The Altar of Zeus, also
known as the Pergamon Altar, was built in the Greek city of Pergamon during the
second century BC by king Eumenes II. This structure is one of the most
successful examples of Greek Hellenistic sculpture because of its lively
and exciting scenarios, as opposed to the more calm and harmonious style of
more classical Greek sculptures.
The Altar is comprised
of a main staircase on the west side of the structure that was 20 meters
wide, and the overall structure was 35 meters wide and 33 meters deep. The
stairs lead up to a colonnaded terrace that wraps around both sides of the
structure. The base of the altar is 20 feet high with 9-foot high friezes which
depict the Greek Gigantomachy; which is the Greek myth of the battle between the
gods and the titans, or old gods. Each side of the frieze depicts different
scenes of gods fighting giants, and even shows specific gods and giants which
can be identified. The upper inner courtyard also houed the fire altar and the
telephus reliefs.
There was interaction with the altar many times
throughout the years leading up to its preservation by many different peoples.
It wasn’t until the Prussian engineer Carl Humann advocated its preservation
that the Altar of Zeus was disassembled and reassembled in the Berlin Museum.
Parts of the marble and stone were being quarried by the local people to use in
their homes. Humann wanted to find a way to prevent this from happening. With
the help of other people and the German government, he was able to bring the
Hellenistic masterpiece over to Berlin. The altar was also known by some as the
Seat of Satan due to the use of it by Adolf Hitler. His chief architect Albert
Speer used it as inspiration for the design of Hitler’s parade ground. It was an
incredibly successful idea that heightened the popularity of Hitler.
Unfortunately
the entire altar is not visible in the Berlin museum, only the front of it is.
This is still, however, a grand example of Hellenistic sculpture to see.
Works Cited:
"Altar of Zeus at
Pergamon (c.166-156 BCE)." Pergamon Altar of Zeus. N.p., n.d. Web.
30 Oct. 2016.
Bilsel, Can. Antiquity
on Display: Regimes of the Authentic in Berlin's Pergamon Museum. Oxford:
Oxford UP, 2012. Print.
Ridgway, Brunilde Sismondo.
Fourth-century Styles in Greek Sculpture. Madison, WI: U of Wisconsin,
1997. Print.
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