Temple Life
Greek temples were considered the houses of whom?
The gods or goddesses.
What was usually kept in the cella?
A statue of the god or goddess.
Name one Greek architectural order.
Doric, Ionic or Corinthian.
Which goddess is the main subject of the Parthenon’s pediments?
Athena.
Who fought the Centaurs?
The Lapiths.
Where did sacrifices take place: inside or outside the temple?
Outside, at an altar.
What is another name for the cella?
Naos.
Which order had short, wide columns and a strong, simple appearance?
Doric.
What story was shown on the east pediment?
The birth of Athena.
How many metopes decorated the Parthenon?
92.
What was the sacred enclosure surrounding a temple called?
A temenos.
What temple space could be used as a state treasury?
The opisthodomos.
Which order had capitals decorated with acanthus leaves?
Corinthian.
What story was shown on the west pediment?
Athena’s contest with Poseidon.
Where were the metopes located?
In the Doric frieze above the outer colonnade, between the triglyphs.
Give two reasons why temples were built on high ground.
Protection of the temple and its treasures; feeling closer to the gods.
Name two types of valuable offerings that could be stored in a temple.
Any two: armour, weapons or precious objects.
What two features alternated in a Doric frieze?
Metopes and triglyphs.
What does sculpture carved “in the round” mean?
Figures are fully or almost fully three-dimensional, rather than projecting from a flat background.
Identify the battle shown on each side of the Parthenon.
East: Gigantomachy. South: Centauromachy. West: Amazonomachy. North: Fall of Troy.
Apart from housing a god’s statue, name three functions of Greek temples.
Any three: storing offerings, acting as treasuries, supporting religious ceremonies, displaying a city’s prosperity, or attracting visitors.
Why were Greek temples different from modern churches, mosques or synagogues?
They were not designed for large congregations to gather inside and pray. They housed the deity’s statue, while public sacrifices took place outside.
Give two differences between Doric and Ionic architecture.
Doric columns were shorter and wider; Ionic columns were taller and slimmer. Doric friezes were divided into panels; Ionic friezes could contain a continuous sculptural scene.
Explain two techniques used to draw attention to the centre of the pediments.
Any two explained: large central figures; dramatic central poses; figures turning towards the centre; movement spreading outwards; flowing drapery suggesting action.
What larger message did the metopes communicate, and which historical victories might they symbolise?
Order, civilisation and self-control defeating chaos and barbarism. They may symbolise Greek victories over Persia.