Conny Waters – AncientPages.com – The Parthenon, an awe-inspiring temple crafted in the mid-5th century BCE, majestically crowns the hill of the Acropolis and stands as a testament to human ingenuity and artistic perfection.
Sculpture of the goddess Athena in the Parthenon; Athena Parthenos. Image credit: Fritzmann2002 – CC BY-SA 4.0
Dedicated to Athena, the revered Greek deity of wisdom and the cherished patron goddess of Athens, this architectural masterpiece still inspires us today due to its harmonious design and perfect proportions. Within the Parthenon’s sacred walls is the colossal (40-foot-tall) chryselephantine (made of gold and ivory) statue depicting Athena.
Interestingly, the study suggests that this temple was generally rather dark and dim, contrary to long-standing beliefs that imagined the interior as a ‘bright marble space’. Therefore, both natural and artificial light have always played an important role in demonstrating the statue’s greatness.
The highlight of viewing experiences was likely the illumination of the chryselephantine statue through sunlight and a lamp’s glow.
The Parthenon’s design emphasizes a thoughtful focus on light.
“As there is no data on the number of lamps that could have been used in a temple of the size of the Parthenon, only assumptions can be made,” the researchers write in their paper.
Undoubtedly, lamps would have made the interior brighter and more luminous. However, more lamps would have also produced more, and at some point uncontrollable, amounts of smoke and soot.”
Lamps, torches, and other forms of interior lighting were among the team of researchers’ more controversial issues.
“ And this is because of the scarcity of archaeological evidence and the speculative nature of the use of lamps and torches in temple interiors.
Parthenon. Image credit: A.Savin – CC BY-SA 3.0
As there is no data on the number of lamps that could have been used in a temple of the size of the Parthenon, only assumptions can be made. Undoubtedly, lamps would have made the interior brighter and more luminous. However, more lamps would have also produced more, and at some point uncontrollable, amounts of smoke and soot. Therefore, a working hypothesis consisted in strategically placing a total of 12 lamps, each with a diameter of 40 cm, with eight nozzles each along the main nave. Ten lamps would be distributed across the long axis, and two would be positioned at the head level of the statue. The lamps were suspended at a height of eight meters above the pavement of the cella. This arrangement, again, is purely speculative and greatly relied on observation of temples in other cultures…”
The building’s orientation towards the rising sun, window placement, barriers, grilles, translucent marble ceilings, skylights, reflective pools, and torches most probably enhanced visitors’ experience at the temple.
Previous theories referring to the illumination of the Parthenon have predominantly been based on speculations and incomplete data, lacking a quantitative analysis of the light dynamics within the structure.
Modern technologies contribute much more. Researchers employed sophisticated three-dimensional digital technologies with physically based lighting simulations to meticulously reconstruct the ambient and architectural conditions inherent in the original temple design.
The four-year multidisciplinary study led by Oxford University archaeologist and professor Juan de Lara sheds much light on ancient Greek builders’ secrets to emphasize the importance of the Parthenon, a spectacular landmark of Greece of old times.
The study illustrates precisely how Greece’s iconic Parthenon temple was illuminated in antiquity.
Written by Conny Waters – AncientPages.com Staff Writer
