HIGH CLASSICAL PERIOD, 450-430 B.C.

Back to Syllabus.

Athenian history

  • Athenians prosper after defeat of Persians in 479 B.C.
    • gradually turn a united league of city-states (Delian League) into an Empire
    • this attracts unfavorable attention from Sparta, leading to Peloponnesian Wars
  • First Peloponnesian War, 461-446 B.C.
  • Pericles the major statesman leading Athens in this period

The Athenian acropolis

  • Athenians embark on building campaign during time of prosperity, not stopped by war
  • Parthenon the crowning feature of Periclean Athens
    • Doric plan with additions
      • Ionic columns in back room
      • Ionic frieze along top of side walls, above inner row of end columns
    • constructed 447-432 B.C.; architect Iktinos; sculptor Pheidias (also Olympia Zeus temple)
    • metopes, 447-442
      • mythical battles--gods and giants, lapiths and centaurs etc.
    • frieze, 442-438
    • pediments, 438-432
      • West: battle of Poseidon and Athena for control of Athens
      • East: birth of Athena from Zeus' head (!)
    • gold and ivory statue of Athena--preserved in Roman copies
  • Propylaia (monumental entrance building)
    • constructed 437-432; architect Mnesikles

Freestanding sculpture

  • Doryphoros (spear carrier) by Polykleitos, 450-440
    • Polykleitos established new system of proportions; wrote about sculpture, and made the doryphoros to illustrate his principles
      • body is 7 times the length of the head
      • distance neck-groin, groin-knee, knee-foot are equal
      • balance requires shoulder and ankle lines to be parallel, hip and knee lines parallel in exact opposite direction = chiasmus or contrapposto
      • ideal pose is a walking pose
    • preserved only in Roman copies


Last updated: 8 March 2004

Back to Syllabus. Back to top of page.