Classical Architecture at The Acropolis

Understanding Classical Architecture at The Acropolis

The Acropolis of Athens represents one of the most significant architectural achievements of ancient Greece. Its structures showcase remarkable design, beautiful materials, and clever optical techniques that have influenced architecture worldwide.

Architectural Styles

The Acropolis features three distinct orders, or types of columns that define Classical Greek architecture. The Doric order, seen in the Parthenon, displays sturdy columns with simple capitals and no base. These columns create a sense of strength and stability.

The more slender Ionic columns, found in the Erechtheion, have scroll-shaped capitals and decorative bases. They present a more elegant appearance compared with their Doric counterparts.

The Corinthian order, the most slender and ornate style, features elaborate capitals decorated with acanthus leaves. Although less common on the Acropolis, this style represents the height of decorative sophistication in Greek architecture.  Two Corinthian columns remain standing as ruins of a monument erected by Thrasyllos, the sponsor of performances held at the Dionysos Theater nearby.

Each style served specific purposes within the sacred complex, reflecting both aesthetic preferences and engineering needs.  The wider Doric columns for instance were needed to hold up the significant weight of the Parthenon’s roof.  However, when expressing his love for the theater, only the finest artistry of the carved acanthus leaf would do for Thrasyllos.

Construction Materials

Pentelic marble was the primary building material for all of the Acropolis monuments. Quarried from nearby Mount Pentelicus, this high-quality white marble contains traces of iron that give it a honey-golden patina when weathered.

Builders used limestone for foundations and lower structural elements due to its durability and easy availability. This created a solid base for the marble superstructures.

Wood - a somewhat precious material in this part of the world - played a crucial role in roof construction and interior elements, though few wooden components have survived to this date. Craftsmen would have also used wood for scaffolding during construction.

The careful selection of materials contributed to both the beauty and longevity of these ancient structures. Workers successfully transported  numerous massive marble blocks up the steep hill without modern machinery, demonstrating remarkable engineering skill.

Optical Illusions and Refinements in Design

In the designs for the Parthenon, Ancient Greek architects took deliberate steps to counteract the effect of optical illusions which cause long straight lines and large surfaces to appear distorted when viewed from far away.  So that the building’s surfaces appear straight and level to the eye, the Parthenon was built with subtle curves rather than straight lines along its tall columns and long platform.

Columns taper slightly as they rise from the ground (entasis) to prevent the appearance of concavity when viewed from a distance. This technique creates the illusion of perfectly straight columns that appear even taller than they are.

The platform (stylobate) curves upward at its center, rising approximately 4 inches. This counters the optical illusion that would make long horizontal lines appear to sag in the middle.

Bilateral symmetry governs the overall design, but architects introduced calculated asymmetries to create visual balance. Corner columns are slightly thicker than others and placed closer together to appear uniform when viewed from different angles.  The off square exit from the Propylaea sets up a beautiful but off-axis 2-point perspectival view of the Parthenon.  The balanced asymmetry of the Erechtheion and its procession of Caryatid columns leads your view and your feet up the hill and toward the temple.  

These sophisticated optical refinements demonstrate the Greeks' groundbreaking understanding of optics and human visual perception and their commitment to realizing total architectural perfection.

The Parthenon's Splendor

The Parthenon stands as the crowning achievement of ancient Greek architecture on the Acropolis of Athens. Its idealized proportions, magnificent sculptures, and the awe-inspiring statue of Athena Parthenos combined to create a mighty cultural and theological statement that continues to influence architecture worldwide.

Architectural Dimensions

The Parthenon was built with a keen sense of proportion that demonstrates the Greeks' commitment to mathematical precision. Built between 447-432 BCE, the temple measures approximately 69.5 meters long by 30.9 meters wide, with columns standing 10.4 meters tall.

These columns exemplify the refined Hellenic Doric order with more slender column shafts than earlier Greek temples.  Both the columns’ height, and the distance between them are directly related to their diameter.  The proportions of the floor plan and the exterior elevations are all governed by squares, the golden ratio, or simple whole number ratios - and most major proportions also come out to a whole number of column diameters.

Parthenon in Greece

Sculptural Decoration

The Parthenon's sculptural program represents the pinnacle of Classical Greek artistry. The architecture of the temple itself was integrated with sculpture in three main areas: the exterior metopes, the continuous interior frieze, and the pediments.

The 92 metopes, square panels positioned between triglyphs along above the outer colonnade, depicted mythological battles including the Trojan War and conflicts between the gods and the titans. Each metope contained bas-relief sculpture showing dynamic action.

A continuous frieze, measuring 160 meters in length, wrapped around the inner chamber walls. It portrayed the Panathenaic procession, where Athenian citizens paraded through the entire city, and up the temple mount to present a new robe to Athena's statue every four years.

The pediments, triangular spaces crowning the east and west facades, contained elaborate sculptural groups. The east pediment illustrated Athena's birth from Zeus's head, while the west depicted her contest with Poseidon for Athens' patronage.

Athena Parthenos

At the heart of the Parthenon stood the magnificent Athena Parthenos statue, the temple's primary religious focus. This colossal chryselephantine (gold and ivory) sculpture stood approximately 12 meters tall.

Created by the master sculptor Phidias, the statue portrayed Athena in her role as virgin warrior goddess. She wore a gold helmet and held a six-meter tall spear. Her outstretched hand supported a two-meter statue of Nike, the goddess of victory.

The statue's wooden frame was covered with thin gold plates for the goddess's dress and armor, while her face, hands, and feet were crafted from ivory. Her shield displayed intricate relief scenes of the Amazonomachy (battle with the Amazons).

The statue stood within the Parthenon's cella (inner chamber), surrounded by a shallow pool of water that reflected light onto the gold surfaces. This marvel of both engineering and artistry created an otherworldly lighting effect that awed ancient visitors - some of whom recorded their experience for posterity.  Unfortunately, the statue itself did not survive antiquity.