The main attractions of Ancient Greece: overview, history and reviews. Sights of Greece
Ancient Greece is rightly considered the cradle of modern European civilization. This state had a noticeable impact on the development of many areas of human life - science, medicine, politics, art and philosophy. Some monuments of ancient Greece have survived to this day. It is about them, as well as about the history of the once great power that will be discussed in this article.
Ancient Greece and its historical significance
Under Ancient Greece, historians understand the totality of civilizations that existed for about 3000 years: from the third millennium BC to the 1st century AD. The very concept of "Ancient Greece" on the territory of the modern state is not used. In this country, this civilizational formation is called Hellas, and its inhabitants are called Hellenes.
The description of Ancient Greece should begin with its significance and role in the historical development of the entire Western civilization. So, historians rightly believe that it was in Ancient Greece that the foundation of European democracy, philosophy, architecture and art was laid. The ancient Greek state was conquered by Rome, but at the same time the Roman Empire borrowed the main features of ancient Greek culture.
The real exploits of Ancient Greece are not world-famous beautiful myths, but discoveries in science and culture, philosophy and poetry, medicine and architecture. It is worth noting that geographically the territory of Ancient Greece does not coincide with the borders of the modern state. Under this term, historians often mean the expanses of other countries and regions: Turkey, Cyprus, the Crimea and even the Caucasus. Monuments of Ancient Greece have been preserved in all these territories. In addition, the ancient Greek settlements (colonies) at one time were scattered along the shores of the Mediterranean, Black and Azov Seas.
Geography and map of Ancient Greece
Hellas was not a single, monolithic state entity. On its foundation, more than a dozen separate city-states were formed (the most famous of them are Athens, Sparta, Piraeus, Samos, Corinth). All the states of Ancient Greece were the so-called "polises" (in other words, cities), with lands adjacent to them. Each of them had its own laws.
The central core of Ancient Hellas is, rather, its southern part, the western tip of Asia Minor, as well as many islands located in this region. Ancient Greece consisted of three parts: Northern Greece, Central Greece and the Peloponnese. In the north, the state bordered on Macedonia and Illyria.
Ancient Greece is presented below.
Cities in Ancient Greece (polises)
What were cities like in ancient Greece?
It cannot be said that they had a chic and luxurious look, as they often like to illustrate in pictures. Actually, it's a myth. Only the main public buildings looked chic and pompous in the ancient Greek policies, but the houses of ordinary citizens were very modest.
The dwellings of the people were deprived of any comfort. Historians suggest that they even slept on the street, under the porticos. The network of city streets was careless and ill-conceived: most of them did not get the sun's rays at all.
Things were worst in Athens, which many travelers of that time spoke of with contempt. Nevertheless, comfort eventually penetrated into the homes of ordinary Greeks. So, a real revolution in urban planning and street planning at that time was made by the architect Hippodames of Miletus. It was he who first drew attention to the location of houses in the city and tried to build them in one line.
Architectural sights of Ancient Greece
Now it is worth dwelling on another important question: what did Ancient Hellas leave us, if we talk about material monuments?
The sights of Ancient Greece - temples, amphitheaters, the remains of public buildings - have been preserved in many European countries. But most of all, of course, it is on the territory of the modern state of the same name.
Ancient Greek temples are the most important monuments of ancient material culture. In Hellas, they were built everywhere, because it was believed that the gods themselves lived in them. These world-famous sights of ancient Greece stand out from the rest architectural monuments Ancient Hellas - the remains of the Greek acropolises and other ancient ruins.
Parthenon
Perhaps the most famous monument Ancient Greek architecture is the Parthenon temple. It was built in 432 BC in Athens, and today is the most recognizable tourist symbol of modern Greece. It is known that the construction of this majestic Doric temple was led by the architects Kallikrat and Iktin, and it was built in honor of the goddess Athena, the patroness of the Athenian Acropolis.
Until our time, the central part of the Parthenon with fifty columns has been quite well preserved. In the center of the temple you can see a copy of the sculpture of Athena, made at one time from ivory and gold by Phidias, the most famous ancient Greek artist and sculptor.
The frieze of the central facade of the building is generously decorated with various images, and the pediments of the temple are decorated with wonderful sculptural compositions.
Temple of Hera
The oldest temple in ancient Greece is the temple of the goddess Hera. Experts say that it was built in the sixth century BC. Unfortunately, the structure is not as well preserved as the Parthenon: at the beginning of the fourth century, it was badly damaged by an earthquake.
The Temple of Hera is located in Olympia. According to legend, the inhabitants of Elis gave it to the Olympians. The foundation, steps, as well as several surviving columns - this is all that remains of grand structure to date. One can only imagine how it looked in those ancient times.
At one time, the temple of Hera was decorated with a statue of Hermes. Today the sculpture is kept in the archaeological museum of Olympia. It is known that the ancient Romans used it as a sanctuary. Today, this place is famous primarily for the fact that the Olympic flame is lit here on the eve of the next Olympics.
Temple of Poseidon
The Temple of Poseidon, or rather its remains, are located on It was built in 455 BC. Only 15 columns have survived to this day, but they speak eloquently of the majesty of this structure. Scientists have established that on the site of this temple, long before the start of construction, there were already other places of worship. They are roughly dated to the 7th century BC.
Everyone knows that the god Poseidon in ancient Greek mythology is the ruler of the seas and oceans. Therefore, it was not by chance that the ancient Greeks chose a place for the construction of this temple: on the sheer shore of the Aegean Sea. By the way, it was at this place that King Aegeus threw himself off a steep cliff when he saw in the distance the ship of his offspring Theseus with a black sail.
Finally...
This is a real phenomenon in the history of European civilization, which had a huge impact on the development of European culture, science, art and architecture. The sights of ancient Greece are numerous majestic temples, the remains of acropolises and picturesque ruins which have survived in large numbers to this day. Today they attract great amount tourists from all over the world.
How do children's impressions differ from the impressions of an adult. When I was in Athens for the first time at school age, it seemed to me that the Acropolis is huge and endless, that you can walk around it forever, and that you will not see such a number of ruins of ancient buildings concentrated in one place anywhere else. But when I arrived there as an adult, I realized that either I already travel so often that it’s harder and harder for me to be impressed, or the Acropolis is really not that big, and one should be surprised that such a huge place happened in such a small area. number of important historical events that influenced the course of the history of the world.
In general, even cities as huge by ancient standards as Athens or Rome now seem almost tiny. I mean the historical part of modern cities, of course. Almost all the most important things are within easy walking distance from each other, very convenient for tourists. On the other hand, if you think about the fact that the ancient Greeks once walked on these very stones, that Socrates, Plato, Plutarch were here ... - it becomes somehow a little uncomfortable.
From the modern bustling area of Monastiraki, the road to the Acropolis takes only 15-20 minutes, and even then at a leisurely pace. True, you have to go uphill all the time, because the Acropolis is located on a hill. The higher you climb, the better you can see the ancient buildings that have survived in the area: 
The first stop on the way is the hill of Ares, or Areopagus. Among the ancient Greeks, this place was known as the meeting place of the council of elders who ruled the city in ancient times. From here one of the most beautiful views to Athens. View from the Areopagus towards the Agora and the Temple of Hephaestus: 
Towards Pnyx Hill: 
Modern Athens is quite Big city. Sometimes it's hard to believe that once life here was concentrated in a much smaller space. In the distance, you can see Lycabettus Hill - this is another fairly popular place for tourists with cameras. Below are paths among numerous ancient stones: it’s even a shame that so many buildings have not survived from those times: 
Traditional view from the Areopagus to the Acropolis, more precisely, to the Propylaea - the main gate of the Acropolis: 
And this is the view from the Acropolis to the Areopagus. This very small and uneven stone hill is the Areopagus, the place where important political and judicial decisions were once made. In size, by the way, it is somewhere the same as the famous stones lying in Central Park in New York. But the historical significance cannot be compared. 
The Parthenon is under chronic restoration. The ancient stones scattered across the territory of the Acropolis are trying to gather together and restore the building from them to the maximum. It is still difficult to say what will come of this venture, especially considering how much was taken from the Acropolis from Greece back in the Middle Ages. Elements of the Parthenon are now kept in Paris, the Vatican, Munich, Vienna, Copenhagen... And, of course, no one is going to return them to the Greeks. 
But for some reason the Erechtheion is not being restored. Although, maybe they will reach it in time: 
The famous portico of the Caryatids: 
The Acropolis is always quite crowded. It is understandable, because this is the most famous place in Athens. On the scale of the modern world, the Acropolis seems rather small. From this angle, almost the entire hill is visible: 
Meanwhile, even now a building of this magnitude seems grandiose: 
The flourishing and decline of civilizations is generally an interesting thing: once one of the greatest nations in Europe, it suddenly disappears. In rare paintings by Greek artists of the Middle Ages, you can see images of shepherds grazing goats on the top of the Acropolis: several centuries have passed since the collapse of Athens - and there seems to be no trace of the ancient Greeks. The medieval inhabitants of Greece, probably, did not even know what kind of buildings they were standing on the hill. 
Traditional view of the city from the Acropolis: 
Below you can see the temple of Zeus: 
Herod's Odeon is a huge beautiful amphitheater built in the 2nd century AD, already under the Romans. An absolutely colossal project by those standards: this musical theater can accommodate up to six thousand people at the same time. The Greeks have recently refurbished the Herodeon, and now concerts are held there from time to time: 
Nearby is the theater of Dionysus, it is 5-6 centuries older than the odeon of Herod, and was built in a typical Greek style: The Greeks always chose a natural hill for the construction of amphitheatres. 
Behind the theater of Dionysus you can see an ultra-modern building - this is the modern Acropolis Museum, which opened a couple of years ago: 
Let's go down to the theater of Dionysus: 
View from the theater to the Acropolis: 
Already somewhere at the exit from the territory of the Acropolis: 
The new modern Acropolis Museum is really good. True, at the time when I was there, it was not yet fully open. But even the part that was in the public domain was impressive: 
According to the plan, sculptures from the temples of the Acropolis, everything found on the hill, surviving fragments of the Parthenon, as well as copies of ancient works of art related to the Acropolis exported from Greece should be stored here. 
The opening of the museum was planned to coincide with the 2004 Olympic Games, but the Greeks, in their traditional manner, stretched out all the deadlines, did not deliver the project on time, and the construction of the museum building was completed only by the end of 2007, and the final transfer of all exhibits was completed only in the summer 2009, i.e. 5 years later than planned. 
The museum, however, turned out to be very good, and now, perhaps, it can compete even with the National Archaeological Museum, which until now was considered the main museum of the city. 
Well, to top it off - a short run towards the Temple of Zeus, which was visible from the Acropolis in the photographs above.
View from it towards the Acropolis: 
The temple of Zeus itself was once the largest temple in all of Greece. It was built over four centuries and completed construction only in the 2nd century. BC. Now only a single corner and a couple of columns at the other end of the temple remain from the temple. 
The most beautiful elements of the temple were taken from Athens to Rome by the ancient Romans. 
But even from these few columns, one can quite imagine the scale of the building: 
planning travel to Greece, many people are interested not only in comfortable hotels, but also in the fascinating history of this ancient country, an integral part of which are objects of art.
A large number of treatises by well-known art historians are devoted specifically to ancient Greek sculpture, as the fundamental branch of world culture. Unfortunately, many monuments of that time did not survive in their original form, and are known from later copies. By studying them, one can trace the history of the development of the Greek visual arts from the Homeric period to the Hellenistic era, and highlight the most striking and famous creations of each period.
Aphrodite de Milo
The world-famous Aphrodite from the island of Milos belongs to the Hellenistic period of Greek art. At this time, by the forces of Alexander the Great, the culture of Hellas began to spread far beyond the Balkan Peninsula, which was noticeably reflected in the visual arts - sculptures, paintings and frescoes became more realistic, the faces of the gods on them have human features - relaxed postures, an abstract look, a soft smile .
Statue of Aphrodite, or as the Romans called it, Venus, is made of snow-white marble. Its height is slightly more than human height, and is 2.03 meters. The statue was discovered by chance by an ordinary French sailor, who in 1820, together with a local peasant, dug up Aphrodite near the remains of an ancient amphitheater on the island of Milos. During its transportation and customs disputes, the statue lost its arms and pedestal, but a record has been preserved of the author of the masterpiece indicated on it: Agesander, the son of a resident of Antioch Menida.
Today, after a thorough restoration, Aphrodite is exhibited in the Louvre in Paris, attracting millions of tourists every year with its natural beauty.
Nike of Samothrace
The time of creation of the statue of the goddess of victory Nike dates back to the 2nd century BC. Studies have shown that Nika was installed over sea coast on a sheer cliff - her marble clothes flutter as if from the wind, and the slope of the body represents a constant movement forward. The thinnest folds of clothing cover strong body goddesses, and powerful wings spread in joy and triumph of victory.
The head and hands of the statue have not been preserved, although individual fragments were discovered during excavations in 1950. In particular, Karl Lehmann with a group of archaeologists found the right hand of the goddess. Nike of Samothrace is now one of the outstanding exhibits of the Louvre. Her hand was never added to the general exhibition, only the right wing, which was made of plaster, underwent restoration.
Laocoon and his sons
A sculptural composition depicting the mortal struggle of Laocoön, the priest of the god Apollo, and his sons with two snakes sent by Apollo in retaliation for the fact that Laocoön did not listen to his will and tried to prevent the entry of the Trojan horse into the city.
The statue was made of bronze, but its original has not survived to this day. In the 15th century, a marble copy of the sculpture was found on the territory of the "golden house" of Nero, and by order of Pope Julius II, it was installed in a separate niche of the Vatican Belvedere. In 1798, the statue of Laocoon was moved to Paris, but after the fall of Napoleon's rule, the British returned it to its original place, where it is kept to this day.
The composition, depicting Laocoön's desperate death struggle with divine punishment, inspired many sculptors of the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and gave rise to a fashion for depicting complex, vortex-like movements of the human body in fine art.
Zeus from Cape Artemision
The statue, found by divers near Cape Artemision, is made of bronze, and is one of the few pieces of art of this type that has survived to this day in its original form. Researchers disagree on whether the sculpture belongs specifically to Zeus, believing that it can also depict the god of the seas, Poseidon.
The statue has a height of 2.09 m, and depicts the supreme Greek god, who raised his right hand in order to throw lightning in righteous anger. The lightning itself has not been preserved, but numerous smaller figurines show that it looked like a flat, strongly elongated bronze disk.
From almost two thousand years of being under water, the statue almost did not suffer. Only the eyes, which were supposedly made of ivory and encrusted with precious stones, disappeared. You can see this work of art in the National Archaeological Museum, which is located in Athens.
Statue of Diadumen
A marble copy of a bronze statue of a young man who himself crowns himself with a diadem - a symbol of sports victory, probably adorned the venue for competitions in Olympia or Delphi. The diadem at that time was a red woolen bandage, which, along with laurel wreaths, was awarded to the winners of the Olympic Games. The author of the work, Poliklet, performed it in his favorite style - the young man is in easy movement, his face displays complete calm and concentration. The athlete behaves like a well-deserved winner - he does not show fatigue, although his body needs rest after the fight. In sculpture, the author managed to very naturally convey not only small elements, but also the general position of the body, correctly distributing the mass of the figure. The full proportionality of the body is the pinnacle of the development of this period - classicism of the 5th century.
Although the bronze original has not survived to our time, copies of it can be seen in many museums around the world - the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, the Louvre, the Metropolitan, the British Museum.
Aphrodite Braschi
A marble statue of Aphrodite depicts the goddess of love, who was naked before taking her legendary, often described in myths, bath, returning her virginity. Aphrodite in her left hand holds her removed clothes, which gently fall on a nearby jug. From an engineering point of view, this decision made the fragile statue more stable, and gave the sculptor the opportunity to give it a more relaxed pose. The uniqueness of Aphrodite Brasca is that this is the first known statue of the goddess, the author of which decided to portray her naked, which at one time was considered unheard of insolence.
There are legends according to which the sculptor Praxiteles created Aphrodite in the image of his beloved, hetaera Phryne. When her former admirer, orator Euthias, found out about this, he raised a scandal, as a result of which Praxiteles was accused of unforgivable blasphemy. At the trial, the defender, seeing that his arguments did not impress the judge, pulled off Phryne's clothes to show those present that such a perfect body of the model simply cannot harbor a dark soul. The judges, being adherents of the concept of kalokagatiya, were forced to fully acquit the defendants.
The original statue was taken to Constantinople, where it died in a fire. Many copies of Aphrodite have survived to our time, but they all have their own differences, as they were restored according to verbal and written descriptions and images on coins.
marathon youth
The statue of a young man is made of bronze, and presumably depicts the Greek god Hermes, although there are no prerequisites or his attributes in the hands or clothes of the young man. The sculpture was raised from the bottom of the Gulf of Marathon in 1925, and since then has replenished the exposition of the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Due to the fact that the statue was under water for a long time, all its features are very well preserved.
The style in which the statue is made betrays the style of the famous sculptor Praxiteles. The young man stands in a relaxed pose, his hand rests on the wall, near which the figure was installed.
Discus thrower
The statue of the ancient Greek sculptor Myron has not been preserved in its original form, but is widely known throughout the world thanks to bronze and marble copies. The sculpture is unique in that for the first time it depicted a person in a complex, dynamic movement. Such bold decision The author served as a vivid example for his followers, who with no less success created objects of art in the style of "Figura serpentinata" - a special technique depicting a person or animal in an often unnatural, tense, but very expressive, from the observer's point of view, pose.
Delphic charioteer
The bronze sculpture of a charioteer was discovered during the 1896 excavations at the Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi and is a classic example of ancient art. The figure depicts an ancient Greek youth driving a wagon during Pythian Games.
The uniqueness of the sculpture lies in the fact that the inlay of the eyes with precious stones has been preserved. The eyelashes and lips of the young man are decorated with copper, and the headband is made of silver, and presumably also had inlay.
The time of creation of the sculpture, theoretically, is at the junction of archaic and early classics - its pose is characterized by stiffness and the absence of any hint of movement, but the head and face are made with a rather great realism. As in later sculptures.
Athena Parthenos
Majestic goddess athena statue has not survived to our time, but there are many copies of it, restored according to ancient descriptions. The sculpture was completely made of ivory and gold, without the use of stone or bronze, and stood in the main temple of Athens - the Parthenon. Distinctive feature goddesses - a high helmet, decorated with three crests.
The history of the creation of the statue was not without fatal moments: on the shield of the goddess, the sculptor Phidias, in addition to the image of the battle with the Amazons, placed his portrait in the form of a weak old man who lifts a heavy stone with both hands. The public of that time ambiguously regarded the act of Phidias, which cost him his life - the sculptor was imprisoned, where he committed suicide with the help of poison.
Greek culture has become the founder for the development of fine arts around the world. Even today, looking at some modern paintings and statues, one can detect the influence of this ancient culture.
Ancient Hellas became the cradle in which the cult of human beauty in its physical, moral and intellectual manifestation was actively brought up. Inhabitants of Greece of that time, they not only worshiped many Olympic gods, but also tried to resemble them as much as possible. All this is displayed in bronze and marble statues - they not only convey the image of a person or a deity, but also make them close to each other.
Although many of the statues have not survived to the present, their exact copies can be seen in many museums around the world.
Architectural monuments of ancient Greece - part world heritage humanity, attractions that attract the attention of tourists. The ruins of ancient temples are scattered throughout the Peloponnese and the islands of the Aegean Sea.
Unfortunately, time had little mercy on religious buildings. The ancient temples themselves are refined and openwork, earthquakes are frequent in Greece, and the local Herostrati tried to seek glory for themselves by arson. Christianity that replaced paganism did not care much about the memory of pagan ancestors. Not very conducive to the preservation of the heritage of antiquity and Muslim rule in the territory of modern Greece.
Only after the liberation wars of the early 19th and early 20th centuries did Greece occupy territory remotely close to the ancient borders. Attention to the architectural heritage of antiquity was drawn only from the second quarter of the 19th century. The study, excavations, restoration and conservation of monuments began.
The pearl of Greece is, of course, Athens. In addition to the Acropolis with the Parthenon temples, the Erechtheion with a portico of caryatids, the temple of Nike Apteros, in the city and its environs there are many living witnesses of antiquity - propylaea, the temple of Hephaestus (Theseion), the monument of Lysicrates (334 BC). Tower of the Winds - built in 44 BC. weather station - bears the features not of Greek democracy, but of Roman imperial architecture.
The Temple of Hera at Paestum (5th century) and the Temple of Hephaestus at Athens (Theseion) are the two best-preserved monuments. Basically, the monuments of Ancient Greece are picturesque ruins.
We know about most of the temples only from the mentions of ancient historians and the meager results of excavations.
Much more survived other monuments of Ancient Greece - amphitheaters. Carved into the mountain slopes, they resisted destruction more strongly and amaze with their excellent acoustics. The amphitheaters in Epidaurus, Delphi, Athens, now empty, were once as crowded as cinemas and supermarkets are now. Theaters at that time were also religious, and not entertainment, structures. They were dedicated to the gods, and the performances on the stage were divine services.
Byzantine civilization left fortification monuments in Greece - the ancient fortress in Thessaloniki, the Mystra fortress, the Venetian fortress Methoni and religious ones - the temple of the Virgin Ekatondapiliani (IV c) on the island of Paros, the temple of Demetrius in Arta (IX c), the temple of Panagia in Thessaloniki (1028 g) , Kapnikeria in Athens (XI century), the Church of St. Sophia on a rock above the sea in Monemvasia. You can admire the paintings of the XIV century in the monastery of Christ the Savior in Verria.
You can also see modern buildings: the Cathedral of St. the Apostle Andrew in Patras was built from 1908 to 1974, the Cathedral of Nektarios of Aegina on the island of Aegina in 1994. All of them are worthy successors of the majestic Ancient Greek architecture.
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (now Selçuk in Izmir, Turkey). Considered one of the seven wonders of the world. It was built in the middle of the 4th century. BC e., burned by Herostratus in 356 BC. e., several times subjected to restoration and reconstruction.
Periods in ancient Greek architecture
archaic period
In ancient Greek architecture, an archaic period is distinguished (7th century BC - 590 BC). During this period, the peoples inhabiting the territory of Ancient Greece created structures, the design principles of which formed the basis of later buildings. Samples of ancient Greek architecture of the archaic period are mainly preserved on the Apennine Peninsula, in Sicily, in Paestum, Selinunte, Agrigentum, Syracuse. Composition architectural ensembles archaic was created by buildings located in a row.
Monuments of archaic ancient Greek architecture were the temples of Hera ("Basilica") in Paestum, Athens ("Demeter"). The temple of Hera ("Basilica") is made of tuff, its peculiarity lies in the odd number of massive columns on the end. The columns themselves thicken downwards, creating a feeling of "puffiness". The massiveness of the structure is combined with decorative stone carvings.
Temple of Hera at Paestum. Mid 6th c. BC.
Columns of the Temple of Hera at Paestum.
Early Classic period
The next stage in the development of ancient Greek architecture is early classical (590 BC - 470 BC). During this period, ancient Greek architecture was enriched with Egyptian and Asian elements that fit into the philosophy and religious beliefs of society. Structures became less elongated, proportions became more proportionate and less heavy. At that time, when installing the colonnade, they began to adhere to the ratio of the number of columns of the end and side facades of 6:13 or 8:17.
An example of ancient Greek architecture of the transitional period between the late archaic and early classics is the temple of Athena Aphaia on the island of Aegina (about 490 BC). It had small dimensions, the ratio of columns was 6:12. The temple was made of limestone, its walls were covered with paintings, the pediments were decorated with marble sculptures (now they are stored in the Munich Glyptothek - Münchener Glyptothek).
To transition period in ancient Greek architecture, the temple at Selinunte in Sicily also belongs. It was still elongated and had a column ratio of 6:15. The columns themselves gave the impression of massive and overweight. Typical buildings of ancient Greek architecture of the early classics are the Temple of Poseidon at Paestum and the Temple of Zeus at Olympia (end of the 5th century BC). It is installed on a three-stage base. It has a low stylobate (the upper part of the stereobat - a stepped plinth on which the colonnade was erected), low wide steps, the ratio of massive columns with a thickening in the lower third is 6:14. The temple was built taking into account the peculiarities of visual perception. From a distance, he looks squat. As you approach the building, a feeling of its power and grandeur grows. Such a method of calculating the perception of an object as it moves away or approaches is typical for the architecture of the period of the early classics in ancient Greek architecture.
Temple of Poseidon at Paestum.
The Temple of Zeus at Olympia (468 and 456 BC) - the work of the architect Libon, was the largest temple in the Peloponnese (the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula). The temple was built from shell rock. The ratio of the columns is 6:13. On the pediments were depicted the chariot race of Pelops and Oenomaus, the battle of the Greeks with the centaurs, on the elements of the frieze - the exploits of Hercules.
Ruins of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia.
classical period
Classical period of ancient Greek architecture (470 BC - 338 BC). During this period, the improvement of style continued. Marble was used instead of sandstone. Buildings became lighter and more elegant. Examples of buildings of the classical period are the temple of Theseus in Athens, the temple in Illis (not preserved) and the temple of Apteros at the entrance to the necropolis of Athens.
Hellenic period
The Hellenistic period (338 BC - 180 BC) in ancient Greek architecture developed under the influence of Eastern motifs. Sample - the temple of Winged Athena in Tegea, the temple of Zeus in the city of Nemea. Many buildings with rich decorations were erected in Asia Minor, for example, the monument to King Mausolus, the temple of Athena in the city of Priene, the temple of Phoebus Didyma in the city of Mileet.
Ruins of the Temple of the Winged Athena in Teg.
Types of temples in ancient Greek architecture
Anty (antae) - ledges of the longitudinal walls of the building on both sides of the entrance, serving as a support for the cornice.
The earliest type of temple was distil (“temple in antah”). In terms of the temple - a rectangular or square room - intact, the front facade with an entrance, reminiscent of a loggia with side walls (antami). Between the ants on the front end there were two columns (hence the name: "distill", which means - "two-column").
Scheme of the temple in antah.
Temple in Antes - Treasury of the Athenians. Athens. late 6th - early 5th c. BC.
The temple is prostrate with one portico and columns at one end (columns replace antes).
A forgiving temple with an annex.
The temple is amphiprostyle with two porticoes with columns on two ends.
Temple of Nike Apteros with two porticos in the Acropolis. Athens. 449 - 420 BC Architect Kallikrat.
Peripteric temple - it is based on an amphiprostyle or prostyle structure, which stands on a high foundation and has a colonnade around the entire perimeter. An example is the Parthenon.
Parthenon. 447 - 438 BC Architects Iktin and Kallikrat.
The dipteric temple has a double row of colonnades along the perimeter. An example of a dipteric structure of ancient Greek architecture is the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus in 550 BC.
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.
The temple is pseudo-peripteric - instead of columns, the perimeter of the building was decorated with semi-columns, which protruded half the diameter of the columns from the walls. The temple is pseudo-dipteric, in which, behind the outer row of columns along the perimeter, there were semi-columns protruding from the walls. Ancient Greek columns In ancient Greek architecture, the column played an important role, it served as a defining module - in accordance with its size, all the proportions of the structure and its decor were created. There are several types of columns. Doric columns had a diameter to height ratio of approximately 6:1. The column at the top is thinner than at the bottom. Below the middle, the column had a thickening. Often Doric ancient Greek columns were covered with vertical grooves - flutes, usually there were 16-20 of them. The columns were placed directly on the floor of the structure or mounted on a rectangular pedestal.
Drawing of the capital of a Doric column with flutes.
Volutes - curls on the capitals from the side of the facade. On the sides of the capitals, the volutes are interconnected by shafts - balusters resembling a scroll. The volutes are edged with convex rims, twisting in the form of a spiral, converging in the center into an "eye" - a small hemisphere.
Ancient Greek Ionic columns are more elegant than Doric ones, they were placed on a stylobate - a wide quadrangular foot, at the bottom of the columns there is a base of shafts separated by grooves. The Ionic column is covered with a large number of deep flutes (24 or more). The capital of the column is made in the form of two opposite volutes.
Ionic column.
The ancient Greek Corinthian column was distinguished by its special splendor. The capital of the Corinthian column is a basket surrounded by two rows of acanthus leaves; obliquely standing four volutes. The architects of the Roman Empire and the architects of the Renaissance made the Corinthian column a role model.
Corinthian capital.
The diversity of buildings of ancient Greek architecture is united by a common constructive approach to construction, a system of proportions and elements that make it possible to identify this style at a glance.
