The Golden Age of Athens
This temple at the Athenian Acropolis still stands today!
INSTRUCTIONS:
Use the readings here to answer the questions on the assignment "The Golden Age of Athens" Google Document from Google Classroom.
Use the readings here to answer the questions on the assignment "The Golden Age of Athens" Google Document from Google Classroom.
What were the major cultural achievements of Athens?
At the end of the Greco-Persian Wars in 492 B.C.E., a series of wars between Greek City-States and the Persian Empire to the East, the city of Athens was in ruins. In spite of this setback, a great Athenian named Pericles (PER-uh-kleez) inspired the people of Athens to rebuild their city. Under his leadership, Athens entered its Golden Age. A Golden Age is a period of peace and wealth, and a good time to live in the place that's having the Golden Age. Between 479 and 431 B.C.E., Athens was the artistic and cultural center of Greece.
Suppose you could visit Athens during its Golden Age. First, you would pass through the city gates. Then, you would wind your way through narrow streets to the agora .This is the public meeting place in the center of the city.
The agora is a large square. It has magnificent public buildings on two of its sides. The other two sides have covered walkways. These walkways are where you would meet and talk with friends about current issues.
In the center of the square are market stalls. They have a variety of goods for sale. The goods come from all over Greece and beyond. Nearby, you would see the acropolis. This is a high, craggy hill topped with great temples, rising above the city.
What information about the ancient Athenians can these places provide? In this lesson, you will explore the Parthenon. This temple was one of the most famous buildings in Athens. Its ruins still remain today.
At the end of the Greco-Persian Wars in 492 B.C.E., a series of wars between Greek City-States and the Persian Empire to the East, the city of Athens was in ruins. In spite of this setback, a great Athenian named Pericles (PER-uh-kleez) inspired the people of Athens to rebuild their city. Under his leadership, Athens entered its Golden Age. A Golden Age is a period of peace and wealth, and a good time to live in the place that's having the Golden Age. Between 479 and 431 B.C.E., Athens was the artistic and cultural center of Greece.
Suppose you could visit Athens during its Golden Age. First, you would pass through the city gates. Then, you would wind your way through narrow streets to the agora .This is the public meeting place in the center of the city.
The agora is a large square. It has magnificent public buildings on two of its sides. The other two sides have covered walkways. These walkways are where you would meet and talk with friends about current issues.
In the center of the square are market stalls. They have a variety of goods for sale. The goods come from all over Greece and beyond. Nearby, you would see the acropolis. This is a high, craggy hill topped with great temples, rising above the city.
What information about the ancient Athenians can these places provide? In this lesson, you will explore the Parthenon. This temple was one of the most famous buildings in Athens. Its ruins still remain today.
The Parthenon
Greek Architecture
Temples are good examples of the Greeks' talent for architecture. The Greeks did not build their temples as places in which to worship. They built the temples as beautiful dwellings for the gods and goddesses. Religious ceremonies were conducted outside.
The temples show the importance of balance and order in the Greeks' idea of beauty. Temples were built with rows of tall columns. The Greeks used three styles of columns. The Doric column was the simplest. It had no base and got narrower toward the top. The Ionic column was thinner. It sat on a base and had scrolls carved into the top. The Corinthian column was the most complex. It had carvings that looked like leaves at the top.
The temples show the importance of balance and order in the Greeks' idea of beauty. Temples were built with rows of tall columns. The Greeks used three styles of columns. The Doric column was the simplest. It had no base and got narrower toward the top. The Ionic column was thinner. It sat on a base and had scrolls carved into the top. The Corinthian column was the most complex. It had carvings that looked like leaves at the top.
Athenians built three temples on the acropolis to honor Athena. As you have read, one of these was the Parthenon. The Parthenon is one of the most amazing temples in ancient Greece. It was built on a long, rectangular platform. There were 8 columns across both the front and the back of the temple, and there were 17 columns along each side. The roof was slanted. It created triangles, called pediments, at the front and back of the building. Above the columns was a band of sculptures called a frieze (freez). The sculptures themselves are called metopes (MEH-tuh-pees).
Most Greek temples had a main room with a statue of the temple's god or goddess. The Parthenon, for example, had a magnificent statue of Athena. It was 30 feet high. The statue was covered with ivory and dressed in clothes. Like the temple itself, the statue expressed both the Greeks' love of beauty and their awe of the gods.
Some skilled labor in Athens was provided by 'Metics', who built many temples and other structures. These were foreigners living in Athens. They added to the city's ethnic diversity. Some metics were people who used to be enslaved. Metics had some rights, although they weren't full citizens.
Most Greek temples had a main room with a statue of the temple's god or goddess. The Parthenon, for example, had a magnificent statue of Athena. It was 30 feet high. The statue was covered with ivory and dressed in clothes. Like the temple itself, the statue expressed both the Greeks' love of beauty and their awe of the gods.
Some skilled labor in Athens was provided by 'Metics', who built many temples and other structures. These were foreigners living in Athens. They added to the city's ethnic diversity. Some metics were people who used to be enslaved. Metics had some rights, although they weren't full citizens.