By. Megan Houston, Callie McConnico, and Daniel de la Garza
The Temple of Nike Athena
The Temple of Nike Athena is a small, but important part of Athenian worship. This building rests on the south west of the Acropolis plateau, to the right of the Propylaia, and is a tribute to Nike the goddess of victory and Athena the cities patron goddess.
The archetecture:
Built in 427 B.C. by Callicrates, it was the first temple built on the Acropolis built in the Ionic syle. There are four colmns surrounding the two porches of the buiding. The cella ( the inner chamber) has undecorated walls but there are many reliefs spread throughout the stucture. The site on wich this templ was built is also said to be the rock from which Aegeus jumped when he saw his son returning from Crete with black sails. His son was supposed to change the sails if he successfully killed the minotar and he forgot to. This temple is in a sacred area of the city and was and is an important part of the Athein Acrpolis.
How it was built:
The Temple of Athena Nike, around the Mediteranian, was designed by architects of the Parthenon, Callicrates and built in 427 BC. This temple was was made of cut stone and bearing masonry, and planned to be 12 feet and 10 fingers by 14 feet. The colummns of this temple are 13 feet and 54 fingers tall, but the all the designs that are above the columns make up the rest of the 14 feet. The temple's small scale and elongated shape, sits beside the gateway to the Acropolis, at each projecting porch therer are four columns.
Athens, Temple of Athena, c. 427-424 BC; photo credit: Erich Lessing/ Art Resource, NY
The Beginning and Excavation of the Temple:
This Temple was begun in 427 B.C., but there is evedence that is was planned before that. It was planned before the Parthonon but, it was finished after the Parthonon indicating its relitive importance. This temple used for religous ceromonies in Classical times, has been destroyed twice. The first time was by the Turks in 1686 and the second time the platform crumbled in 1936. It was rebuilt after both incidents. Important works of art that where housed in the temple have been since removed for their saftey.
The Art:
The Temple housed many important works of art including the famed statue of Athena, and the beautiful friezes. The statue of Athena showed the goddess standing and holding a pomogranite ,the symbol of fertility, in her right hand, and a helmet ,the symbol of war, in her left hand. This statue was made out of wood and it had no wings "so it could never leave the city of Athens"( ancient-greece.org ). Since most statues of Nike in the time it was made had wings the temple acquired the name Apteros Nike (wing-less victory). This statue was supposedly destroyed by the Persians. The temple also contaned fabulous friezes as was custonary in Attica. Out of the four friezes that ran aloung all the sides of the uilding only one survived the east side frieze. This one shows Athena and Zeus and all the gods surrounding them. The picture to the left shows the east side of the temple and the frieze. On the parapet surrounding the temple ,which acted as a barrier so people did not fall off the bastion, many reliefs were carved. These reliefs displayed Nike doing various activities. Amoung these is the famous relief showing Nike adjusting her sandel.
Ionic order frieze, east facade of the Temple of Athena Nike, the Acropolis, Athens, designed by Callicrates, 5th century BC
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