ARCHITECTURE
OF THE ARCHAIC PERIOD:
Examples
from Paestum, Corfu, Aegina, and Delphi
Three orders Doric (northern), Ionic (southern), Corinthian
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Doric | Base | Entablature | Metope |
Ionic | Shaft | Architrave | Pediment |
Stylobate | Capital | Frieze | Cornice |
Column | Volute | Triglyph |
Temple Floor Plan (based on the plan of the Temple of Hera II, Paestum)
Cella or Naos center, no windows, location of the cult statue | Peristyle external colonnade on all four sides |
Pronaos or Porch flanked by two columns |
Peripteral |
Opisthodomos back porch, added for symmetry |
Dipteral |
Greek
temples were central to Greek culture. All
cities had one or more temples which were dedicated to the gods.
Within
Greek culture, there was a tremendous continuity in style.
However, the site was more important than the particular temple.
The temples become types although there variations.
These three temples, for example, were similar, but not identical.
The Basilica, Paestum in Southern Italy, ca. 550 B.C.
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Temple of Athena
Temple of Hera II
Note
that this is a peristyle temple, in that it has columns all around.
It is peripteral in that the columns are single.
Note
that there are 18 columns
Therefore,
the ratio
= 2:1 this is a deliberate attempt to make a rational design
Temple of Athena, Paestum, ca. 500 B.C.
Now
let's look at the mathematics of the Temple
of Athena:
40 doric feet front
96 doric feet side
Note:
1
+ 2 + 3 + 4 = 10
1
x 2 x 3 x 4 = 24
These
numbers and their relationships were interesting to the Greeks.
Four was considered to be the creative principal.
Therefore,
the dimensions of this temple were deliberate and divine.
This was, however, an early experiment.
It may have been associated with Pythagorus, who lived during this
period. Note that Pythagorus
discovered several other mathematical relationships, including musical
harmony.
Later,
proportions were softened and fudged to get a more pleasing appearance.
These architectural monuments were also ornamented with sculpture, as we shall now see.
Pediment of Temple of Artemis from the Island of Corfu, ca. 600
The
Temple of Artemis on the Island of Corfu
was one
of the earliest stone temples executed by the Greeks.
It was executed in the Doric order and was
embellished with
sculpture in the pediments.
Originally,
it appears that both side of the temple had the same pediment design.
The west side, however, is better preserved.
In
examining the decoration of the pediment, we become aware of another artist
problem which Archaic Greek artists posed for themselves how to design a
sculptural arrangement for a triangular pediment.
In
the center of the pediment is Medusa. According
to Greek mythology, she was one of three terrible sisters known as the Gorgons.
Their appearance was so hideous that turned people to stone.
We see staring eyes, fangs, their tongues hanging out, and their hair
consisting of
snakes. Here Medusa is looking out
from the temple to ward off evil.
What
is her style? You will recognize her as an Archaic type.
The pose is called a pinwheel stance, and it signifies that she is running.
The anatomy is simplified, again looking like an assemblage of individual
parts.
Beside Medusa are her two children:
On
the left is Pegasus, the winged horse
(note the back of the horse)
On
the right is a man, Chrysaor
When
she was struck by the sword of Perseus, two children were born from her blood.
Medusa
and her children are flanked by lions. This is a motif that we have seen over and over
again (e.g. Sumerian, Assyrian (lamassu), and the Lion gate at Mycenae). This is a motif originally from Mesopotamia.
At
the far left is King Priam of Troy
and perhaps a fallen Trojan soldier.
At
the far right is Zeus killing a kneeling giant with a Thunderbolt.
This may have been a gigantomachy (a battle of the gods and
giants). It was a favored subject
during the Archaic period and was a metaphor for the struggle of reason and
order over chaos.
Thus,
the pediment is ornamented with relief
sculpture with at least three different stories depicted and in all
different sizes.
Greek
artists had to resolve the problems
of the Archaic period associated with the design of a pediment:
To increase the size of figures
To create figures in the round
To attach these figures with steel rods
To achieve uniform size
To create a unified subject
Temple of Aphaia, Aegina, ca. 510-490 B.C.
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Many
of these artistic challenge were met at the Temple of Aphaia, Aegina.
This temple is not as heavy as the Temple of Hera I at Paestum.
The columns are thinner and spaced more widely apart.
As
you can see, the sculpture was removed from the site and is now at the
Glyptothek in Munich.
Pediment sculpture, Temple of Aphaia, Aegina, ca. 490 B.C.
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Pediment sculpture, Temple of Aphaia, Aegina, ca. 480 B.C.
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The
subject of the pedimental sculpture was the Sack of
Troy; Athena stood at center.
All
of the statues of the warriors are approximately the same size. These
were carved in three-dimensions and mounted in the temple pediment.
They created
figures of different postures to fill the awkward space of the triangular
pediment.
Note
the two wounded
soldier that are illustrated in your textbook. The twisting torso not perfect
Delphi, Siphnian Treasury, ca. 530 B.C.
The
Treasuries were small buildings erected by a single Greek city in order to house
offering and to glorify the place that erected it.
There were many Treasuries erected in Delphi and
Olympia. There were like a miniature temple
with one gabled room entered through a small
porch.
The
Siphnian Treasury was set up at Delphi by the Islanders of Siphnos.
Originally, this was a very poor island.
Then, they became wealthy when gold and silver mines were discovered on
their island in 540 B.C. They built
their treasury around 530 B.C. to celebrate their wealth.
Later, their mines flooded and their wealth was lost.
This
is an example of an Ionic structure because of the entablature consists of an
architrave and a frieze.
This was erected
at the Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi and the imagery is site-specific.
The pediment
filled with sculpture. Apollo and Herakles are engaged in a difficult struggle
over the tripod of Delphi. The myth
is that Herakles takes the tripod away, but then returns it.
Gigantomachy, Delphi, Siphnian Treasury, ca. 530 B.C.
Your
textbook
presents a larger portion of the frieze.