Lecture Outline

• Comparison of Parthenon
• Pantheon Details
 Parthenonvs Pantheon

• The Pantheon and the Parthenon are both ancient temples.

• While the Pantheon was built in Rome to celebrate all the Roman Gods, the Parthenon
was built in Ancient Greece for the goddess Athena.
• The Parthenon pre-dates the Pantheon by about six centuries; it was built around 447-438
BC while the Pantheon was built in 126 AD.
HISTORY
• The Pantheon was originally built by Marcus Agrippa in 27 BC, and the inscription on
the front reads “M Agrippa L F Cos Terium Fecit,” or “Marcus Agrippa built this when
he was consul for the third time.”
• However, the entire Pantheon was destroyed except for this façade, and
the Emperor Hadrian rebuilt it on the same site in 126 AD.
• The building was given to Pope Poniface IV in 609 AD and was converted to a
Christian church, saving it from destruction or looting.
• It was used as a tomb in the Renaissance and is the location of some royal tombs.

• Usage :
• The Pantheon was originally
built as a temple to all the
Roman gods. It is currently a
Roman Catholic church and a
popular tourist attraction.
• The Parthenon was built between 447 and 438 BC by Iktinos and Kallikrates as a
temple to Athens’ patron goddess, Athena.
• A fire in the middle of the 3rd century AD destroyed its roof, but it remained a
temple to Athena until Theodosius II decreed that all pagan temples should be
closed in 435 AD.
• Athena’s image was looted from the temple in the 5th century AD and taken to
Constantinople.
• The Parthenon was converted into a Christian church in the 590s, and in 1687,
the building was partially destroyed in a battle between the Turks and the
Venetians when it was used to store gunpowder and shelter civilians.
• Sculptures were then stolen from the Parthenon and rubble was looted for
building material for the next 150 years.
• In 1842, when Greece became independent, the area became a historical
precinct controlled by the Greek government.
• Efforts at restoration began in 1975.

• USES :
• The Parthenon was originally built as a temple to the Greek Goddess
Athena. It is now a museum.
Design
• The Pantheon is a circular building with a portico
supported granite Corinthian columns.
• Its Roman concrete dome is 4535 metric tons. It is
made from several materials, including marble,
granite, concrete and brick.
• The Parthenon is a Doric temple . It has a
rectangular floor and is made entirely from
marble, with a limestone base.
• An ionic frieze runs around its exterior walls.
• The east pediment narrates the birth of Athena,
while the west pediment shows the contest
between Athena and Poseidon to become the
city’s patron god.
Similarities
• Both the Pantheon and the Parthenon were originally designed
as temples, and the Pantheon borrows much of its exterior
design from traditional Greek temples such as the Parthenon.
• Both use 8 columns to support a pediment.
• Both have faced some destruction and rebuilding, and both were
used as churches during the Middle Ages.
• However, while the religious connection saved the Pantheon
from looting, many parts of the Parthenon were stolen in the
1700s.
 The Pantheon
crowning achievement of Roman architecture.
118-128 CE, stone, marble, concrete and bronze, Rome, Italy
• The Pantheon was originally
built by Marcus Agrippa in 27
BC,
• However, the entire Pantheon
was destroyed except for this
façade, and the Emperor
Hadrian rebuilt it on the same
site in 126 AD.
• The building was given to Pope
and was converted to a
Christian church, saving it from
destruction or looting.
The Pantheon Plans
 The Pantheon Interior

The walls and floor are decorated with colored marble and each column was carved
from a single block of granite.
Eight niches repeat around the room,
Floor Designs
Design
• The Pantheon is a circular building
with a portico supported granite
Corinthian columns.
• Its Roman concrete dome is 4535
metric tons. It is made from several
materials, including marble, granite,
concrete and brick.
First temple to combine concrete
construction (a Roman innovation)
with Greek decorative elements
Pantheon’s Dome

•Hemispherical dome
represents the dome of
heaven.
•Famous for its round design
and dome.
•The height and diameter of
its central space is the same:
142 feet or 44m
•It is the dome that sets the
Pantheon apart from all other
buildings .
The Pantheon Interior
•The magnificent interior space of
the Pantheon was achieved by:
•Employing a dome over a drum.
•Coffering the dome to reduce
weight.
•Placing an oculus to allow light to
enter
30-foot
diameter
circular-
shaped
opening at
its top
center called
the oculus.
Ceiling Plan