Preview

Plato on the Parthenon

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
937 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Plato on the Parthenon
The philosophical ideas of Plato that relate to the Parthenon include whether the structure is an element of the Visible World or the Intelligible World. In my opinion, Plato would view the Parthenon as an object in the Visible World. The Parthenon is a one of a kind monument that is tangible and exists in our real world. The Parthenon is an architectural project and deals with forms of science and mathematics. Plato's view of science and mathematics are categorized as forms in the Intelligible World, which are intangible. Through analysis of illusory tactics, the Tripartite Soul, the simile of the line, and the artistic qualities of architecture, Plato's, as well as my view of the Parthenon will become evident.
The Parthenon was built to honor the goddess of wisdom, Athena. When structures are built using straight lines they tend to look slightly distorted due to the science of optics. The architects Iktos and Kallikretes were skilled architects of their time and they used illusory tactics to create an ideal aesthetic for The Parthenon. The architects compensated for these visual illusions by counteracting them in their design. The end result is a structure that is not composed of straight lines, but when viewed by the human eye, looks perfectly straight. Plato would have mentioned one of his famous dictums, "That which changes least is most real." He would have viewed Iktos and Kallikretes designs as less real than other designs that do not use illusory tactics to fool the eye. Changing the nature of contemporary construction standards would lead Plato to deem the design as a "change" in architecture of the times. Several elements of the Parthenon follow nature-based models. The rectangular shape of The Parthenon was derived from the Golden Ratio of 5:8, which can be seen in some flowers and nautilus seashells. The drums of The Parthenon's columns also have natural characteristics. Their diameter is similar to the height of man. Plato's view of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Parthenon Vs. Salisbury

    • 701 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Parthenon temple was a fine example of the Doric order. The columns surround the Cella, and the number of columns on the sides is equal to two times the number across the front, plus an additional column. Each column is alike except the corners; the spacing lessens in an aesthetic adjustment. The column swells are about seven inches, which is called entasis, it tilts upward at the top to appear upright. Stylobate is the foundation that is just right below the columns, rises toward the center so it does not appear saggy from the massive weight of the columns. The inside of the Parthenon is divided into two parts that houses the forth foot tall statue of the goddess Athena. White marble may have been used to compliment and reflect the intensity of the Athenian Sunlight. This temple signifies Classical characteristics of convention, order, balance, idealization, simplicity, grace, and restrained vitality.…

    • 701 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    * The original construction of the Parthenon was built in 448-432 BCE. The Parthenon was dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, she was known as the virgin patron from here people in Greece. Parthenon was built for the purpose to store the chryselephantine statue of Athena. The sculptor of Parthenon was Pheidias, it was designed by Iktinos and Kallikrates, the two men were architects for the project.…

    • 570 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The powerful goddess of wisdom and warfare, known as Athena, had a larger-than-life statue built in Parthenos by Pheidias during ancient times. The figure has been replicated and with numerous copies, yet the original cannot be found to this day.…

    • 348 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Parthenon was built in Athens, Greece six centuries before the Pantheon was built in Rome making it the older of the two. The Pantheon has granite as one of the materials used in its building and the Parthenon used limestone. The Parthenon is more rectangular in shape whiles the Pantheon is round with a square front. The Pantheon was built following the Corinthian order while the Parthenon followed the Doric and Ionic order.…

    • 429 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Greek religion and mythology, Athena also referred to as Pallas Athena is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, just warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill.…

    • 767 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Upon entering The Parthenon, I scaled the columns and classical architecture. The Acropolis offered one of the world’s dramatic landscapes as setting for the Parthenon, constructed entirely of marble from the diggings at nearby Mt. Pentelicon. The sculptures consisted of elaborate religious and historical events of importance to the Athenian self-image. The East pediment told the story of the birth of Athena from the head of Zeus. The west pediment told the story of the competition between Athena and Poseidon for the lands of Attica.…

    • 975 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Parthenon sculptures typically “alluded to the Greeks' struggle against the Persians, for instance, through famous mythological contests...” (Destruction and Memory...) While the metopes of the Parthenon show…

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Plato was a famous Greek philosopher and mathematician from Athens that is now well known throughout the world. He lived from 427 B.C.E. to 347 B.C.E. He’s famously known for being Socrates’ student and the teacher of Aristotle. He has many writings that explored justice, beauty, and equality as well as containing discussions in aesthetics, political philosophy, theology, cosmology, epistemology, and the philosophy of language. His writings were highly influenced by Socrates as he would convey and expand on the ideas and techniques of his teacher. Plato founded the Academy which was the first institution of higher learning in the Western World and offered subjects like astronomy, biology, mathematics, political theory, and philosophy. Plato…

    • 925 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Bibliography: "The Story Behind the Parthenon." All the Greeks. All the Greeks, 31 Aug. 2009. Web. 18…

    • 1486 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In conclusion, the Parthenon was a very important symbol to the Athens and is a very beautiful attraction to visit. It shows the power and the confident spirit of the Athenians. It also marks a point in history.…

    • 282 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Watching the documentary, Secrets of the Parthenon, allows an intimate glimpse into the creation and restoration of one of classical Greece’s most iconic symbols, the Parthenon. Back in 447BC, Percicles gathered support for the construction of the Parthenon, a temple decided to the goddess Athena, who was considered extremely important in Athens. During the nine years of construction, new precision construction techniques were used and applied to the marble construction, with the end result being a structure so large and so beautiful to the eye, unlike any other ever constructed before.…

    • 642 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Wall Street's Parthenon

    • 641 Words
    • 3 Pages

    To anyone in New York City, Federal Hall Memorial and the Parthenon may not look anything alike. But you cannot try and compare the two buildings directly for the obvious reason that they were built for completely different reasons, time periods, and importance. On one hand, the Parthenon was originally constructed in 432 BC as an ancient Greek temple dedicated to the Goddess Athena, and on the other, Federal Hall Memorial built in 1842 as a memorial on the site of the old Federal Hall. The Gods were so important to the ancient Greeks that the Greeks were willing to spend 15 years of hard manual labor to build the Parthenon to pray.…

    • 641 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    A visit to Athens would not be complete without visiting the ‘Cultural Icon’ from Ancient Greece, the Parthenon. This temple resembles the importance of balance and order in the Greeks’ idea of beauty. The Parthenon is also known as one of the most beautiful temples in Greece. Another must-see is the island of Santorini. This island is known for its beautiful sunsets and fascinating geological history. At the highest point of the Santorini, there is a breathtaking view of the 18 kilometer stretch of the land. During the sunset, there are spectacular cloud formations. Definitely a different show every…

    • 100 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Parthenon

    • 1269 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Parthenon was an architectural masterpiece because of its great size and elaborate decoration. It was constructed between 447 and 438 BCE on the acropolis of Athens at the request of Pericles the leading politician of the time. The Parthenon was built to house the huge gold and ivory (chryselephantine) statue of the goddess Athena (wikipedia, 2006), Which was over 30 feet high, and portrayed the goddess in battle armor and holding in her outstretched hand a six-foot statue of Nike the figure of victory. The Parthenon was constructed from 20,000 tons of white marble, and stretched nearly 230 feet in length and a hundred feet wide making it the largest Greek temple. It was built in the Doric style, however instead of the usual six columns across the ends there where 8 and instead of the usual 13 along the sides there where 17. These dimensions gave it a massive look conveying an impression of power. Since perfectly rectilinear architecture appears curved to the human eye, the Parthenon's architects ingeniously designed subtle curves and inclines in its architecture to produce an optical illusion of completely straight lines. These technical refinements made the Parthenon appear ordered and regular in a way a building built entirely on straight lines would not. By overcoming the distortions of nature, the Parthenon's sophisticated architecture made a confident statement about human ability…

    • 1269 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In comparison to Thucydides, who only talks about the warrior men, the Parthenon Frieze shows a representation all the citizens of Athens. Similarly to Thucydides, the Parthenon Frieze also depicts the people in a particularity higher representation by illustrating the people with perfect physique and beauty on the sculpture. The Parthenon Frieze also shows that the Athens had a close relationship with the god because…

    • 831 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics