self-important, some might say. They were the masters of an empire,
and in Pericles’ famous funeral oration he painted a picture of
Athens that elevated its citizens almost to the stature of gods. The
Parthenon celebrated the greatness of Athens and the Athenians as
much as it honored Athena.
PROPYLAIAEven before all the sculpture was in place on the
Parthenon, work began on a new monumental entrance to the
Acropolis, the Propylaia (FIG. 5-51). The architect entrusted with
this important commission was Mnesikles.The site was a difficult
one, on a steep slope, but Mnesikles succeeded in disguising the
change in ground level by splitting the building into eastern and
western sections (FIG. 5-43,no. 2), each one resembling a
Doric temple facade. Practical considerations dictated
that the space between the central pair of columns on each
side be enlarged. This was the path the chariots and ani-
mals of the Panathenaic Festival procession took, and they
required a wide ramped causeway. To either side of the
central ramp were stairs for pedestrian traffic. Inside, tall,
slender Ionic columns supported the split-level roof. Once
again an Athenian architect mixed the two orders on the
Acropolis. But as with the Parthenon, he used the Doric
order for the stately exterior and the Ionic only for the
interior.
Mnesikles’ full plan for the Propylaia was never exe-
cuted because of a change in the fortunes of Athens after
the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War in 431BCE. Of the
side wings that were part of the original project, only the
northwest one (FIG. 5-43,no. 3) was completed. That wing
is of special importance in the history of art. In Roman times it
housed a pinakotheke (picture gallery). In it were displayed paintings
on wooden panels by some of the major artists of the fifth century
BCE. It is uncertain whether this was the wing’s original function. If it
was, the Propylaia’s pinakotheke is the first recorded structure built
for the specific purpose of displaying paintings, and it is the forerun-
ner of modern museums.
ERECHTHEIONIn 421BCEwork finally began on the temple
that was to replace the Archaic Athena temple the Persians had
destroyed. The new structure, the Erechtheion (FIGS. 5-52and5-51Mnesikles,Propylaia (looking southwest), Acropolis,
Athens, Greece, 437–432 bce.
Mnesikles disguised the change of ground level by splitting
the Propylaia into eastern and western sections. Each facade
resembles a Doric temple but with a wider space between the
central columns.5-52Erechtheion (looking northwest), Acropolis, Athens, Greece, ca. 421–405 bce.
The Erechtheion is in many ways the antithesis of the Doric Parthenon directly across from it. An Ionic temple, it has some of the finest decorative
details of any ancient Greek building.
Early and High Classical Periods 131