The Parthenon and the Pantheon were considered the most magnificent architectures of all time. Though they both have cultural significance in their history, there were differences as well as similarities between them in terms of construction and purpose.
The Parthenon in Athens, Greece was built by the ancient Greeks, Callicrates and Ictinus during the Athenian empire between 447 and 438 BC. The temple lies on the Acropolis of Athens and was built to honor the Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena. On the other hand, the Pantheon in Rome, Italy was constructed during the reign of Emperor Hadrian but the inscriptions state that it was originally built by Emperor Marcus Agrippa between 27 and 25 BC. It was built as the temple of all the gods, seven gods and seven planets of ancient Rome. Both temples have similar religious symbolism but paid homage to different gods.
In terms of construction, the Parthenon was built majestically on a hilltop overlooking the city of Athens. A rectangular building built in a classical Doric style with Ionic and Corinthian columns made from marble with limestone base. Its delicate decorative sculpture symbolizes the enduring excellence of ancient Greek art. The Pantheon sits at ground level in the middle of huge buildings in the bustling city of Rome. A round building with a square front, lined with eight Corinthian style columns in front made from marble, granite, concrete and brick. In the back lies a huge dome with a height exactly equal to its width which has a central opening to the sky as the only source of light. Though both buildings were built with Corinthian columns, they differ in the construction materials used. The Parthenon was a combination of three architectural orders such as Doric, Ionic and Corinthian styles while the Pantheon used the Greek Corinthian style.
The Parthenon symbolizes the tangible power and influence of Athenian democracy, their structural ideas and devotion to their faith. The Pantheon symbolizes the Roman power and its struggle to bring their people together. Since the 7th century, it has been used for religious purposes and to house tombs or memorials of the prominent dead. Today, the Pantheon is still standing while the Parthenon lies in ruins.
Whatever cultural significance each building represents, I believe they were generally created for religious and political purposes.
References:
Moore, David. "The Pantheon". 1995. November 21, 2012
Hum 110 Tech.”The Parthenon”. November 21,2012 < http://academic.reed.edu>.
