At the top of the towering ruins of the Acropolis of Athens, which before were pagan temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, and Christian - in honor of the Blessed Virgin, and finally, a Muslim mosque.They know at a glance, even those who had never been to Greece, so replicated their photos.It remains one of the most famous temples in the world.His name - the Parthenon.
Bookmark temple and building
Ancient Greeks knew how to be grateful.Patroness of the city goddess Athena Parthenos, they decided to build a temple as a sign of gratitude for her help in the battle against the Persians at Marathon.
chosen for its construction elevated and fortified part of the upper town - the Acropolis and 488 BC, made the solemn bookmark.The architect of the Parthenon chose this place is no accident.First there were the earlier temples built in honor of various pagan gods.
Dimensions former temples were small, and their construction is not required to increase the area of the top of the hill.In this case, however, it supposed to raise up something big, and to this end had on the south side to build a retaining wall and putting it in its base limestone blocks, lift the edge of the construction site of 7 meters.
work continued for eight years, and built a second drum columns, when the city was conquered by the Persians.In the fire of the fire killed the fruit of eight labor and construction was not resumed more than 30 years.
construction of the new temple
continue working in 447 BC.Authorities in Athens when Pericles belonged, proud and ambitious ruler.Construction of the temple was part of a plan conceived by him as a result of which Athens had to take the lead, both in military and in economic and cultural.Implementation of the plan promoted by the fact that by the time the city was transferred to the treasury of the Delian Maritime Union, which facilitated the solution of financial problems related to the construction.But the problems really were.
History has preserved interesting information.Pericles allocated from the military budget for works of 450 silver talents.About the size of the amount can be judged from the fact that the construction of a warship in the years managed in one talent.Consequently, the cost of construction of the temple are comparable to the cost of creating a huge military fleet of 450 ships.When the magnitude of the costs were known to townspeople, they were accused of Pericles in extravagance.To this the governor told them that he was prepared to carry the cost to your personal account, but in this case reserves the right at all elements of the structure to perpetuate his own name.The people did not want to give up the glory of the ruler, and agreed to fund the project from the city treasury.
Who built the Parthenon?
This question arises, probably, everyone who first sees the Athenian architectural masterpiece.After its creation belongs to distinguished architects whose names have come down to us - Iktinos and Kallikrates.According to some sources, the work also attended Karpion with assistants.The famous sculptor Phidias oversaw the overall progress of the work, but his main duty was to create sculptural decoration of the temple, that with his enormous size is a very ambitious task.Thus, speaking about who built the Parthenon, should not imply an architect, and a whole group of co-sponsors.
changes shape temple
It looked like the Parthenon in its original form, is now difficult to say with certainty.The fact is that throughout his long life he repeatedly changed his appearance.More in the 2nd century BC in the temple there was a large fire, after which required considerable restoration work.It suffers its splendor and from the evil of the will of the rulers.For example, in 298 BC, who ruled at the time Lahar, went down in history as the unbridled tyrant ordered to withdraw from the sculpture of Athena of gold jewelry.
Creator Parthenon temple erected in honor of the pagan goddess.But in the history of Greece, a period, which is called the Byzantine and fate would have it that in 426 AD pagan temple turned into a Christian church.Initially, it was consecrated in honor of St. Sophia.The architect of the Parthenon is not intended, of course, that his offspring are destined to embody all the elements inherent in the architecture of Christian churches, but it happened that way.
Reconstruction of the temple of the Christian canon
According to the tradition, established in ancient times, the entrance to the pagan temple was located on the east side.The architect of the Parthenon in Athens, designing the building, took into account the requirement.But according to the canons of Christian architecture always make entrance on the west side and the east altar is placed.It's the law.In the process of restructuring of the church in accordance with the new requirements at the site of the former entrance was built altar apse and the entrance, respectively, moved to the west side.Besides, it has been made, and other changes in the layout of the building.In the south - western part of the church bell tower was built.Completion of the reconstruction was in the year 662 the consecration of the temple in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Almost eight centuries under its arches have offered Christian prayers, while in 1460 the city is not captured Turkish troops.
destruction of the temple
together with the whole country experienced hard times and the Parthenon temple.Greece was occupied, and the Christian shrine was transformed into a Muslim mosque.After 27 years of the Venetian army led by F. Morosini tried to attack Athens.Military, Turks used the Parthenon as a powder magazine.This had disastrous consequences for the building.Fiery core released a Venetian cannon, hit the roof, caused a terrible explosion.As a result, the whole central part of the collapsed building.Repair work not performed thereafter.To make matters worse, the locals were separated fragments of marble from which they burned lime.
final temple suffered damage at the beginning of the XIX century.British Ambassador at the Ottoman court yard received an export permit the surviving sculptures in it.Since then, within ten years of creation of the ancient Greek sculptors left Athens to become part of the exhibition the largest museums in the world.
recovery colonnade temple
In 1928 work began, the aim of which was set at the same place the fallen blocks and columns of the Parthenon.For work we created a scientific committee, which included experts from different countries.Their collaboration lasted two years.The result was partially restored in the northern colonnade of the form in which it was designed by the architect of the Parthenon.
How is it that looked like the temple in ancient times?It was built according to the canons of classical Greek temple - a rectangle surrounded by columns.Despite its massiveness, he looked elegant thanks to the strict reasonableness of its plan.The temple is decorated with sculptures of the great Phidias, and in the center stood trinadtsatimetrovaya sculpture of the goddess Athena, decorated with gold and ivory.
It is believed that the architect built the Parthenon building is a masterpiece among the buildings of the Doric style.Once the ruler of the Athenian Pericles, persuading recalcitrant citizens to fork out for the construction of the temple, he prophesied that he would be the pride of the Greeks, and many, many centuries.Time has proven him right.
