Compare and contrast the Erechtheum and the Pantheon Essay

Compare and contrast the Erechtheum and the Pantheon - Essay Example Of course it had always been referred to that the Romans were imitative of Greek culture. The same can be said in their architecture. Barstow makes for an interesting commentary when he said that â€Å"Roman architecture has been called merely Greek architecture imitated with greater richness but less refinement. No doubt the Greeks were greater originators, but the Romans were more practical, and, being great builders they extended the art in every direction. Yet, where they changed or modified the Greek, they did not always improve it (p. 49). The columns are the very main foundation of both the Erechtheum and the Pantheon. It served not only a decorative, and magnificently so at that, but also as the main source of strength of the two buildings. When we see the Erechtheum and the Pantheon we are immediately transported to the culture of a former world and its lush sense of style that has continued to captivate the essence of design up to this day. There are many similarities between these architectures and this may be palpable in the two structures but there are also differences that may be perceived, especially in the Pantheon which came much later than the Erechtheum and thus contains some improvements and innovations. The Erechtheum is a temple built for the goddess Athena Polias with Ionic design. The design is characterized by two chambers where one faces west and the other faces east. There is a debate as to which direction is actually devoted to Athena but there is belief that it is the western end the Erechtheum while in the eastern portion is that of Poseidon-Erechtheus, Hephaestus and Boutes. The Erechtheum is actually the name of one of its cellas, the same way the Pantheon derived its name. An interesting tidbit of history was divulged by Pausinias to describe the worship for Athena of the people. He tells that even though there are many of those who had already converted to Christianity, they still hold a special reverence for Athena and the Erechtheum. The image in the Acropolis was considered to be most holy. Legend says that it fell from the sky with a lamp that never goes out of oil easily though it is lighted throughout (George, n.p.). The most distinct design of Roman architecture is their use of arches. This was not new when they incorporated it into their construction but it was revolutionized by the Romans. Where the Greeks usually employed straight lines, the Romans made use of arches to give a softer feel to the look of the buildings. This is an integral aspect of the Pantheon which is essentially a dome that fully embraces the use of an arch. This transformed the total design of a building. It was also during the time of the Romans where the use of cement which is basically rock that were ground and sand mixed as a wet component proliferated. This technique was actually responsible and made it possible to build the Pantheon. But unlike the Greeks, the Romans built more than temples

Colonial America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Colonial America - Essay Example Each of these city-states or polis had its own customs, laws and way of life (Hornblower et al, 2004). Initially these city-states were ruled by a few wealthy men but gradually the administrative system became democratic. Athens was the largest city-state in Ancient Greece and its society was divided into the upper, middle and lower classes. However despite these differences ancient Greeks were bound by a common heritage and common language just like American people speak a common language. Greek citizens were trained in the arts, music, and they played games represented by the Olympics. There was a system of assemblies in which upper class citizens discussed issues of government and suggested changes, very much like the modern parliament. Ancient Rome was however ruled by an emperor and the Roman government balanced out political power between three different branches comprising of the Executive branch, the Legislative branch and the Judicial branch. The consuls who supervised the S enate and the army controlled the executive branch along with the mayors and tax collectors (Hornblower et al, 2004). Only adults were allowed to vote or elect rulers. The legislative branch consisted of 300 senate members who owned land and were elected by the consuls. The concept of senate members is still a part of the administrative system in America.