Ancient Greek Architecture Dedicated to Gods

Categories: Architecture

Comparison of Temple of Olympian Zeus and temple of Hephaestus in Athens

Ancient Greek temples are among the most magnificent works of art ever created by mankind. Their perfect style and beauty still inspires artists and architects. This paper is aimed to discuss, compare and contrast the Greek Temple of Olympian Zeus and temple of Hephaestus in Athens in terms of period, destination, materials, building techniques, etc. The Temple of Hephaestus b longs to classical period. It has been built in V century BC after liberation of Greece from Persian invasion.

In contrast, the Temple of Olympian Zeus is hard to be attributed to exact epoch. Construction works started in VI BC in the classical period and have been completed only in II AD in the Roman period. These are religious buildings erected to worship respective Greek gods. The temple of Hephaestus is located in Athens at the former Agora and the temple of Zeus stands about 500 meters from Acropolis.

The temple of Hephaestus is angled with sides of 13.

Get quality help now
Bella Hamilton
Bella Hamilton
checked Verified writer

Proficient in: Architecture

star star star star 5 (234)

“ Very organized ,I enjoyed and Loved every bit of our professional interaction ”

avatar avatar avatar
+84 relevant experts are online
Hire writer

708 m north to south and 31. 776 m east to west, with six columns on the short east and west sides and thirteen columns along the longer north and south sides. The temple of Zeus is much larger with sides of 96 meters along its sides and 40 meters along its eastern and western faces and has 104 columns. Material for both buildings is marble. The difference between the styles of temples becomes obvious when looking at their columns. The temple of Hephaestus has severe Doric columns and the temple of Zeus has florid Corinthian columns.

Get to Know The Price Estimate For Your Paper
Topic
Number of pages
Email Invalid email

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

"You must agree to out terms of services and privacy policy"
Write my paper

You won’t be charged yet!

Both of the buildings can be called classical examples of Greek architecture, subjected to all its usual rules in style and composition, which are usual for temples and public buildings in Ancient Greece.

References

  1. Alexander Tzonis. Classical Greek Architecture. Flammarion, 2004
  2. A. W. Lawrence. Greek Architecture (5th ed. ) Yale University Press, 1996
Updated: Feb 23, 2021
Cite this page

Ancient Greek Architecture Dedicated to Gods. (2016, Dec 22). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/ancient-greek-architecture-dedicated-to-gods-essay

Ancient Greek Architecture Dedicated to Gods essay
Live chat  with support 24/7

👋 Hi! I’m your smart assistant Amy!

Don’t know where to start? Type your requirements and I’ll connect you to an academic expert within 3 minutes.

get help with your assignment