The parthenon

It is no exaggeration to say that the ambition of the ancient Greek architects was to discover eternally valid rules of form and proportion; to erect buildings human in scale yet suited to the divinity of their gods; to create, in other word, a classicially ideal architecture. It should ( also) be said that their success may be measured by the fact that their works have been copied on and off for some 2,500 years and have never been superseded. Though severly damaged, the Parthenon remains the nearly perfect building ever erected.

The name " Parthenon" is generally given since the 4th century B.C to the chief temple of Athena on the Acropolis at Athens. It is certainly to be associated with the cult of Athena Parthenos " the Virgin". The temple was designed by Ictinus. The cella was divided into three aisles by two-storey Doric colonnades. The only light came through the east doorway, and possibly filtered through marble tiles in the roof and ceiling. Behind the cella, but not connected with it, was a square chamber, officially called the Parthenon, entered from the west.

The Parthenon which represents the peak of the Greek Doric order, embodies an extraordinary number of refinements which can't but to give a plastic sculptural appearance to the building.

The continuous frieze around the top of the cella wall and above the hexastyle porticos is one of the several features that show the popularity of Ionic motifs in the 5th century Athens.

BUILDING THE COLUMNS

The columns could not be erected in single pieces, so they were cut in 10 to 12 sections or drums and ground together to make a perfect fit. The Greek buildings did not just pile them on top each other. They cut square holes in each drum, into which wooden blocks were lifted. These had 2-inch holes drilled in their centres a wooden plug connected the two pieces securely together.

GROUND PLAN

Greek architects designed temples to a precise mathematical rule to achieve the pure forms visible today. The rule was that the rectangle could be any width, but the length had to be just over one-sixth greater than the width.

STRUCTURE

Six- foot iron beams were used in the Parthenon to support the tympanum. The Greeks were the first people to use wrought iron in building.

THE PARTHENON

Although the Parthenon looks ordered and regular, the architects used to make it seem even more imposing than it really was. The columns bulge slightly and lean inward a small amount. The ones at the corners are slightly thicker than the others.

CLASSICAL ORDERS

Different ways of marking, or decorating, capitals were developed. They are called the classical orders of architecture.Below vou can see the three types of order to which all the columns in the Parthenon belonged. From left they are Doric, Ionic and Corinthian.

1. Answer the following questions:

1. What was the ambition of the ancient Greek architects?

2. How may their success be measured?

3. What is " Parthenon"?

4. Whom was this temple designed by?

5. How did the light come into the temple?

6. What kind of order does the Parthenon represent?

7. How did the Greeks build the columns?

8. What was the main rule for designing temples?

9. What material did the Greeks use the first?

10. What orders did all the columns of Parthenon belong to?

2. Give the Russian equivalents to the following words and phrases:

valid rules, human in scale, to damage, cella, aisles, tiles, ceiling, square chamber, friese, hexastyle porticos, drums, to drill, plug, rectangle, wrought iron, capital, order.

3. Say true or false; and give the right variant:

1. The ambition of the ancient Greek architects was to erect perfect columns.

2. Their works have been copied on and off for some 1,500 years and have recently been superseded.

3. The name " Parthenon" is associated with the cult of Aphrodite.

4. The cella was divided into four aisles by three - storey Ionic colonnades.

5. Behind the cella there was a round chamber, entered from the east.

6. All the columns were erected in single pieces.

7. Five - foot stone beams were used to support the tympanum.

8. All the columns belonged to five types of order.

4. Complete the following sentences:

1. The ambition of the ancient Greek architects was to ...

2. The temple was designed by ...

3. The only light came through ...

4. The Parthenon represents the ... of the Greek ... order.

5. The Greek buildings did not just ... them on top each other.

6. The rule was that the rectangle could be any ... but the ... had to be just over one - sixth greater than the ...

7. The Greeks were the first people to use ... in building.

8. Different ways of ... or capilals were developed.

9. The orders used in the Parthenon are ..., ..., ....

5. Find all the modal verbs in the text and explain their meanings.

6.Retell the text.