Period
The Temple of Athena Nike presents a building that was constructed around 420 BC, thus presenting the earliest iconic temple in Acropolis (Calvin.edu). The significant positioning of the temple increased the relevance of the construction since the temple had been constructed on a steep position in the south west corner of Acropolis and at the entrance of Propylaea. It is imperative to note that the temple consisted of a walled sanctuary, which formed the entrance of Propylaea. The Nike Parapet was responsible for the protection of the wall from the south, north and west.
Architect and Patron
The Temple of Athena Nike was completed around 420 BC, which was the period during the Peace of Nicias. The architecture consisted of a tetra-styled structure, which was comprised of four columns that had a colonnaded portico at the rear and front facades. The architect Kallikrates is credited with the design of the temple (Sakoulas). It is important to acknowledge that the columns that were present in the west and east fronts consisted of monolithic columns. The primary material employed in the construction was Pentelic marble, which was appropriate and available since the construction was limited by the war-starved funding.
Function
During the early history of the building, it was a place of worship, particularly for the deities that were directly involved in war. It is speculated that the temple was dedicated to the Nike goddess and gods that were merged with the cult of Athena Nike, which was dominant in the later centuries. The excavations in the recent years have disclosed the existence of an open pit that was present in the Bronze Age, which Greeks utilized to deposit figurines and libations to the deities that were worshiped in the building. Thus, the Temple of Nike Athena represented a small and important part of the Athenian worship approaches (Gardner and Kleiner, 141).
Context
The Temple consisted of a famous frieze that displayed Athena adjusting her sandal, which illustrated Wet drapery. Wet drapery constitutes the display of the form of the body while hiding the body with clothing. Moreover, the friezes contained a Calvary scene that showed the battle of Marathon and the battle of Plataea where the Greek had conquered the Persians (Sakoulas).
Reaction to Historical Precedence
The Temple of Athena Nike was destroyed twice by the Turks in 1686 and later when the temple platform collapsed in 1936 (Calvin.edu). The friezes served to show the Greek and Athenian dominance in reference to their military power, which was evident from the historical events. The statue of Nike was clearly displayed in the cella, where it served to represent the winged victory (Gardner and Kleiner, 141). The absence of wings signified the wingless victory, which transitioned to restrict the mobility of the statue to prevent it from ever leaving the city.
Architectural Features
The friezes that were present on the building entablature were present on all the sides of the building having the relief sculpture hence idealizing the classical style that was dominant in the 5th century. The north side displayed the battle present among the Greeks cavalry. On the other hand, the south frieze presented the decisive victory over the Persians during the Plataea battle. The east frieze presented the assembly of gods Zeus, Athena and Poseidon, which served to show the relevance of the gods in defining the political and social climate of the region at the time (Sakoulas).
Work Cited
Calvin.edu,. "The Acropolis at Athens - Pathways to Ancient Myth". Calvin.edu. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 May 2016. <http://www.calvin.edu/academic/clas/pathways/acropoli/aath.htm>.
Gardner, Helen and Fred S Kleiner. Gardner's Art through the Ages. [Boston, Mass.]: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.
Sakoulas, Thomas. "Temple Of Athena Nike". Ancient-greece.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 May 2016. <http://ancient-greece.org/architecture/athena-nike.html>.
