Parthenon Vs Pantheon Research Paper

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Discuss the similarities and differences between Roman and Greek architectural principles using the examples of Parthenon and Pantheon. Compare and contrast these two buildings. Introduction Throughout history, Greek and Roman architecture has been thought to show great artistic abilities, signifying power and functionality. Despite the differences in style and time, many of the architectural qualities are shared between the two empires and both have had a tremendous influence on the development of architecture. Differences and Similarities When comparing Greek and Roman architecture, two buildings will be focused on as examples, “The Pantheon” located in Rome and “The Parthenon” located in Athens. It is important to consider the different…show more content…
Both empires used architecture to as a religious resource dedicating many temples to their gods. The Parthenon was built to honor Athena, the Greek goddess representing wisdom, art and literature. Although not dedicated to the same god, the Pantheon was built for in dedication to all the gods of ancient Rome. Both empires also shared similarities in their use of proportions. The theory of the Vitruvian man as a basis for proportions was used by both the Greeks and the Romans to symbolize the perfection of the human body, and can be identified in both the Parthenon and the Pantheon. The theory of the Vitruvian man was created by a Greek named Vitruvius who believed that the proportions of a human body must be perfect as it is nature’s design. Therefore they can be used as a basis of proportions in buildings. For the Parthenon, the Greeks followed the theory of the Vitruvian man in their design of Doric columns. By design the columns to have a height seven times the diameter of the base of the column, resulted in a more masculine looking column. This design is also found in other Greek temples however. The Pantheon utilizes the theory of the Vitruvian man in its use of a circle and a square. Both empires also use Columns in their designs to a large extent, despite their different order preference. The Pantheon utilizes columns for its entrance, whilst the Parthenon surrounds itself with columns. In the case of these two buildings another similarity is the number of columns used. The Parthenon possesses eight Corinthian columns and the Parthenon has eight Doric columns surrounding the
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