The
Temple of Aphaia Aegina
This structure is located on the top of
a pine-clad hill Mesagro hill in Aegina Island of Greece. Its architectural
designs are clearly elaborative of its significance as a worship centre in the
ancient Greece. The temple is dedicated to a Greek goddess known as Aphaia,
were the name was derived from. The Temple is DoricPeripteral, with six columns at the ends and twelve columns at the flanks. It
had a 1:2 proportion relationship which was said to be unusual of a Temple of
its Era. Compared to a 1:3 proportions which was common in that era? The décor
was lavishly done, with detailed and evocative colors of the finest sculptures
of the late Archaic and Early Classical period. The pediments had a unique
composition which exhibited a unifying theme and a consistency in size of all
sculptures. Athena is the main figure in both pediments and stands tall in the
center of the triangle.
It is believed to have been built at around 500
BC. The basic foundation of the
structure was realized by burying the remains of a former temple which was said
to have been destroyed by fire. The remains were used to create a large raised
terrace that provided a firm foundation for the temple. The hillside provided a
rare natural resource which the masons worked on to come up with the structure.
Having built at a time when technological advancements and mostly in
architecture was only a dream, the architecture has exhibited a desperate
attempt to expose his both expertise and talent in his work. From the stone
carvings outside the structure, he gave it confidence and reasons to be spared
by man, a reason that surpasses the selfish reasons, of man to destroy what is
old and replace it with new constructions instead.
The basic
material of construction was carving local limestone, which was locally
available in the area, with a coating of Stucco. The temple was decorated with
sculptures in the two pediments; it had a (East Pediment 2 and West pediment 2).
These are triangular shaped roofs at the end of the temple. They are considered
as very important as they signify a bridge from the archaic and early Classical
periods of ancient Greek history with their sculptural technique.
It’s both fascinating
and admirable how architects of ancient times did so much with very little
resources and little or no education. While the modern day construction relies
on modern technology, which makes construction more efficient and work is
finished within a very short duration. The ancient architects relied on
traditional tools like chisels and pulleys for efficiency of production.
Though ancient tools of production were
said to be less efficient, and time consuming in a single construction. Though,
the modern day architectural designs were developed from the ancient designs.
And with all the resources being invested, at least I would have expected more
than it is today when it comes to the final outcome. The Temple of Apaia
inspired new architectural designs through its proportions and dimensions and
it was from this that many temples in Greece were built, including the
Parthenon of Athens.
Work Cited:
1.
Robertson, M. (1978). Munich.
Glyptothek. Die Aegineten: die Marmorskulpturen des Tempels der Aphaia auf
Aegina. Ein Katalog der Glyptothek München. By D. Ohly. 1. Die Ostgiebelgruppe.
Munich: Beck. 1976. Pp. xvi+ 116, 85 text figs., 5 folding diagrams, 76 plates.
DM 190. The Journal of
Hellenic Studies, 98,
208-210.
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