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The Parthenon: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

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The Parthenon: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow The Parthenon: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow The Parthenon: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow Luke Howard Judkins Abstract One of the world’s most beautiful and iconic structures, the Parthenon, the temple of the Virgin goddess Athena, boldly displays the culmination of culture and civilization upon the Acropolis in Athens, Greece and in Centennial Park in Nashville, Tennessee. I have attempted to research the history, architecture, and sculpture of the magnificent marble edifice by analyzing the key themes and elements that compose the great work: culture, civilization, and rebirth. Using a musical sonata form to display my research, I wished to convey a digestible analysis of how the Parthenon and its connotations transcend time through rebirth in Nashville, Tennessee. Known as the “Athens of the South,” Nashville continues the culture displayed in Ancient Greece and symbolizes this through the city’s scale replication of the Parthenon within Centennial Park. In the first century A.D., Plutarch wrote Greek history so that the Greeks could recall the history that was gradually fading from their memories. As Plutarch did with his readers, I am attempting to re-educate Nashvillians, as well as the world, about the rich history and inheritance of the Athenian culture within ourselves. Middle Tennessee State University 71 Scientia et Humanitas: A Journal of Student Research Introduction n various ways, every world civilization has attempted to explore Iand improve the quality of life, promote communal well-being, and further the education and the creative abilities of its people. One of the most successful civilizations in these endeavors was that of the ancient Greeks. Our contemporary fine arts, education, and forms of government ground themselves, in one way or another, in the “Classical” soil of an- cient Greece. Classical civilization has been one of the most significant shaping influences for refined society in Western history, constituting the foundation for any modern attempt to further the ideals of civilization in civil affairs. One of these more recent attempts for civil advancement has been the establishment of the United States. However, one of the states, not long after its acceptance in the U.S. in 1796, emerged as the cultural leader and exemplar for new states seeking admittance into the newly expanding Union—Tennessee and its capital of Nashville. By the turn of the 20th century, Nashville was a fully established cultural center focused on cultivating the best forms of civilization to suit a new nation. Though ancient Athens and contemporary Nashville both have elements in their history that count strongly against them in terms of “quality of life” and “communal well-being,” such as slavery, Nashville nevertheless continues the best aspects of the Classical tradition and attempts to improve upon them. Nashville’s museums and history celebrate the abolition of slavery and, today, the city still leads the way in promoting a greater equality for all. Therefore, not only does Nashville exhibit and continue the best classical roots of Athens’s innovative civilization, but it also attempts to refine them so that an even better form of civilization might flourish within the purest forms of government, education, and fine arts for the sake and benefit of the people. Evidence for this gradual shift and improvement of the Classical heritage is Nashville’s eventual response to slavery. Despite the contested opinions of slavery and inclusion in the Confederacy during the Civil War, Nashville eventually helped Tennessee become one of the first Confederate states to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment. Even today, this improvement still exists as Nashville seeks to foster diversity, equal opportunity, and freedom for all. Grounded in the model offered by the Greeks, despite any flaws we might note now, Nashville nonetheless was born on the edge of the “wild frontier” of America, setting the stage for the rebirth of the “civilization over barbarism” binary that still persists in American culture. Many schol- 72 Spring 2016 Figure 1—East End of Nashville Parthenon Depicting Athena’s Birth The Parthenon: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow Introduction ars might deny any direct correlation between Athens and Nashville, but I argue that submerged elements within these two cities connect them more n various ways, every world civilization has attempted to explore than might appear at first glance. It is important to recognize Nashville’s Iand improve the quality of life, promote communal well-being, and reputation as “Athens of the West” (and later “of the South”) and how this further the education and the creative abilities of its people. One of the reputation manifests itself in order to understand the improvements and most successful civilizations in these endeavors was that of the ancient rebirth on original Athenian culture Nashville offers. The most obvious Greeks. Our contemporary fine arts, education, and forms of government manifestation of this reputation is the presence of the duplicate Parthenon ground themselves, in one way or another, in the “Classical” soil of an- within Centennial Park in Nashville, Tennessee. Exploring the history, cient Greece. Classical civilization has been one of the most significant construction, architecture, and sculpture of the two Parthenons, I will show shaping influences for refined society in Western history, constituting the how the connections between the two cities (despite a separation of 2,000 foundation for any modern attempt to further the ideals of civilization in years) has helped Tennessee continue—and develop—a Classical civiliza- civil affairs. tion rooted in ancient Greece. One of these more recent attempts for civil advancement has been the In order to display these connections effectively, I have chosen a musi- establishment of the United States. However, one of the states, not long cal form, the sonata-allegro, as well as the labels of its constituent parts, after its acceptance in the U.S. in 1796, emerged as the cultural leader and to organize information about these two cities and bring out parallels. The exemplar for new states seeking admittance into the newly expanding sonata-allegro structure usually attempts to present two seemingly op- th Union—Tennessee and its capital of Nashville. By the turn of the 20 posing musical themes in the Exposition, develop them through motivic century, Nashville was a fully established cultural center focused on deconstruction in the Development, and integrate the opposing themes cultivating the best forms of civilization to suit a new nation. Though harmoniously in the Recapitulation, leaving the listener satisfied and af- ancient Athens and contemporary Nashville both have elements in their fected by the final cadence (Spring and Hutcheson 197-224). I hope that history that count strongly against them in terms of “quality of life” and this research on the Parthenon as a symbol of the Athenian and Nashvil- “communal well-being,” such as slavery, Nashville nevertheless continues lian civilizations and cultures show that Nashville, Tennessee, truly is the the best aspects of the Classical tradition and attempts to improve upon “Athens of the South.” them. Nashville’s museums and history celebrate the abolition of slavery and, today, the city still leads the way in promoting a greater equality for An Exposition all. Therefore, not only does Nashville exhibit and continue the best classical roots of Athens’s innovative civilization, but it also attempts to A blazing chariot of Helios declines to the horizon as his hot rays reflect refine them so that an even better form of civilization might flourish within off large mounds of broken marble. Glimmering through towering, marble the purest forms of government, education, and fine arts for the sake and giants, and dancing across the empty inner floor on the roofless ruin, the benefit of the people. Evidence for this gradual shift and improvement of sun distinguishes the mighty duel between the powerful god of the sea and the Classical heritage is Nashville’s eventual response to slavery. Despite the goddess of wisdom, a recapitulation of the origins of civil prosperity. the contested opinions of slavery and inclusion in the Confederacy during Heroic images of the violent clash between the Athenians and the Ama- the Civil War, Nashville eventually helped Tennessee become one of the zons, protruding dynamically from the threaded narrative, burn with fury first Confederate states to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment. Even today, in the searing sunset. Yet, Helios rises as he falls, the newborn morning this improvement still exists as Nashville seeks to foster diversity, equal light simmering in the drops of dew surrounding the concrete aggregate opportunity, and freedom for all. steps. A tremendous king gives birth to the wise goddess once more, as the Grounded in the model offered by the Greeks, despite any flaws we light simmers over the horizon, highlighting the victorious birth with the might note now, Nashville nonetheless was born on the edge of the “wild Olympians’ wrestling the barbaric giants below. Helios’s chariot ushers the frontier” of America, setting the stage for the rebirth of the “civilization decline of an age of Athens, Greece, and the birth of a new age in Nash- over barbarism” binary that still persists in American culture. Many schol- ville, Tennessee, as the sun never sets on the iconic symbol of democracy and civilization—the Parthenon, temple of Pallas Athena. Middle
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