The Parthenon at Athens, Greece and at Nashville, Tennessee
The Parthenon at Athens, Greece and at Nashville, Tennessee
Written in the early 20th century, 'The Parthenon at Athens, Greece and at Nashville, Tennessee' by Benjamin Franklin Wilson explores the architectural and cultural significance of the original Parthenon in Athens. The book details its construction during the Golden Age of Athens, highlighting its artistic features and the advanced techniques used in its design. Wilson also discusses the 20th-century replica of the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee, examining the efforts to recreate its beauty and the sculptures that adorned the original temple. This work serves as both a historical account and an appreciation of classical architecture.
Editions
X-Ray
Director of the Parthenon at Nashville and author of this work. He provides detailed historical and architectural analysis of both the original Parthenon and its Nashville reproduction.
Archon of Athens during the Golden Age of Greece who commissioned the original Parthenon. Close friend of Phidias and patron of the arts.
Greatest artist of form the world has ever known, who supervised the construction of the original Parthenon. Created the Chryselephantine Statue of Athena.
Greek goddess of wisdom for whom the Parthenon was built. Known as Athena Parthenos, she was considered the wisest and most beautiful of Greek deities.
About The Parthenon at Athens, Greece and at Nashville, Tennessee
Chapter Summaries
- Background
- Introduces the Parthenon as one of the world's most beautiful buildings, embodying Greek religion, history, and art. Explains how Greek civilization reached its zenith under Pericles and produced unexcelled architecture.
- The Parthenon at Athens
- Details the construction of the original Parthenon in 438 B.C. under Phidias's supervision, its thousand-year history as a Greek temple, conversion to Christianity and Islam, and destruction by Venetian bombardment in 1687.
- The Parthenon at Nashville
- Chronicles the creation of Nashville's reproduction, from the 1897 Centennial Exposition through the permanent reconstruction begun in 1920. Explains material differences and lighting innovations.
Key Themes
- Cultural Heritage and Preservation
- Wilson emphasizes the importance of preserving and reproducing great architectural achievements for educational purposes. The Nashville Parthenon serves as a way to make Greek culture accessible to Americans.
- Art as Organized Emotion
- The author argues that Greek art, particularly the Parthenon, represents the pinnacle of emotional expression organized into architectural form, contrasting art with science as organized knowledge.
- Religious Inspiration in Art
- Wilson demonstrates how religious devotion to Greek gods, particularly Athena, inspired the creation of architectural and sculptural masterpieces that transcend their original religious context.
Characters
- Benjamin Franklin Wilson III(protagonist)
- Director of the Parthenon at Nashville and author of this work. He provides detailed historical and architectural analysis of both the original Parthenon and its Nashville reproduction.
- Pericles(major)
- Archon of Athens during the Golden Age of Greece who commissioned the original Parthenon. Close friend of Phidias and patron of the arts.
- Phidias(major)
- Greatest artist of form the world has ever known, who supervised the construction of the original Parthenon. Created the Chryselephantine Statue of Athena.
- Athena(major)
- Greek goddess of wisdom for whom the Parthenon was built. Known as Athena Parthenos, she was considered the wisest and most beautiful of Greek deities.
- Zeus(major)
- Father and king of the gods in Greek mythology. Central figure in the east pediment's birth of Athena story.
- Lord Elgin(major)
- British Minister to Turkey who salvaged Parthenon sculpture fragments in 1801, creating the famous Elgin Marbles now in the British Museum.
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<a href="https://lex-books.com/book/the-parthenon-at-athens-greece-and-at-nashville-tennessee-7ce770c9-00cc-4442-a60a-4e3dbaf4b559"><img src="https://lex-books.com/badges/read-on-lex.svg" alt="Read The Parthenon at Athens, Greece and at Nashville, Tennessee by Benjamin Franklin Wilson free on Lex" width="160" height="40"></a>[](https://lex-books.com/book/the-parthenon-at-athens-greece-and-at-nashville-tennessee-7ce770c9-00cc-4442-a60a-4e3dbaf4b559)[url=https://lex-books.com/book/the-parthenon-at-athens-greece-and-at-nashville-tennessee-7ce770c9-00cc-4442-a60a-4e3dbaf4b559][img]https://lex-books.com/badges/read-on-lex.svg[/img][/url]Read The Parthenon at Athens, Greece and at Nashville, Tennessee by Benjamin Franklin Wilson free on Lex: https://lex-books.com/book/the-parthenon-at-athens-greece-and-at-nashville-tennessee-7ce770c9-00cc-4442-a60a-4e3dbaf4b559Cite this book
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Wilson, Benjamin Franklin. The Parthenon at Athens, Greece and at Nashville, Tennessee. Lex, lex-books.com/book/the-parthenon-at-athens-greece-and-at-nashville-tennessee-7ce770c9-00cc-4442-a60a-4e3dbaf4b559.Wilson, B. F. (n.d.). The Parthenon at Athens, Greece and at Nashville, Tennessee. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/the-parthenon-at-athens-greece-and-at-nashville-tennessee-7ce770c9-00cc-4442-a60a-4e3dbaf4b559Wilson, Benjamin Franklin. The Parthenon at Athens, Greece and at Nashville, Tennessee. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/the-parthenon-at-athens-greece-and-at-nashville-tennessee-7ce770c9-00cc-4442-a60a-4e3dbaf4b559.
