The ancient Greeks believed that the land itself expressed or embodied the presence of specific gods or goddesses and was therefore holy in itself. Adding a temple and subsidiary buildings, statues and/ or shrines dedicated to the particular god or goddess the land was believed to embody further enhanced this holiness and basic meaning felt within the landscape.
The site upon which the Parthenon was built, on a hill high above the city and with direct access to the sea, was believed to be the birth place and embody the qualities of Athena. Athena was the maiden goddess representing spiritual development of the highest order, combined with the gifts of understanding and intellect. Being pure in body, heart and mind, Athena was regarded as the symbol of the universal aspiration for wisdom in humanity.
The setting on the hill placed the Parthenon above the city, and therefore away from and above the profanity of ordinary life. From here, all could be seen as a whole, providing much greater clarity. The access to the sea may have symbolized the access to the vast unknown, the range to be explored and understood. As the sea is vast, so is the total of wisdom. Being able to access it may compare to being able to access that which is yet unknown, the great sea of knowledge and wisdom.
It is not only the building that speaks of the human intellect as being separate and above all earthly concerns. The landscape itself, combined with the specific way in which the building/s were orientated in relation to the landscape, places this meaning upon the Parthenon. Whether Athena is the symbol of wisdom because she was said to be born here, or whether the site is said to embody these qualities because of her is another question.
The site upon which the Parthenon was built, on a hill high above the city and with direct access to the sea, was believed to be the birth place and embody the qualities of Athena. Athena was the maiden goddess representing spiritual development of the highest order, combined with the gifts of understanding and intellect. Being pure in body, heart and mind, Athena was regarded as the symbol of the universal aspiration for wisdom in humanity.
The setting on the hill placed the Parthenon above the city, and therefore away from and above the profanity of ordinary life. From here, all could be seen as a whole, providing much greater clarity. The access to the sea may have symbolized the access to the vast unknown, the range to be explored and understood. As the sea is vast, so is the total of wisdom. Being able to access it may compare to being able to access that which is yet unknown, the great sea of knowledge and wisdom.
It is not only the building that speaks of the human intellect as being separate and above all earthly concerns. The landscape itself, combined with the specific way in which the building/s were orientated in relation to the landscape, places this meaning upon the Parthenon. Whether Athena is the symbol of wisdom because she was said to be born here, or whether the site is said to embody these qualities because of her is another question.
