Ancient Greek and Roman civilization are well known for bringing us great tales of mythology, the Olympics, and democracy. They are also credited for the classical period of art and architecture, bringing us incredible sculptures, temples, and paintings that have stood the test of time and continue to be influential through modern architecture. In this essay I aim to compare and contrast the Parthenon in Athens and the Pantheon in Rome, discussing their features and how they portrayed their individual cultures.
Following the Persian Wars, Greeks in Athens began to rebuild their city, giving rise to the classical period. Phideas designed the Parthenon and it was finished in 438 BC with the help of architects Callicrates and Ictinus (Parthenon,…show more content… However, unlike the Greeks, the Romans preferred for their statues to be more realistic than idealistic, and weren't afraid to feature those with less than perfect characteristics in their portrait sculptures. The Romans also perfected constructing arches and domes, using them in many official buildings, such as the Pantheon (Ross, n.d.). The Pantheon was finished in 125 AD, and was dedicated to all the gods in Rome. The famous dome on the Pantheon is supported by horizontal arches. Aside from the Roman dome and arches, the Pantheon is also set apart from the Greek Parthenon as it was designed in a way where the interior of the building was more exquisite than the exterior. The Romans also strayed from the typical limestone and marble used by the Greeks, in favor of lighter medium to give a better structure to the dome. The purpose of the Pantheon was a bit more practical, as the Romans used it as a location for the emperor to make public appearances and it later became a church (Cartwright, 2013). To this day, the Pantheon has aged much more gracefully than the Parthenon and remains incredibly well
