Secrets of the Parthenon: Documentary Analysis
History 101-90V
October 16, 2013
Documentary Response Paper:
Nova, Secrets of the Parthenon 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.
One of the key points of the documentary was how precise the Greeks were in their construction and skill when it came to shaping and assembling the marble used in the Parthenon. It’s made very clear that while it did take nine years for completion, a product of this scale and detail could not be achieved in as little time today. The documentary focused heavily on the restoration project which is currently underway, and has been for some 30 years. The restorers describe how in total, there are approximately 70,000 pieces of marble to remove before they can begin restoring this iconic structure. The challenges faced show the ingenuity of the Greek people of this time, and the clues gathered from other temples and monuments in the Aegean area allow researchers to understand fully how the Greeks were able to undertake and engineer such a marvel. For a structure to be undertaken today, hundreds if not thousands of pages of architectural specifications would need to be produced and provided for the accurate construction. However, the film is clear to state that “no one has found anything resembling architectural plans” indicating that this product was done by the sheer genius and precise planning of the 200 skilled laborers on the project for nine years.1
Throughout the documentary, it’s
October 16, 2013
Documentary Response Paper:
Nova, Secrets of the Parthenon 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.
One of the key points of the documentary was how precise the Greeks were in their construction and skill when it came to shaping and assembling the marble used in the Parthenon. It’s made very clear that while it did take nine years for completion, a product of this scale and detail could not be achieved in as little time today. The documentary focused heavily on the restoration project which is currently underway, and has been for some 30 years. The restorers describe how in total, there are approximately 70,000 pieces of marble to remove before they can begin restoring this iconic structure. The challenges faced show the ingenuity of the Greek people of this time, and the clues gathered from other temples and monuments in the Aegean area allow researchers to understand fully how the Greeks were able to undertake and engineer such a marvel. For a structure to be undertaken today, hundreds if not thousands of pages of architectural specifications would need to be produced and provided for the accurate construction. However, the film is clear to state that “no one has found anything resembling architectural plans” indicating that this product was done by the sheer genius and precise planning of the 200 skilled laborers on the project for nine years.1
Throughout the documentary, it’s