"ATHENS, THE CITY OF THE GODDESS ATHENA"

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 Ictinus introduced a series of architectural refinements to ensure that the harmonious perfection of the Parthenon was instantly evident to anyone entering from the Propylaea.

The effects of perspective, the play of light and shadow dimensions, the relationship between solids and voids and so on, tend to produce a slightly deformed picture of reality to the human eye. And so Ictinus made some astounding "optical corrections". For instance, an upward curvature - by as much as 6 cm (just over 2 in) -of the stylobate, and the almost gradual convexity (entasis) of the columns which-especially at the corners - were also very slightly bowed towards the cella. So for today's visitors, too, the traditional heaviness of the Doric order is transformed by the austere elegance and harmony of forms and proportions, while the white Pentelic marble enhances the in play of light and shadow on the temple's majestic structures.

The decorative features of the Parthenon, completed in 432 B.C. flourished in political , civic and religious significance. The sculptures were entirely designed and perhaps also executed by Phidias, assisted by some of Attica's finest emerging artistic talents. Works that survived the fury of Christian fundamentalists after the Edict of Theodosius II (of AD 395), Muslim iconoclasm after the Turkish conquest of 1456 and Venetian cannon-fire in 1687 * can be seen still in situ, in the Acropolis Museum nearby, in the British Museum in London and in the Louver in Paris.

* The Venetians under leader Captain Mourozini besieged the Acropolis. The disaster happened on 26 of September in 1687 when a cannon ball hit the Parthenon. Due to the ammunition stored there by the Turks the cannon ball exploded and the Parthenon was destroyed. Many years later the English  Ambassador in Constantinople received permission from the Turkish authorities to remove sculptures from the metopes of the temple.Neither invasions, fires explosions nor the ravages of Britain's Lord Elgin have destroyed the majesty of the Parthenon, now undergoing reconstruction.

The 92 metopes of the Doric frieze, on which only the very faintest traces of the once vibrant colors now remain, represented a sequence of four versions of the struggle between good and evil, justice and injustice, civilization and barbarism, using mythological and epic imagery.

 On the east side, was the battle between the gods and giants (Gigantomachy), on the south side between Greeks and Centaurs (Centauromachy), on the west side between Greeks and Amazons (Amazonomachy) and on the north side between Greeks and Trojans, an evident reference to the recent victory over the Persians. Athens Tour

For the first time, therefore, contemporary events and symbols joined myths and legend to create images with a religious, ethical and political message. Depicted alongside gods and heroes were humans and their city, glorified as a mortal manifestation of the values of eternal deities and immortal heroes, bringing to mind the Homeric adjective isotheos, meaning god-like. Athens Tour

You can view our portfolio of photos at http://www.panoramio.com/user/45649/tags/Athens%20-%20Acropolis  or http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickolaos/tags/akropolis/ 

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