The Parthenon is a former
temple located on the Athenian Acropolis above the city of Athens, Greece. This
building was dedicated to the goddess Athena, and the people of Athens
considered her as their patron. Construction for this magnificent temple began
in 447 BC, during the same time when the Athenian Empire reached the peak of
its power. The Parthenon was completely built in 432 BC. What distinguished
this temple are a series of marble panels that can be seen outside of the
building. The metopes on each side of the building (western, eastern, southern,
and northern walls) are carved with sculptural decoration, each has its own
subject, and each subject represents an historical battle.
The south side of the
building, compared to the others is the best preserved. This side depicts the
Battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs, also known as the Centauromachy. The battle
was between the Lapiths, an Aeolian tribe and a legendary people of Greek
mythology, and the centaurs, half-human, half-horse creatures. Centaurs have the
head, arms, and the torso of a human man, and the body of a horse. The
Centauromachy was caused by the Centaurs’ attempt to abducted Hippodamia at her
wedding. She was a mythological figure in Greek history, and the daughter of
Atrax. Hippodamia married Pirithous, king of the Lapithae. In addition, Centaurs
also attempted to abducted all of the female and young male guests that were in
attendance.
Legendary Athenian king
Theseus, who was a friend of King Pirithous, assisted him and his men in this
epic battle against the Centaurs. King Theseus was the son of Aethra and the sea
god, Poseidon. Prior to becoming king of Athens, Theseus battled thieves,
monsters, and murderous brigands. Similar to Perseus, Cadmus, and Hercules,
Theseus was considered a powerful figure because he overcame every challenge he
encountered. He was a founder of Athens, and won the approval of the Athenian
citizens who saw in him as a hero, a wise ruler and relentless warrior. He led
King Pirithous to victory by destroying the Centaurs.
The Centauromachy in the
Parthenon metopes along with the other Parthenon marbles were sculpted under
the supervision of Phidias, an ancient Greek sculptor, painter and architect,
and his assistants. Very little is known of Phidias’ life, however it is known
that he had a vision from the gods before working on the Parthenon. Powerful
Greek statesman, public speaker and general of Athens during the Persian and
Peloponnesian wars, Pericles established programs in Athens and placed Phidias
as the head of all artistic endeavors. Along with working on the Parthenon
metopes, he is also known for: The Athena Promachos, The Lemnian Athena, The
Athena Promachos, The Amazzone Ferita and The Statue of Zeus at Olympia.
The Parthenon building
has wear and tear over thousands of years, but this is not due entirely to
exposure to the elements during its existence. After Athens was occupied by the
Ottoman Empire in 1456 CE, the Parthenon was converted to a mosque. In the 17th
Century, Poland and Austria joined forces to reclaim parts of Europe conquered
by the Ottoman Empire. This was the period after Turk forces attempted to
invade and control Vienna in 1683. In an effort to retake a portion of Greece
in 1669, General Francesco Morosini, a sixty-four-year-old veteran, led an army
of warriors and mercenaries into
Greece. General Francesco Morosini was motivated by shamed after losing
the Venetian colony of Crete to the Ottoman Empire.
Morosini was well aware
of the army of Turk forces at the Parthenon. Along with that, explosives were
also held inside the building. Morosini and his men struck the Parthenon on
September 26, 1687, which detonated
the gunpowder and cause a massive explosion. The Acropolis burned for two days,
and approximately 300 people died from it. The Turks surrendered and Morosini
was able to regain control this area. In the course of a few months, Morosini
stole multiple remaining marble statues, and artifacts from this historical
building.
The Parthenon was later used
for religious purposes such as: A Christian church, a Catholic church, and a
mosque. With each religious group using this space, the architecture of the
site changed as well under the supervisor of the Catholic church, they
installed a spiral staircase, and multiple tombs underneath the Parthenon.
Jacques Carrey, a French painter and draughtsman created a series of drawings
of the Parthenon in 1674. In addition to attractions in Greece, he executed
over 500 drawings of towns, antiquities, ceremonies in Asia Minor, and
Palestine between 1670 and 1679.
Approximately 65% of the
original sculptures, including the South Metopes from the Parthenon, survived
and are located in museums across Europe. Almost a majority of the original
sculptures can be seen at the Acropolis Museum in Athens or the British Museum
in London. Since the 1980s, Greece government has augured against the British
Museum Trustees’ legal title to the original Parthenon sculptures, and demanded
that they return them back to Greece.
REFERENCES
"Ancient
Greek Art." Parthenon
Metopes. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.
<http://www.ancientgreece.com/ParthenonMetopes/>.
Collection
Online. British Museum., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
<http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/search.aspx?people=41691&peoA=41691-2-23>.
Marble Metope
(XXXI). Digital image. British Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
<https://blog.britishmuseum.org/category/defining-beauty-the-body-in-ancient-greek-art/>.
"How Do We Know That Carrey’s Drawings Can Be
Trusted?" How Do We Know That Carrey’s
Drawings Can Be
Trusted? N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
"Theseus
Adventures." Theseus Adventures. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
<http://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/The_Myths/Theseus_Adventures/theseus_adventures.html>.
"Parthenon Metopes
(Sculpture)." Perseus Tufts Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
