378 images of gods and the Greek people. The people are carrying vessels (containers) of wine and other foods, and some are leading animals to be sacrificed.

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What is the Parthenon made of?

The temple and its decoration are entirely of local Pentelic marble, prized for its pure whiteness and golden glow in sunlight. Like King Erechtheus, the building is autochthonous, sprung from the Attic earth. Restorers of the Parthenon remark how, as the light moves over the structure, it seems almost to be breathing.

What was the significance of the Panathenaia?

The Great Panathenaia occurred, like the Olympics, every four years; it was a festival of athletic games and poetry and music competitions , culminating in a procession to the temple of Athena, goddess of weaving, war, and wisdom. Her statue was then presented with a new peplos, a robe woven by the women of Athens.

Who was Erechtheus' wife?

He had a wife, Praxithea, and three daughters. (The Athenian royal houses ran to daughters.) When Eumolpus, king of nearby Eleusis, threatened a siege of the city, King Erechtheus got an unpleasant oracle from Delphi: He must sacrifice one of his daughters to Athena to save the city.

Overview

The Parthenon frieze is the high-relief Pentelic marble sculpture created to adorn the upper part of the Parthenon’s naos. It was sculpted between c. 443 and 437 BC, most likely under the direction of Pheidias. Of the 160 meters (524 ft) of the original frieze, 128 meters (420 ft) survives—some 80 percent. The rest is known only from the drawings attributed to French artist Jacques Carreyin 1674, thirte…

Construction

Plutarch’s Life of Pericles, 13.4–9, informs us “the man who directed all the projects and was overseer [episkopos] for him [Pericles] was Phidias... Almost everything was under his supervision, and, as we have said, he was in charge, owing to his friendship with Perikles, of all the other artists”. The description was not architekton, the term usually given to the creative influence behind a b…

Description

The narrative of the frieze begins at the southwest corner where the procession appears to divide into two separate files. The first third of the west frieze is not part of the procession, but instead, seems to be the preparatory stages for the participants. The first figure here is a marshaldressing, W30, followed by several men preparing the horses W28–23 until figure W22 who, it has been suggeste…

Style

Interpretation and conjecture

As no description of the frieze survives from antiquity and many religious rituals involved secret symbolism and traditions left unspoken, so the question of the meaning of the sculpture has been a persistent and unresolved one. The first published attempt at interpretation belongs to Cyriacus of Ancona in the 15th century, who referred to it as the “victories of Athens in the time of Pericles”. W…

Influence

The earliest surviving works of art that exhibit traces of the influence of the Parthenon frieze belong to the media of vase painting and grave stelae where we may find some echo not just of motifs, themes, poses, but tenor, as well. Direct imitation, and indeed quotation, of the frieze begins to be pronounced around 430 BC. One example, an explicit copy, is a pelikeattributed to the Wedding Pai…

Sources

• Ashmole, B. (1972) Architect and Sculptor in Classical Greece.
• Boardman, J. (1985). The Parthenon and its Sculptures, University of Texas Press. ISBN 0-292-76498-7
• Boardman, J. (1999) The Parthenon Frieze: a closer look, Revue Archeologique, 99:2, p. 305–330.