Greek Architecture

Ancient Greek Architecture was extinct around 1200 BC near the end of the Mycenaean period. We don't have much left of the most early buildings because they were made from wood, mud-bricks, or clay, but we do have remains of limestone columns, which were common in Greek architecture. The Greeks used bronze for detailed decorative things. They had 5 different types of buildings which were religious, civic, domestic, funerary, or recreational. They also had 3 different types of architecture which were Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian.

The three styles, Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian, were styles of columns that were used in temples, which is not surprising because religion was dominant in Greek society. The Ionic style was thinner and more elegant, with a scroll-like top to it. The Ionic style was found in eastern Greece and the Greek Island s and was used in many famous temples. This style was used in the Erechtheum, the temple of Apollo, and the temple of Athena. The Doric style is more sturdy than the others and is decorated with a plain top. This style is found in the mainland of Greece, southern Italy, and Sicily, and was used in the making of the Parthenon. The Corinthian style is seldom used. It has a very elaborate top and is found in many temples in Rome.

The Parthenon is an Ancient Greek temple. It was built from 447 to 442 BC dedicated to the goddess Athena. The Parthenon was one of the earliest and simplest of the Greek Architecture and was built on the Acropolis in Athens. The Parthenon was built by Greek architects Actinus and Callicrates. The Parthenon was a designed as a large, marble, rectangular table that had 17 columns on the length and 8 columns on the width. The Parthenon measures at about 102 x 230 feet. The east end of the Parthenon was a representation of the birth of the goddess Athena and how she sprang out of Zeus' head fully grown. The west end of the Parthenon was designed to represent the contest between Athena and Poseidon to see who the Patron of Athens would be. The victor of that contest was said to be Athena because her gift of the olive branch proved to be more useful then Poseidon's gift of the horse. The outer columns have representations of battles. In the center chamber of the Parthenon, there was a statue of Athena made from ivory and gold. At the base of the statue, there is an image representing the birth of Pandora, who was said to be the first person on earth. Though the statue is no longer there, we have heard of it through writings of the Greek poet Pausanias. Another temple to the goddess Athena was the Tegea which was burnt down in 390 BC, but was rebuilt and is one of the greatest temples around today.

The Erectheion is located in Athens, Greece and was built from 425 to 421 BC. The Erectheion was famous for its ionic style and because it had caryatid columns in the shape of women. The temple is a sanctuary to the god Poseidon and the goddess Athena and is said to be the place where Athena's olive tree sprung and where Poseidon left his trident marks in the stone. The Erectheion was named after the mythical Greek king Erectheus and was built by Greek Architect Mnesicles. The building was a rectangular cellar that was divided into three rooms. The south end of it is the Porch of the Caryatids where the Maiden Statues once were. The Erectheion was built on a hilltop where there is a Mediterranean climate. This temple is stone cut and is put on one of the most sacred parts of the Acropolis.

The Greeks made great advances in architecture and came up with ideas that are still utilized today. The White house has Ionic style columns around it as well as the Capital buildings and many other historical buildings in Washington D.C. The Greek architectural designs have helped America a lot.

Prag, A. Facts on File Encyclopedia of Art, vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc. 2005.

Sacks, David. Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc. 2005.

The Influential Writings of Homer

The tales of the Iliad and the Odyssey, are written by the poet Homer. The Iliad is a tale of the Trojan war, and the Odyssey is a tale of the journeys of Odysseus. Homer is known for writing epics.

Homer was was a Greek poet who wrote the epic tales of the Iliad and the Odyssey. He lived 0around the twelfth century. His writings, that varied from tales of the Trojan war to poems about his sons, were very influential to Ancient Greek history.Some characters Homer wrote of were Achilles, Ajax, Agamemnon, Menelaus, Helen, Paris, Hector, Odysseus, and Penelope, and some of the Olympian gods he wrote of were Aphrodite, Ares, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Zeus, Hera, and Hephaestus. Although Homer is the name given to the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, many scholars still argue if there wasn't actually a Greek Poet named Homer.

One of the influential writings of Homer was the Iliad. The Iliad is a tale of the Trojan war and takes place nine years after the war is started. Many of the gods take place in the war and fight in battles. The war could have ended, but the gods kept it going. In the Iliad, there are twenty four books about the war over Paris abducting Helen, the queen of Sparta. The gods interfere many times in the war. An example of this is when Achilles is going to kill Agamemnon, but is stopped by Athena. Aphrodite interferes when Paris and Menelaus are dueling, and Paris is about to die, and Aphrodite takes him away to Helen. Even Zeus, the neutral god, sends a false dream to Agamemnon, telling him to prepare for battle and then there is conflict. Eventually in the Iliad, Zeus sides with the Trojans.

The Odyssey is a twenty-four book epic of the journey home of Odysseus. Odysseus is a Greek hero from the Trojan war who is forced to wander the earth for ten years before he can return home. Odysseus is the king of Ithaca and his wife is Penelope. During his journey, he is captured by a cyclops named Polyphemus. Odysseus escapes by blinding the cyclops who turns out to be the son of Poseidon. Odysseus is forced to live with Calypso, a sea nymph, but he escapes with the help of Athena. When Odysseus is finally ready to return home, there are men waiting to kill him however, with the help of Athena, he overcomes them.

The Iliad and the Odyssey are great epics and are found in almost every high school in America. Whether or not there was actually a Greek poet named Homer, we owe a lot to the writings of the Iliad and the Odyssey.

Homer. The Iliad. Barnes and Noble Books. New York. 2005.

Homer. The Odyssey. The Harvard Classics. New York. 1914.

The New Kingdom of Egypt

The New Kingdom of Egypt had many great pharaohs. Those pharaohs saw Egypt through many changes such as expansion of its territory, changes in capital cities, and the popularization of Egyptian art. Although there were many great pharaohs, three of the most significant were Amenhotep I, Hatshepsut, and Tutankhamen.

Amenhotep I, whose name means, "Amen is satisfied," was the child of Ahmose I and Nefretiri. He ruled from 1526-1506 BC during the 18th dynasty, and he made Thebes his capital and Merytamun his main queen. In order to obtain the throne, Amenhotep I had to outlive his two older brothers, Ahmose Sapair and Ahmose-ankh. He is best known for his military expansion in Nubia and Syria. Amenhotep I was the first to seperate his tomb, located in the Valley of The Kings sectionKV39, and his burial complex.

Hatshepsut, the daughter of Thuthmose I and Aahmus and sister to Tuthmose II, was the first successful female pharaoh to take the throne. While the rightful heir, Tuthmose III was very young and uneducated, she was educated in imperial administration, so she claimed herself to be the pharaoh of Egypt. One reason Hatshepsut was so successful was because no one saw the pharaoh much in those times, so no one knew she was a woman. To help with this, she would dress as a man. A major downfall of being a female pharaoh was that she couldn't go to war, because if they were to win, she would get no credit and the Egyptians would think that they don't need a pharaoh. However, if they lost, she would be blamed for losing. Hatshepsut married her half-brother, Thuthmose II, and was not able to produce a male heir to the throne.

Tutankhamen, meaning, Living Image of The Aten, is popularly known as King Tut. During his reign, he made his capital in Akehenateten, which means Horizon of the Aten, and his main wife was Ankhesenpaaten. Tutankhamen ruled ruled from 1333-1325 BC. He died when he was 19 in mid-January, and his X-ray's show that he may have been murdered. Tut was found in 1922 by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon who was a rich archaeologist who owned the right to dig in the Valley of the Kings where King Tut was buried. Carter and Carnarvon were the first to arrive at his tomb, and they discovered it in almost perfect condition. The artifacts from King Tut's tomb have traveled the world and have been viewed by several million people. The artifacts are still on tour to this day.

There were many great pharaohs in Ancient in Egypt with colorful histories and backgorounds, but Amenhotep I, Hatshepsut, and Tutankhamen were some of the most famous. They are each famous for different reasons, but they all were great in their own way. One of the most interesting things about the pharaohs is that they started their reigns early and died young. Although they were prepared their entire lives to rule over Egypt, the pressure that they endured and the responsibilities they were given were far greater than their years.

Bunson, Margaret. "Amenhotep I." Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2002. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE49&iPin=EEGY0112&SingleRecord=True

Bunson, Margaret. "Hatshepsut." Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2002. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE49&iPin=EEGY0637&SingleRecord=True