Parthenon Pyramids

Phylicia Brown

Art Appreciation 1301

Professor Debra Dewitte

April 25, 2016

Comparison of Sacred Spaces

The two sacred spaces I chose to compare are Pyramids of the Sun and Moon in Teotihuacan and Parthenon and Acropolis in Greece. I will begin by discussing the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. The Pyramid of the Sun was completed in 200 A.D. and the Pyramid of the Moon was completed in 250 A.D. The Pyramids were located in the city of Teotihuacan in Mexico. It was a city composed of people who were artisans and traders who produced many objects like ceramics, stones, and other artworks. The location of these pyramids is significant because it is said to be the place where the god Nanahuatzin sacrificed himself to become the sun. The Pyramid

Acropolis was the highest city in Greece and was built to be a fortress for the Goddess Athena, protector of Athens. This was after the defeat of Persians which gave Athens power of politics, economics, and culture. Athens helped create a league of allies to facilitate the freedom of Greek cities. Members of the league would either provide ships or pay a sum of money. Parthenon was the city’s treasury where it housed many pounds of silver. The Parthenon was the largest building located in Acropolis. It was completed in late fifth century and was made entirely of marble. In 480 BCE the Parthenon was destroyed by the Persians. The Athenians then rebuilt the temple more striking features and much bigger. It was completed in 437 BCE after 10 years of work. The columns were of Doric and Ionic styles- Doric in the outer sides and Ionic in the rear. In the main hall was a 30-foot-tall statue of Athena made of gold and ivory. The building was designed with many different relief carvings that depicted mythical battles and celebration of Athena’s birthday. There were also decorations that depicted women leading bulls to sacrifice on Acropolis. All these decorations were painted with bright

There are some similarities between two. For example, they both were the focal point of their respective cities by being the largest structures. They are both symbols of dedication to Gods who protected their city. The sacred spaces were grand and housed fine objects. The differences between the two are that the Pyramid of the Sun and Moon was more of a religious space where people came to worship or sacrifice to the Gods. On the other hand, the Parthenon and Acropolis were a symbol of imperial power and a lot of business was conducted there like monetary dealings, democratic meetings, and court proceedings. They also have different design structures with one being a triangular structure made of stone with chambers beneath it and the other was comprised of huge columns with many reliefs and structures made of