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 Herodotus (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 Zeus 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) Athena 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 Athens 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 Parthenon'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 Temple 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 anta Pseudo- Engaged peripteral columns all around
Amphi-antis Anta at front Dipteral Two rows of and back columns all around
Prostyle Portico 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 temples
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