Parthenon Parthenon
(Greek Parthenon, from parthinos - virgin) in Athens, the greatest monument Greek art era of the classics; temple of the goddess Athena Parthenos. The main temple of the Athenian policy. Erected on the rock of the Acropolis in 447-438 BC. e. architects Iktin and Kallikrat to commemorate the victory over the Persians. It is a marble temple surrounded by a colonnade (peripter, area 30.89 m x 69.54 m, column height 10.43 m), distinguished by calm majesty and perfection of architectural forms, a clear harmony of parts, commensurate with the scale of a person, a skillful combination of Doric and Ionic orders ( cm. architectural orders). The rich, classically strict and slender sculptural decoration of the temple, organically connected with the forms of architecture, was made under the direction of Phidias (completed in 432 BC). The frieze of the façade was decorated with metope slabs depicting scenes of the struggle of the Amazons, centaurs and giants, the pediments - sculptural groups, reproducing scenes of the birth of Athena (on the eastern pediment) and the dispute between Athena and Poseidon for dominance in Attica (in the west). Around the main building - the cella of the temple - there was a frieze with a relief image of the Panathenaic procession of Athenian citizens. The sculpture of the Parthenon, as if commenting on and revealing the ideological and artistic meaning of the architectural image, reflects the idea of man's victory over the elemental, dark, "bestial" beginning, embodies the idea of the physical and spiritual perfection of a human being. She is characterized by calm majesty of rhythms, softness and ease of plastic modeling, free and natural movement of figures in space, skillfully subordinated to the plane of the wall, light, virtuoso processing of the marble surface. The Parthenon was destroyed in 1687 during the siege of the Acropolis by the Venetians. In 1801-03, most of the surviving sculptures were taken to Great Britain (since 1812 it has been in the collection british museum in London).
Parthenon. 447 - 438 BC Architects Iktin and Kallikrat. General form.
(Source: Popular art encyclopedia." Ed. Field V.M.; M.: Publishing house "Soviet Encyclopedia", 1986.)
Parthenon(Greek parthenó n, from parthé nos - virgin), temple of Athena Parthenos (Virgin) in Athenian acropolis(447-38 BC; architects Iktin and Kallikrat), outstanding monument ancient Greek architecture. Built under the direction Phidias from golden Pentelic marble on the site of the temple of Athena (“Hekatompedon”), destroyed during the Greco-Persian wars (500–449 BC). The Parthenon is one of the largest temples in Greece. Its stone base covers an area of 31 x 70 m, columns reach almost 10 meters in height. The temple is a Doric peripter, into which is inserted a rectangular cella (sanctuary) with six columns porticoes from the short sides. According to the rules, the peripter had to be surrounded by 6 columns on the end sides and 13 on the sides, and the Parthenon had a ratio of columns of 8 x 17. Deviations from the rules gave the architectural forms of the Parthenon solemn grandeur and at the same time lightness and harmony. The architects took into account the peculiarities of human vision, which perceives slightly curved lines in space as straight lines. The perfect beauty of the Parthenon is created by barely noticeable "irregularities". To create the optical effect of perfectly straight vertical columns and horizontal steps and entablature, the architects erected the columns slightly inclined towards the inside of the building; the front planes of the steps and the architrave are curved inwards; the extreme columns are somewhat more massive than the others, etc.
The building of the Parthenon consisted of a pronaos (the vestibule), a two-part cella and an opisthodom (treasury). The sanctuary was dominated by a colossal statue of the goddess Athena Parthenos, ca. 12 m, made by Phidias in chrysoelephantine technique(chryselephantine). main facade The Parthenon was turned to the east so that the figure of Athena was illuminated by the rays of the rising sun. In the Middle Ages, the sculpture was taken to Byzantium, where it died in a fire. According to ancient authors, more than 1500 kg of gold was spent on the construction of the statue. The main decoration of the Parthenon was its sculptural decor. Statue compositions on gables depicted episodes of myths that were especially significant for the Athenians: in the east - the birth of the goddess Athena, in the west - her dispute with Poseidon for power over Attica. On the metopes frieze battles with giants and centaurs and fights of the Greeks with the Trojans were depicted. The sculptural decor is completed by an Ionic frieze (zophoros) 160 m long, which shows a solemn procession on the day of the Great panathenaic. Frieze of the Parthenon - one of the peaks classical art. None of the 500 figures repeats the other. The Parthenon was also decorated with relief ornaments and weirs in the form of lion heads. All sculptures and some architectural details (gutters, cornices, door frames, column capitals) were painted and gilded. The interior of the temple was decorated with paintings by the best masters of that time.
In 435, the Parthenon became the Christian church of St. Mary. From the east it was attached apse for which the whole middle part east pediment. In 1456, the Turks turned the temple into a mosque, adding a minaret to it, but without touching the architectural decoration. In 1687, during the siege of Athens by the Venetians, the Parthenon was severely damaged when a cannon shell hit a powder magazine located there.
(Source: "Art. Modern Illustrated Encyclopedia." Under the editorship of Prof. A.P. Gorkin; M.: Rosmen; 2007.)
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The main temple of the Athenian Acropolis, dedicated to Athena Parthenos (ie the Virgin), the patron goddess of the city. Construction began in 447 BC, the consecration of the temple took place at the Panathenaic festival in 438 BC, but the decoration (mainly ... ... Collier Encyclopedia
- (this see Parthenon). See PARTHENON and PARTHENON. Dictionary foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. PARTHENON The main temple in the ancient. Athens, dedicated to the patroness of the city, the goddess Athena. Dictionary of foreign words, ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
Parthenon- Parthenon. General form. PARTHENON, temple of Athena Parthenos on the Acropolis in Athens, a monument of ancient Greek high classics. The marble Doric peripter with an Ionic sculptural frieze (447 438 BC, architects Iktin and Kallikrat) is remarkable ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
Temple of Athena Parthenos on the Acropolis in Athens, a monument of ancient Greek high classics. The marble Doric peripter with an Ionic sculptural frieze (447 438 BC, architects Iktin and Kallikrates) is remarkable for the majestic beauty of forms and ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
The main temple on the Acropolis in Athens, dedicated to the patroness of the city, Athena. (Source: "Myths of Ancient Greece. Dictionary Reference." EdwART, 2009.) ... Encyclopedia of mythology
Exist., Number of synonyms: 1 city (2765) ASIS Synonym Dictionary. V.N. Trishin. 2013 ... Synonym dictionary
The main temple in ancient Athens, dedicated to the patroness of this city and all of Attica, the goddess Athena the Virgin (oparJneoV). It stood out on the highest point of the Athenian acropolis, where in front of it stood the incompletely completed temple of the same goddess ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron
Landmark Parthenon Παρθενών ... Wikipedia
- (Greek Parthenón, from parthénos virgin) temple of the goddess Athena Parthenos in Athens. The greatest monument ancient greek art. Built on the Acropolis in 447 438 BC. e. Iktin and Kallikrat; sculptural decoration was carried out under the direction of Phidias, ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Parthenon- (from the Greek. parthenos virgin) temple of the goddess Athena Parthenos (Virgo) on the Acropolis; built in 447 438 years. BC. architects Iktin and Kallikrat. P. was a Dorian peripter (rectangle) with 8 columns wide and 17 long; was… … ancient world. Dictionary reference.
Books
- Monuments of the Athenian Acropolis. Parthenon and Erechtheion, N. I. Brunov. The book analyzes architectural compositions and features of the monumental works of classical Greek architecture of the Parthenon and the Erechtheion. The publication is supplied with a large number of…
For almost 2500 years, the Parthenon has reigned over Athens, the temple of Athena the Virgin is a symbol of the city, pride antique architecture. Many experts consider it the most beautiful and harmonious temple of the Ancient World. And most tourists who see the Parthenon with their own eyes share this opinion.
Construction history
For many years after the destruction of the main temple of Athena, Hekatompedon, by the Persians, there was no worthy patroness of the sanctuary city in Athens. Only after the end of the Greco-Persian wars in 449 BC. e. the Athenians had enough money for large-scale construction.
The construction of the Parthenon began during the reign of Pericles, one of the greatest politicians Ancient Hellas. This was the "golden age" of Attica. Recognition of the leading role of Athens in the fight against the Persians led to the creation of the Delian Maritime Union, which included 206 Greek policies. In 464 BC. e. the treasury of the union was transported to Athens. After that, the rulers of Attica virtually uncontrollably disposed of the funds of most of the states of Greece.
The money went not only to fight the Persians. Enormous funds were spent by Pericles on grandiose construction work. During his reign, a magnificent temple ensemble grew up on the Acropolis, the center of which was the Parthenon.
Construction of the Parthenon began in 447 BC. e. at the highest point of the Acropolis hill. Here in 488 BC. e. a site was prepared for the new temple and work began on its construction, but at the initial stage they were interrupted by the renewed war.
The project of the Parthenon belonged to the architect Iktin, and Kallikrates supervised the progress of the work. An active part in the construction of the temple was taken by the great sculptor Phidias, who was engaged in external and interior decoration building. The best masters of Greece were involved in the construction, and Pericles himself carried out the overall control of the work.
The consecration of the temple took place in 438 at the annual Panathenaic Games, but the finishing work on the building was finally completed only in 432 BC. e.
The architecture of the Parthenon
Architecturally, the temple is a classical peripter with a single row of Doric columns. There are 50 columns in total - 8 from the end and 17 from the sides. The width of the end sides is more than the traditional one - 8 columns instead of 6. This was done at the request of Phidias, who sought to achieve the maximum width of the cella, the interior. The height of the columns was 19.4 meters with a diameter in the lower part of 1.9 m. The corner ones were somewhat thicker - 1.95 m. The thickness of the columns decreased towards the top. Each column has 20 longitudinal grooves - flutes.
The whole building rests on a three-stage base 1.5 m high. The size of the upper platform of the base, the stylobate, is 69.5 by 30.9 meters. Behind the outer row of columns, two more steps with a total height of 0.7 m were built, on which the walls of the temple stand.
The main entrance to the Parthenon was located on the side opposite the main entrance to the Acropolis - the Propylaea. Thus, to get inside, the visitor had to go around the building from one side.
The total length of the temple (without the colonnade) is 59 m, width 21.7. The eastern part of the temple, where the very sanctuary of Athena was located, had an external size of 30.9 m and was called hekatompedon, “one hundred feet” (Attic foot - 30.9 cm). The length of the cella was 29.9 m. The cella was divided into three naves by two rows of 9 Doric columns. In the middle nave was the altar of the goddess, as well as the famous statue of Athena Parthenos, the creation of Phidias.
The western part of the building was occupied by an opisthodome - a room in which offerings to Athena and the state archive were kept. The dimensions of the opisthodom were 13.9 x 19.2 m. It was here that the treasury of the Delian League was transported. The name of the opisthodom, the Parthenon, was subsequently transferred to the entire temple.
The building was built of marble quarried on Mount Pentelikon, 20 km away. from Athens. The peculiarity of Pentelikon marble is that, being almost white immediately after mining, it acquires a yellowish color over time. This explains the golden hue of the Parthenon. Marble blocks were fastened with iron pins, which were inserted into drilled grooves and filled with lead.
Unique project Iktin
Art historians consider the Parthenon to be the standard of harmony and harmony. His silhouette is flawless. However, in fact, there are practically no straight lines in the outlines of the temple.
Human vision perceives objects somewhat distorted. Iktin took full advantage of this. Columns, cornices, roofing - all lines are slightly curved, thereby creating optical illusion their perfect straightness.
Such a significant building as the Parthenon, located on a flat area, would visually “press through” the base, so the stylobate was made towering towards the center. The temple itself was moved away from the center of the Acropolis to the southeast corner, so as not to overwhelm the visitor who entered the citadel. The sanctuary seems to grow as you approach it.
An interesting solution to the colonnade. Perfectly even columns would seem too thin, so they have an imperceptible thickening in the middle. To create a feeling of lightness of the building, the columns were set slightly inclined towards the center. The corner columns were made somewhat thicker than the rest, which gave the building visual stability. The spans between the columns increase towards the center, but it seems to the viewer walking along the colonnade that they are exactly the same.
Using this feature of human perception in the Parthenon project, Iktin thereby discovered one of fundamental principles on which the architecture of subsequent centuries grew.
Sculptures of the Parthenon
The best masters of Greece participated in the work on the sculptures of the temple. General leadership The sculptural decoration of the sanctuary was carried out by Phidias. He also owns the authorship of the main shrine of the Parthenon - the statue of Athena the Virgin.
The best-preserved bas-relief frieze encircled the entire temple above the colonnade. The total length of the frieze is 160 meters. It depicts a solemn procession in honor of Athena. Among the participants in the procession are elders, girls with palm branches, musicians, horsemen, chariots, young men leading sacrificial animals. Above the entrance to the temple, the final act of Panathenay is depicted - the priest of Athena, surrounded by the gods and the most prominent citizens of Attica, accepts as a gift to the goddess a peplos woven by the Athenians (a kind of women's outerwear).
Remarkable works of art are the metopes of the Parthenon - relief images that were located above the frieze. Of the 92 metopes, 57 have survived to this day. The reliefs are grouped according to the thematic feature and are dedicated to subjects common in Hellas. Above the eastern entrance was depicted the battle of the gods with the giants, above the entrance to the opisthod in the west - the battle of the Hellenes with the Amazons. The metopes of the south reproduced the battle of the Lapiths with the centaurs. The metopes of the northern part, which told about the Trojan War, suffered more than others.
The sculptures of the pediments have survived only in fragments. They portrayed key moments for Athens. The eastern group reproduced the scene of the birth of Athena, and the dispute between Athena and Poseidon for the right to become the patron of Attica was depicted on the western pediment. Next to the gods are depicted the legendary figures of the history of Athens. Alas, the condition of the sculptures does not allow us to accurately determine the belonging of most of them.
In the central nave of the temple was a statue of Athena 12 meters high. Phidias used the chrysoelephantine technique when the wooden frame of the sculpture was first created, and plates of gold, depicting clothes, and ivory, imitating open parts of the body, were fixed on it.
Descriptions and copies of the sculpture have been preserved. The goddess was depicted standing upright wearing a combed helmet, but otherwise eyewitness accounts differ. The famous geographer of the II century AD. e. Pausanias claimed that Athena held a spear in one hand, and the messenger of Nick's victory stood in the palm of her other hand. At the feet of Athena lay a shield, on the chest of the goddess was an aegis - a shell with the head of Medusa the Gorgon. In copies, the goddess leans on a shield, but there is no spear at all.
On one side of the shield was depicted the battle of the gods with the giants, on the other - the battle of the Greeks with the Amazons. Ancient authors passed on the legend that Phidias depicted Pericles and himself on the relief. Later, for this, he was accused of sacrilege and died in prison.
The further fate of the Parthenon
The temple was highly revered throughout Greece even after the sunset of Athens. So, rich donations to the Parthenon were made by Alexander the Great.
However, the new rulers of Attica treated the sanctuary with much less reverence. In 298 BC. e. on the orders of the tyrant Lahar, the golden parts of the statue of Athena were removed. In the 2nd century A.D. e. in the Parthenon there was a strong fire, but the building was restored.
Timing of the change in the appearance of the Parthenon from the moment of construction to the present day
In 426, the Parthenon became the temple of Hagia Sophia. The statue of Athena was transported to Constantinople, where she died in a fire. In 662, the temple was re-consecrated in honor of the Mother of God, a bell tower was attached to it.
The Turks, who conquered Athens in 1460, built a mosque in the Parthenon, rebuilding the bell tower into a minaret, and in 1687 a tragedy happened. During the siege of Athens by the Venetians, a Turkish gunpowder warehouse was arranged in the temple. A cannonball hit the gunpowder casks, resulting in a powerful explosion that destroyed the middle part of the building.
The destruction of the temple continued in peacetime, when the inhabitants of the city took away the marble blocks for their needs. IN early XIX century, the main part of the sculptures with the permission of the Sultan was taken to England. Nobody cared about the building itself until Greece gained independence. The Parthenon was recognized as part of the historical heritage of Greece, and restoration work began in the 1920s. The Foundation for the Preservation of the Listed Parthenon world heritage UNESCO.
Work on the restoration of the Parthenon is ongoing. Alas, there is no hope of seeing the temple in its original form - too much has been lost. However, even in its current state, the Parthenon is a masterpiece of ancient architecture and leaves no doubt about the genius of the architects and builders who once erected it.
SCULPTURE OF THE PARTHENON
The Parthenon is richly decorated with sculptures. The Olympian gods and heroes, the battles of the Greeks with the Amazons and centaurs, the battles of the gods with giants, episodes of the Trojan War and solemn processions are depicted on its pediments, metopes, and friezes. In plastic images, the feelings and moods of the Greeks of the heyday of Athens were embodied. That is why fiction here is perceived as reality, and plots inspired by life acquire the character of a special sublime ideality. In the sculpture of the Parthenon is enclosed deep meaning. The greatness of man is revealed in visually visible images - an idea that is also expressed in the architecture of the temple 37 .
Metopes of the Parthenon. Metopes were placed above the outer colonnade of the temple. Previously, relief metopes were usually located only on the eastern and western sides. They also decorated the Parthenon from the north and south (ill. 39). On the western side, the battle of the Greeks was depicted in metopes
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with the Amazons; on the south - Greeks with centaurs; on the north - scenes from the Trojan War; on the east - the battle of gods and giants 38 .
The metons of the western side of the Parthenon are badly damaged. The northern metopes are also poorly preserved (out of thirty-two, only twelve): this part of the colonnade was badly damaged by a gunpowder explosion. This is all the more regrettable because here, apparently, the reliefs were especially well executed, since they were most often in sight. Along this side of the Parthenon was a solemn profession on the Acropolis.
The sculptor, who decorated the metopes with reliefs on the north side, took this into account, and he coordinated the direction of the general movement and the development of the action on the northern metopes with the movement of a person along the temple. Indeed, on the first metope of the north side (if you go along
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Parthenon from the Propylaea) was depicted as if opening the events of the god on one of the last, the final ones - the goddess of the night Nux. These images corresponded to the beginning and end of the action. On the middle metopes, preparations for the campaign, farewell of the soldiers, departure, scenes of the Trojan War were shown. The entrance to the temple was from the east, and in the decorations of this side, the sculptors represented the most significant events. On the eastern metopes, the struggle and victory of the Olympian gods over the giants was shown.
Southern metopes. Battles of the Greeks with the centaurs. The best preserved are 18 (out of 32) metopes of the south side of the Parthenon facing the cliff. The proximity of the cliff, obviously, interfered with the perception of their man, standing on the Acropolis near the temple. They were clearly visible from afar, from the city below. Therefore, the masters made the figures especially voluminous.
The reliefs differ among themselves in the nature of execution, no doubt; what they were working on different masters. Many have not come down to us, but those that have survived are striking in their masterful depiction of the battle. These metopes represent the battle of the Greeks with the centaurs 39 . The squares of the frames show scenes of fierce fights not for life, but for death, various situations wrestling, difficult positions of bodies.
There are many tragic themes here. Often centaurs triumph over defeated people. In one of the metopes, the Greek tries in vain to defend himself against the advancing enemy, in the other, a Hellene prostrated on the ground and a centaur triumphant over him are shown. In such slabs full voice the deep drama of the event sounds - the death of a hero in a fight with a terrible
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evil force (ill. 40, 41). The winning Greeks are also depicted: one, who grabbed the weakening enemy by the throat, the other, swung at the centaur, is about to strike him a decisive blow (ill. 42, 43). Sometimes it is impossible to predict who will be the winner. In one metope, a Greek and a centaur are likened to two high waves colliding with each other.
The masters of the classics balance the opposing forces in the metopes and achieve a generally harmonious impression from each monument. Classical sculptors always show the inner boiling of passions, complex, sometimes tragic conflicts in an outwardly calm, restrained form. Each individual image is agitated and dynamic, but as a whole the whole scene is usually brought into a state of compositional harmony.
Each metope has its own, unique theme - sometimes tragic, sometimes victoriously bravura, sometimes filled with the tension of an inhuman struggle, sometimes calm. The nature of feelings is expressed with crystal clearness and purity. These images are infinitely far from theatrical pathos, insincerity, meaningful reticence that will appear in art. later centuries. The classics are extremely truthful when they depict something terrible and tragic; it remains whole and harmonious even in the expression of great suffering. The masters of high classics are able to show with restraint, with deep calmness, what the artists of later eras will narrate with a tremor in their voice.
Frieze of the Parthenon. The frieze (zophoros) of the Parthenon (ill. 44) with a total length of 160 meters and a width of about a meter is a particularly integral work, harmonious with the deep interconnectedness of all its images.
In the third year of each Olympiad (fourth anniversary), around the end of July according to our calendar, after gymnastic and musical competitions, a solemn procession to the Acropolis began. By this day, the girls were preparing fabric for a wooden ancient statue Athens. Textile
strengthened on the mast of the ship, which was carried by hand. The ship was followed by priests, rulers of the city, noble Athenians, ambassadors. Chariots moved along the streets, riders rode on horseback.
The frieze shows the procession of the Athenians on the day of the Great Panathenaic feast. The movement on the reliefs starts from the southwestern corner of the temple and goes in two streams. One part of the people depicted on the frieze goes to the south side of the Parthenon to the east, the other - first along the west, then turns and goes along the north side of the temple to the east frieze, where the gods are shown. The participants in the actual procession, passing near the Parthenon, saw these reliefs - a generalized, ideal image, an echo of real life.
West side of the frieze. The relief slabs show how the riders are preparing for the procession: talking to each other, tying sandals, saddling and slowly leading their horses, taming too hot horses. The images are full of vitality, especially the scene where, near two talking young men, a horse drives away a horsefly or a fly from its leg. Further, the riders begin their movement, following each other (ill. 45,46,47). The composition of the western part is the beginning of the entire frieze: the movement of the procession will move to the north side of the temple. At the same time, it is perceived as a completely finished relief, since along the edges, as if framing it, are the figures of calm young men. Image-
near the northwestern corner, as it were, stopped the riders for a moment, who in the next moment will still continue their journey on the reliefs of the north side.
The procession goes from right to left. It is noteworthy that the remains of figures on the western metopes can be general movement on them, on the contrary, from left to right. Thus, actions on the frieze and metopes as
would reciprocate. This balance corresponded to the front side of the temple, along which the path of the solemn procession did not go. To avoid monotony in the image of galloping horsemen, the master interrupts the movement in two places. So, on one of the slabs, he shows a dismounted young man, facing against the movement, putting his foot on a stone (ill. 47). The sculptor, as it were, gives the viewer an opportunity to rest, and after a pause, movement begins again. The distribution of actions on the metopes and frieze of the western façade, as well as the features of the composition, convince of the consistency of the work of the sculptors and architects of the Parthenon, of the deep unity of architecture and plasticity of this beautiful classical building.
North side frieze. The frieze on the north side of the temple is longer. It shows not only horsemen, but also chariots, priests with sacrificial animals, musicians, young men with sacred gifts. Traffic in the beginning is faster than in the western part and uneven. Horses run either faster or slower. Riders sometimes get close to each other, and it seems that. they are cramped (ill. 48). Sometimes they are placed more freely
bodno. One gets the impression of a pulsating, tense rhythm, as if the fractional clatter of horse hooves is heard. Sometimes the procession is stopped by a figure emerging against the stream. And again the horses gallop after her. The beauty of the composition of the northern frieze is enhanced by smooth, flexible lines of contours and low, as if breathing, relief forms.
In front of the horsemen, the flower of the Athenian youth, representatives of the best families of the city 40, chariots are shown, measuredly drawn by mighty beautiful horses. Sometimes the hieroglyphs are not visible, as they were painted with paint that has not been preserved. In this part of the frieze there are many smooth rounded contours - wheels, croups of horses, bends of their bodies, hands of charioteers. The mood is calm, the movements are measured.
Gradually slows down and the progress of the chariots. The counter figure, as it were, stops them. From fast galloping riders and slow motion the chariot master moves on to the calm procession of elderly Athenians who carry olive branches in their hands. Their gestures are restrained. Some are talking to each other, others turn back, as if looking over the procession following them.
In front of the elders, four young men carry hydrias on their shoulders - vessels for water (ill. 49). On the right, one leans over and picks up a jug from the ground. The figures are placed freely, dispersed. The sacrificial rams are led by priests talking to each other (ill. 50). One of them
affectionately stroking the lamb on the back. In front of them are musicians in long robes, with flutes and lyres, then strangers with gifts - baskets filled with fruits and bread. At the end of the northern frieze one can see priests with sacrificial bulls. One of the bulls turned up his muzzle and seemed to roar plaintively. beautiful figures drivers express sadness - their heads drooped, one tightly wrapped in a cloak (ill. 51). The last, angular figure completes the frieze, as it were, closes the composition and stops the movement.
Everything is brought into harmonious harmony in the picture of the festive Panathenaic procession. At first, the figures were full of tension. Closer to the eastern part of the frieze, the participants in the procession march solemnly. The masters of the classics did not like the abruptness of the action, reticence, they preferred clarity, logical completeness. The procession on the frieze of the longitudinal side of the temple also corresponded to the direction of action on the northern metopes.
Southern frieze. The southern frieze suffered more severely, but even on it you can see participants in a calm and stately procession. Riders ride three rows deep, but there is no crowding or hustle. The master shows young men in elegant leather boots with lapels, in short shells, sometimes in raincoats. They seem to be amazed by the solemn celebration, obviously, for the first time participating in it. As in the northern
rone, chariots and drivers with sacrificial animals move here. Some bulls go obediently, while others, moaning plaintively, are restrained by the attendants (ill. 52, 53). The group, in which two priests are shown following the bull, is impeccable in the beauty of the composition and rhythm. One of the priests on the move turned around and, leaning slightly, looks back.
East frieze. Traffic on the north and south friezes is directed towards the eastern part of the temple. The east frieze depicts seated gods. Notable Athenians go to their right and left. The Olympians meet the procession in two groups. The left ones are turned to the characters of the southern frieze. Right - to those suitable from the north. The closer to the center, the less often the figures are shown.
The Athenians talk sedately with each other, as if they were always mindful of the closeness of their patrons. Here are girls with bowls and jugs in their hands, majestic women. Their figures are slender. The cascading folds of the cloaks are like the grooves of the columns of the Parthenon. The sublime and significant ideas embodied in the architectural forms of the temple are, as it were, repeated in its details, in the decor, in the simple and ordinary - in the beautiful folds of human clothes (ill. 54).
The gods who sit on thrones are much larger than the mortal Athenians. If the gods wanted to stand up, they would not fit
59, 60. West pediment of the Parthenon. Sketches by the artist Carrey.
on the frieze. In this they differ from ordinary people otherwise similar to the excellent Olympians. On the left are Zeus on a throne with a back, Pera, who turned her face to him, Irida and Eros, Ares, Demeter, Dionysus and Hermes. On right side- Athena, Hephaestus, then Poseidon, Apollo, Peifo 41 and then Aphrodite. In the center of the frieze above the entrance to the temple are depicted a priest and a priestess of the goddess Athena (ill. 55,56).
It is noteworthy that the placement of the gods on the east frieze is consistent, with a few exceptions, with the placement of the gods on the eastern metopes, where they fought the giants. It is no coincidence that the movement in the eastern metopes and in the eastern part of the frieze is directed towards the center from the corners. This gives the sculptural decoration of the temple unity and a deep connection with architecture. The frieze of the Parthenon is the creation of a genius. There is reason to believe that Phidias was directly involved in its execution.
Gables. The pediment compositions of the Parthenon are the pinnacle in the development of this type of Greek sculpture after the statues of the temples of Artemis in Corfu, Athena on the island of Aegina and Zeus in Olympia. The statues, attached with lead for strength, were on high altitude and therefore had a slight inclination of the upper part forward, so that when viewed from below they could be better seen (ill. 57). For two and a half millennia, they suffered greatly, and what is now stored in museums is only the remains of beautiful sculptures, most of them came in ruins.
On many statues, one can see traces of rain streams that poured through the holes of the cornice for centuries 42 . But even in this state, these ancient sculptures make an indelible impression.
West pediment of the Parthenon. Athena and Poseidon argued, according to myth, for primacy in Attica. They were supposed to bring gifts to the city. Poseidon, striking the ground with his trident, carved a source. Athena, piercing
61, 62. West pediment of the Parthenon. Kefis.
spear into the ground, created an olive, a tree that bears fruit - olives. The Greeks preferred the goddess, and she became the patroness of their city. This dispute was depicted in the center of the western pediment of the Parthenon (ill. 71).
To imagine how the figures on the pediment were located in ancient times, the researchers had to do a lot of work. The surviving descriptions of ancient authors, random sketches of travelers - everything was taken into account.
63, 64. West pediment of the Parthenon. Kekrop with his daughter.
mania. Before the explosion of the Parthenon, the western side (ill. 58) was better preserved than the eastern, judging by the famous drawings of the artist Carrey, who accompanied in the 17th century. French Ambassador on a trip to Greece 43 (ill. 59,60). Left descriptions, statues of the Parthenon as well as ancient authors.
The following statues were located on the western pediment from left to right: Cephis, Nymph, Kokron, his three daughters and son, Nike, Hermes, Athena, Poseidon (part of this statue is in Athens, part in London), Irida, Amphitrite, three daughters and grandson Erechthea, Ilis (in Athens), Kalliroe. Apparently, the babies of Boreada were also presented, as well as sculptural images of the tree planted by Athena - the olive, the source of Poseidon, to her and the chariots on which the gods arrived 44 .
The deities of the rivers flowing in Athens - Ilis and Kephis, shown in the corners in the form of young men, indicate the place of action. On the left is the god of the river Kephis. The outline of his figure resembles the elastic bend of a wave. This impression is helped by the
hands, like streams of water, smoothly flowing folds of clothes (ill. 61, 62).
The statue of the Ilis River in the right corner is much worse preserved. The river god is also full of life and tension. However, if Kefis had an open and brightly jerky movement, then
66, 67, 68. West pediment of the Parthenon. Irida
Ilis is reserved and withdrawn. The different interpretations of the images are not accidental and are caused by the location of the figures on the pediment. Kefis, with its dynamic impulse, seemed to indicate the unfolding composition. Ilis, which completed it and was near the cliff of the Acropolis rock, stopped the attention of a person and returned him to the center of the pediment.
In front of Cephis was Kekrop - the ancient Attic deity of the earth, the mythical founder of cities in Attica, which is why Attica is sometimes called Kekropia, and the Athenians - Kekrops. According to legend, he was the first king and under him there was a dispute between Athena and Poseidon. Depicted usually as a man with a snake's tail instead of legs, he sits on his rings, leaning on them with his hand. His daughter gently pressed against his shoulder (ill. 63,64). His daughters were goddesses of dew and saviors from drought 45 , Athena's closest companions were Aglavra, Pandros, Gers 46 . The most ancient Attic hero Erechtheus, the son of the earth, the pupil of Athena, the ancient deity of earthly fertility, whose cult later merged
with the cult of Poseidon, shown on the right side of the pediment, near Ilis. Here is the daughter of Erechtheus Creusa with her son Ion, as well as Leo coffee with the baby Polemon.
The statues of deities are full of life. Even the poorly preserved marble torso of Poseidon's wife Amphitrite convinces of the former perfection of her sculptural image. The plasticity of the forms testifies to the hand great master. The movements of the goddess of the seas are confident, noble and unhurried (ill. 65). Goddess Ra-
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the arcs of Irida, connecting heaven and earth, the mediator between the Olympians and people, quickly rushes forward, towards a strong, gusty wind 47. She is wearing a short and light, as if wet, chiton, tightly stuck to the body and forming many small beautiful folds (ill. 66-68). The peculiarity of the classical composition, in which individual figures are dynamic, and the overall action is balanced, is also manifested in the pediments of the Parthenon. With a strong opposition of the actions of various characters general impression from the whole ensemble of the statue remains harmonious. Each figure, as it were, exists in space, lives independently, without touching the others, but still has a very strong effect on them.
Athena and Poseidon. The middle of the pediments of the Parthenon is not marked, as in earlier temples, with one figure. The central statue in such compositions appeared in archaic buildings, with an odd number of columns at the ends. The middle column then corresponded to the most tall figure on the pediment. Gradually, the architects moved from an odd number of columns at the ends to an even number. But the sculptural compositions of the pediments of the temple of Athena on the island of Aegina, as well as Zeus in Olympia, still retained, according to ancient traditions, the main figure of the deity in the center. Only in the Parthenon sculptural composition The pediments fully correspond to the architecture of the temple. From the statues of the arguing gods of Athena and Poseidon located in the center, only fragments have been preserved, but they are also very expressive. Greek masters were able to permeate all the elements of the work with a single and integral feeling. Even a part of a broken statue therefore retains its mood and idea. So, in a small fragment of the statue of Athena, in a proud turn of the head, in a strong turn of the shoulders, the majesty of the goddess appears (ill. 69).
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The hand of Poseidon, who struck with the trident, was raised. This can be understood even by that insignificant fragment of the statue, which time did not spare (ill. 70). The formidable strength of the Olympian, his power is embodied in the generalized and integral forms of the torso. Every muscle of Poseidon is, as it were, saturated with life. Are common perfect performances about the power of the deity are conveyed here in the forms of a human figure. The Greek sculptor, who sought to show the perfection of God, thereby asserted at the same time the unlimited possibilities of man, with the harmony of his spiritual and physical development. In a visually visual, tangible, taken from life image, not private and small, but
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whole and deep feelings and thoughts. The idea that excited mankind happily found at that time a concrete form of expression in art.
East pediment of the Parthenon. On the eastern pediment, mainly, since the entrance to the Parthenon was from the east (ill. 72), a great event for the Hellenes is represented - the birth of Athena (ill. 73). This is a pan-Hellenic plot, more significant than the dispute between Athena and Poseidon 48 . In the center are the gods on Olympus, in the corners are no longer the Athenian rivers Kefis and Ilis, but the sun god Helios and the night goddess Nux in the waters of the Ocean. On the left, Helios rode in a chariot, on the right, the night - Nux was hiding in the Ocean along with her horse. With the birth of Athena, for the Hellenes, the sunny day began and the night ended.
Central figures- Zeus on the throne, Athena flying out of his head, Hephaestus, the goddess Ilithyia helping at birth, Nike laying a wreath on the head of the born Athena - did not survive due to later alterations of this part of the temple. In the sculptures of the pediment, it was shown how the world reacts to the great event. Stormy rushes
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forward Irida 49, reporting the news of the birth of the wise Athena (ill. 74). She is met by the Mountains sitting in front of her - the daughters of Zeus, who open and close the gates of heaven (ill. 75). Their heads have not been preserved, and it is impossible to judge by their faces how they perceive Irida's message, but the plasticity of movement reveals their feelings and attitude to what they heard. Located-
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the wife closer to Iris clasped her hands in joy and recoiled slightly, as if in amazement at this news. Another, seated farther away, moved closer to the messenger of the gods. It’s as if she still hasn’t heard everything and wants to know what Irida is saying.
By varying the degree of reaction of these characters sitting next to each other, the master wants to emphasize that from the center of the pediment to its corners is as far away as from Olympus to the waters of the Ocean. Therefore, the young man sitting farther from the Mountains - Cephalus 50 - does not seem to hear the news of Irida (ill. 76). He turns his back to Olympus and looks at Helios leaving the Ocean. The harmony of forms in this statue is impeccable. In the interpretation of a strong, strong neck and compact volume of the head, in the modeling of the muscles that transmit body movement well, there is no rigidity inherent in early classical statues; the calm state of an active, strong person is expressed. The usual image of a youthful figure acquires a special elevation. The ancient Greek master knows how to see and show a simple phenomenon of life as beautiful and significant, without resorting to spectacular poses and gestures in his compositions.
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The statue of Cephalus captures attention with the complexity and at the same time the clarity of the movement presented. Although the young man sits with his back to Olympus, the master managed to convey in his seemingly calm body the desire to turn around. The beginning of the slow movement is noticeable in the position of his left leg. The figure is plastic and voluminous; it rather lives independently in space than is connected with the flat background of the pediment. The sculpture of Cephalus, like other images of the Parthenon, is not subject to the plane of the pediment as much as the statues on earlier temples.
To the left, Helios is shown riding a chariot. The quadriga would have cluttered up the corner, and the sculptor limited himself to depicting two horse muzzles protruding from the waters of the Ocean. In the plasticity of marble statues, in beautiful lines the proud bend of the horse's necks, the majestic inclination of the horses' heads, as in a poetic metaphor, embodied the feelings from contemplation of the solemnly and smoothly rising luminary 51 (ill. 77). The head of Helios and his horses are answered on the right by the half-figure of the goddess of the night Nux and the head of her horse, plunging into the waters of the Ocean. The muzzle of the horse is shown with a lip hanging over the lower border of the pediment. She seemed to be snoring
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from fatigue and hurried to the cool water. She was admired by Goethe, who said that the horse is depicted as it came out of the hands of nature itself (ill. 78).
Moir statues. Statues of the goddesses of fate - Moir are located on the right side of the pediment near the torso of Nux 52.
Despite the damage, they capture a person with their beauty. Parts of the statues retain the feeling that once lived in the whole work, and are as expressive as passages from the majestic Greek epic or tender lines of the ancient lyric poet (ill. 79,80,81). Moirae live in the complex organism of the pediment and are subordinate to its composition. Their connection with the triangular shape of the frame appears, in particular, in the fact that the figures are placed on gradually rising to
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the central part of the benches. The closer to the birthplace of Athena, the more mobile the sculptural masses of the statues, the more dynamic, restless the poses, the more intense the forms. The excitement of the images grows from the calm figures in the extreme corners to the pathos of the central scene.The consistent increase in emotionality is noticeable not in the facial expressions, because Moir's heads have not been preserved, but in the plasticity of their expressive movements. The right Moira lay down on a low couch covered with the folds of her wide robes. The embodiment of peace and relaxation, she rested her elbow on her friend's knees and pressed her shoulder to her chest. The middle one, sitting higher, is restrained in movements.
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Crossing her legs, she leaned forward slightly towards the girl reclining at her knees. The left, towering above them, Moira seemed to have heard about the birth of Athena a moment ago and responded to it, rushing with the upper part of the torso to Olympus. Her whole being is permeated with quivering excitement. From the deep serene peace of the right Moira to the restrained and measured movements of the middle, then to the agitation and impetuosity of the left, a dynamic composition of the group, saturated with a rich inner life, develops.
The artistic power of most of the classical monuments of Greece is not lost, even if the plot or the names of those depicted are unknown. It is no coincidence that other goddesses are sometimes seen in the statues of Moir. The theme of such works is the consciousness of the significance of man, the boundlessness of his possibilities, felt and conveyed by the ancient master, deep admiration for his beauty. The statues of Moir are not an illustration of how imagined ancient greek goddesses of fate. The sculptor embodied in them his idea of the various states of a person - serene rest, calm activity, intense spiritual outburst.
The sculptures of Moir are large and seem more human. They are majestic not in size, but in the solemnity of poses, strict harmony. Everything petty, ordinary is alien to their images. At the same time, their greatness is not abstractly ideal. It is deeply vital. Moira are beautiful with purely human, feminine beauty. The smooth contours of their figures are perceived as extremely earthly. Clothes and in other similar statues of classical time become, as it were, an echo of the human body. Delicate forms are emphasized by folds of light chitons. These folds run like streams after a stormy rain from picturesque beautiful hills, flowing around the heights of the chest, gathering near the waist, framing the roundness of the legs, knocking out with light trickles from under the knees. Everything is covered with a living network of folds, only tight knees, rounded shoulders and chest protrude above the moving streams, sometimes fractional, sometimes heavy and viscous.
The plastic reality of marble forms gives vitality to the images of Moir. In the statues of maidens clinging to each other, the cold stone acquires the tenderness and warmth of the human body. in statues ancient goddesses the beauty of the perfect man, which illuminated the Greek master, found its expression. In Moira, complexity and simplicity are wonderfully combined. The universal and the personal, the sublime and the intimate, the general and the particular form here an inseparable unity. It is difficult to name another work in the history of world art, in which these eternally opposing qualities would be holistically combined.
The sculptural decoration of the east side of the Parthenon was carefully thought out. Above the metopes depicting the battle of the Olympians with the giants,
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the pediment rose with the birth of Athena. Located deeper behind the outer colonnade, the frieze set the person in a solemn mood, as if preparing him for the contemplation of the statue of Athena Parthenos. The marble sculptures of the Parthenon are sublime and optimistic. They instill deep faith in human capabilities, in the beauty and harmony of the world 53 . The unity of the architectural forms and sculptural decorations of the Parthenon embodies the great ideas of the great era so completely and vividly that even after thousands of years, with traces of barbaric destruction, this work is able to radiate impulses of noble feelings experienced by its creators. The contemplation of the Parthenon gives a person great joy, elevates him and ennobles him.
In Athens, on the highest point of the Acropolis stands the majestic Parthenon Temple, built in honor of the goddess Athena the Virgin, the beloved daughter of Zeus the Thunderer. It began to be erected during the reign of Pericles, construction continued for ten years.
Creator of the Parthenon
The main architect of the temple was Iktin, he was assisted by Kallikrates. Sketches and schemes for the sculptural decoration of the Parthenon were developed by famous master sculptures by Phidias, who made the colossal statue of the Parthenos. Also, under his leadership, an amazing decoration of the temple was created: a marble frieze, pediments and metopes.
The Parthenon, according to the plan of Pericles, was supposed to personify the greatness of ancient Athens and the victory in the Greco-Persian war. All this found its expression in the Doric style of the temple columns, in the harmonious composition of the elements and their correct proportion.
Architectural style of the Parthenon
Massive columns rise along the entire perimeter, slightly inclined into the structure and with different diameters. The builders created them exactly like that with the intention of giving the building plasticity and harmony.
Front of the Parthenon
The upper part of the temple wall behind a row of outer columns is decorated with a 160-meter-long frieze dedicated to the Greek festival of the Great Panathenaic. The marble zophora depicts scenes of a celebration in which many people and animals participate, and you can also see the Olympian gods.
Columns of the Parthenon
Above the colonnade of the temple of Athena there were 92 metopes, the paintings of which illustrate scenes from ancient Greek mythology and small feats of the goddess. The main episodes from the life of Athena are depicted on the pediments of the Parthenon (eastern and western). On the eastern pediment you can see the image of the myth about and the figure goddess women fate, in the west - the conflict of Poseidon and Athena because of the patronage of Greece.
4 Travelleague
Frieze - an endless relief strip covering the main part of the Parthenon:
about 350 foot and 150 horse figures going to the goddess on the last day of Panathenay.
Now everyone agrees that the temples did not remain white stone,
and that Athens is not the "childhood of mankind", and that Winckelmann is not entirely objective,
not to mention Kun. An honest "we don't know how it was" is better anyway
than another illusion of understanding. The same Panathenaic - what was it for the Greeks?
A civic ritual to hold society together? Outburst of religious feelings?
A holiday of disorderly conduct? Panathenaic demonstration of workers?
How did they imagine the goddess and their relationship with her? yellow peplos,
which the Athenian women had been weaving and embroidering for nine months to bring to the goddess -
did he warm Athena or did he just symbolize something there? There, in the cella of the Parthenon,
Was there a statue of Athena? Or was Athena herself living there?
The Panathenaic procession is just depicted on the friezes -
you can look and try to guess.
Greeks are sea people. It is important. The legs of the horses here are running waves.
The eye does not have time to linger on any one point, it immediately slides further:
from the toes of the rider on the right, to the knees of his horse, to the hooves, to the other leg,
to other knees. You catch yourself three meters later - oh, I didn’t have time to see the faces.
And here the waves stumbled upon an obstacle. They huddled, crowded, there was a pause in front -
the wave went on horseback: the face of a young man - the head of a horse - another horse - the lost head of another young man.
And the waves rolled on.
It can be seen that the horses are small - not Arabian horses, not Akhal-Teke horses.
The Greeks no longer remembered the time when the horses were wild, and for some reason stubbornly associated them with the sea
and Poseidon. But the stirrups did not have time to come up with: it is clear that the young Athenians
they sit on the backs of horses just like the boy who bathes the red horse in the Russian painting.
Cows and bulls also participate in the procession - as gifts to Athena from the inhabitants of the city.
The stone is different. By reproductions you don’t guess about it - by reproductions
almost all works of art seem to be born out of nowhere ready-made.
It can also be seen here that the carvers dealt with marble, which did not at all imply
turn into figures of people and horses. He lay to himself for thousands of years, obeying all the laws
only chemical and gravity - and suddenly became a mane, a hand, an ear.
It can be seen that in some places it is dense, hard, and the master cut the stone,
struggling with its stubborn resistance, taking into account this resistance and overcoming it.
And in other places, the stone crumbles, exfoliates, some destructive processes are going on there ...
Here is a stone that has not retained the shape given by the sculptor.
Marble, of course, is a stronger thing than the colorful layer of the Trinity, but it also ages.
Reason to quote Sergei Averintsev: “Beautiful and calm “Olympic” nudity,
never perceived as the nakedness of "shame", as nakedness and defenselessness,
magnificent insofar as it is the nudity of a free and full person,
protected in advance from humiliating pain, from torture ... "
And again: “The Athenian sage knows for sure that they can kill him, but they cannot humiliate him.
gross physical violence that his measured speech in court will last so long
how much he is guaranteed the rights of the accused, and no one will silence him by hitting him in the face
or eloquent lips (as happens in the New Testament story of Jesus
or with the apostle Paul).
“Let every Greek be in his own way! But let him be it ”- this is said about them,
in the eighteenth century.
“Man is the measure of all things” - these are they about themselves, twenty-three centuries earlier.
