Friday, July 02, 2010

Greek Context Ancient Greek Culture • Rocky, hilly, mountainous terrain, archipelago Drama Aeschylus (The Oresteia) • Climate between rigorous cold and relaxing heat Sophocles (The Oedipus Trilogy) • Clear atmosphere and intense light → conducive Euripedes (Medea, Electra) to creating precise and exact forms Aristophanes (Lysistrata, The Frogs) History (The Histories) Thucydides (History of the Religion Peloponnesian War) • Polytheistic • Mythology shows gods with imperfect human Science Thakes personalities Pythagoras • Gods as personifications of natural elements, or Ptolemy deified mortals Euclid King, lightning Archimedes Hera Queen Philosophy Socrates Plato (The Republic, Timaeus) Apollo Sun, medicine Aristotle (Ethics, Politics, Poetics) Artemis Moon, hunting Poseidon Sea Greek City-States (Polis) Wisdom Sparta Developed from the conquest of region's local natives Aphrodite Beauty, love - Forced into labor Demeter Harvest Military state Hephaestus Fire, volcanoes - Sickly babies killed - Boys lived in barrack from age 7 Ares War - Military training Hermes Messenger of the gods - Became full citizens at 30 - Served the polis until death Hades Underworld, death - Women managed farms Nike Rubber shoes Commercial and cultural center Developed democracy and written laws Valued mental and physical education Only men were educated and were full citizens Women took care of the home Foreign prisoners were slaves

Ancient Greek Architectural Theory Golden Section a = b . b a + b = Ф = 1.618

3 Greek Architecture Page 1 Optical Corrections The 's columns seem straight, but it is only so through optical corrections

If built as straight as possible in reality, it will appear this way

Therefore, in reality, the Parthenon is built this way to achieve a straight optical correction

Entasis - "swelling" of the column at approximately 1/3 the height to correct the illusion of its being concave Lettering on facades were enlarged in proportion to the height from the viewer

Aegean Aegean: Mycenean

Materials Used stone, gypsum, timber Houses Single storied house Buildings were constructed of rubble Deep plan and rough stonework and double- Entrance porch framed timber in-filled with brick or Anteroom with central doorway stone rubble Living apartment or megaron proper Central hearth Thalamus or sleeping room behind Tombs Singular: Tholos (Tholoi) Rock-cut or chamber tombs Tunnel entrance with circular chamber at the end Dromos - tunnel corridor Walls Types Cyclopean Large stones, no wall mortar Hellenic Polygonal Advanced Materials "Carpentry in marble" wall technique Timber form imitated in stone Rectangular dowels Columnar and trabeated wall Used timber, stone and terra cotta

3 Greek Architecture Page 2 Hellenic (con't)

Mouldings Scotia Fillet

Hawk's Cavetto or Bird's Beak

Torus Ovolo

Dentils Cyma Reversa

Cyma Astraga Recta l

Corona

*For Powerpoint photo of mouldings, see 'Mouldings' photo in Facebook album of this reviewer

3 Greek Architecture Page 3 Hellenic (con't)

Building Types Temenos - enclosure around a sacred area

Acropolis in Athens Parthenon

Erecthion

Old of Athena

Propylaea

Temple of Nike Apteros

Statue of Athena

Pinacotheca

*For Powerpoint photo of the Acropolis, see 'Acropolis' photo in Facebook album of this reviewer

Temples

Pronaos

Epinaos or Opisthodomos

Rear Front

Naos or Cella

Types according to Number of Columns in Front

Hemostyle 1 Heptastyle 7 Distyle 2 Octastyle 8 Tristyle 3 Enneastyle 9 Tetrastyle 4 Decastyle 10 Pentastyle 5 Dodecastyle 12 Hexastyle 6

3 Greek Architecture Page 4 Hellenic (con't)

Types according to Column Arrangement In-antis Between Pseudo- Engaged peripteral columns all around

Amphi-antis Anta at front Dipteral Two rows of and back columns all around

Prostyle at front

Pseudo- Engaged inner dipteral columns

Amphiprostyle Porticoes at front and rear

Tholos Peripteral round temple Peripteral Columns all around

Columnation Rule for peripteral

2N + 1

N = number of columns in front

3 Greek Architecture Page 5 Hellenic (con't)

Types according to Column Spacing Pyknostyle 1.50 column base diameters 1.5D Systyle 2.00 2D Eustyle 2.25 Diastyle 3.00 2.25D

Araeostyle 3.50 3D

D

Greek Orders for Temples Doric Temples • Simplest design • Height of entablature is 1 and 3/4 times the lower diameter of column in height • Height of column (including capital) of 4 to 6 times the diameter at the base

Entablature: Geison or Cornice

Frieze, alternating triglyphs and metopes

Architrave, principal beam

Capital:

Abacus

Echinus Annulets Trachelion Hypotrachelion

Column Shaft: - 20 shallow flutes separated by arrises

Base: - No base - Directly on crepidoma or stereobate(stepped platform)

Euthynteria Lowest step Stylobate Top step

3 Greek Architecture Page 6 Hellenic (con't)

Ionic Temples Entablature: • Height of 2 and 1/4 times the diameter of column Cornice

Dentil molding

Frieze

Architrave

Capital:

Egg-and-dart molding

Volute or scroll

Column Shaft: • Height of 9 times the base diameter • 24 flutes separated by fillets

Base:

Scotia molding Torus molding Plinth

3 Greek Architecture Page 7 Hellenic (con't)

Corinthian Temples Entablature: • Same as Ionic

Column: • Height of 10 diameters • Capital: 1 and 1/6 diameters high • Capital supposedly invented by Callimachus, inspired by basket over root of acanthus plant

Building Types (con't) Propylaea monumental gate to a sacred area Theatron theater for ritual dramatic performances

Orchestra Open space Cavea Seating area Skene Stage background structure Proskenion Stage opening

Agora civic plaza Stoa covered walkways sometimes with shops on one side and living quarters above Prytaneion assembly hall and living quarters for the presidents of the Council of the city-state Boleuterion assembly hall for the entire ruling Council Odeion theater for music Stadion stadium; sports arena for foot races and other events Gymnasion exercise; training area Palaestra wrestling school

3 Greek Architecture Page 8