|
 Acropolis (translated from Greek) is the upper city or part of the ancient Greek city, located on a hill and reliably fortified.
In the center of ancient Athens, on a high hill, an architectural complex was built, consisting of sanctuaries: the Temple of Athena, the Erechtheion, the Areopagus and others.
In the central part of the architectural ensemble, the most magnificent sanctuary was erected - the Parthenon Temple, which became a grandiose temple of Ancient Greece, in honor of the goddess Athena. The Parthenon is the perfect example of an ancient Greek sanctuary (temple).
It was constructed in such a way that the building is surrounded by marble columns around the perimeter (the peripter is circular-winged). Moreover, along the width of the perimeter there are eight columns, along the length - seventeen columns: they taper upwards, and the angular ones take an inclination towards the center. This construction gives the building harmony and uniqueness. For the walls of the temple, marble blocks were used; the facing was made of polished marble slabs. Marble was also used to make cornices, pediments, and sculptures. The roof was wooden.
A frieze (decorative horizontal stripe, at a height of 12 meters) stretched along the outer walls. It is carved with scenes telling about the posthumous life of the heroes (there are 192 of them) of the Marathon battle. On the main (eastern) pediment on the left, the sun god Helios emerges from the Ocean, and on the right, the night goddess Selena enters the waters of the same Ocean.
In the central part, the scene of the birth of Athena, the goddess of wisdom, is depicted: in the center, on the throne, Zeus, who looks at Athena standing in front of him (according to an ancient legend, the goddess of wisdom Athena was born in the head of Zeus and was born in military vestments). Above hovers (flies) Irida - the messenger of the gods, which is in a hurry to tell the world about the new, just born, goddess. The rest of the gods of Olympus look in amazement at the divine miracle that happened before their eyes.
On the opposite (western) pediment there is a scene of the dispute between Poseidon (lord of the seas and patron saint of seafarers) and Athena (goddess of wisdom) over the possession of the city of Attica. The elders of Athens decided that whoever brought the most valuable gift to the city would win. Athena won, her gift was more useful for the inhabitants of the city. She presented an olive tree, which became the symbol of the city, Poseidon, a salt spring.
The details of the building were of different colors: the pediments were red, the friezes were blue, the sculptures were made of white marble, and the gilded bronze was used to decorate their parts (they were also painted with gilding). In the western part, the Athenians kept the state treasury, in the eastern part in the center of the hall stood a twelve-meter statue of Athena Parthenos (the work of the ancient Greek sculptor Phidias). A large number of lamps were used to illuminate the hall.
Today, in the place where the statue of Athena stood, there are several rectangular stones. On the western wall there are two sculptures of the pediment and a frieze.
In the 19th century, the northern colonnade, the floor, and several pediments were restored. Many sculptures and details of the Parthenon are in foreign museums. Ruins and memories remain from the former greatness of the temple.
Nataliya
|
