Why were temples built in Athens?

Why were temples built in Athens?

The Role of the Temple They were meant to serve as homes for the individual god or goddess who protected and sustained the community. It was the needs of the gods that were most important.

What was the purpose of building Greek temples?

The ancient Greek were no exception. The ancient Greek temple had one primary function: to provide a shelter for the statues of the gods. It was believed that in the statues dwelled the spirits of the gods. Thus, it was only natural for the Greeks to bring forth constructions that would befit the majesty of their gods.

What was the temple of Athena used for?

The purpose of the Parthenon has changed over its 2,500-year history, beginning as a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena Parthenos (“Athena the Virgin”). Some scholars, however, question the building’s religious function, partly because no altar from the 5th century BCE has been found.

Why did the Athenians build the Parthenon?

The residents of Athens constructed the Parthenon at the time when they were at the height of their dominance. The Parthenon was mainly constructed as a temple for the Goddess Athena who was the chief deity worshipped by the residents of Athens.

What did the people do at the temples?

Everything from cleaning house, to performing animal sacrifices and overseeing the activities that would have taken place on the Great Holy Day festivals. The priests, then, really are in charge of the Temple itself the Temple Proper.

Why did the Greeks build temples for kids?

The purpose of a temple was to store a religious statue. Some temples were very large, but others could be very small, depending on the size of the statue and how many people wanted to visit it. Perhaps one of the most famous of Greek temples is The Parthenon.

What are the two main functions of a Greek temple?

What was the function of a Greek temple? The temple was dedicated to a god and used to house the cult statue of that god. It was a house for that god to stay in when they left Olympus. Only priests were allowed inside the temple building.

What is the temple for Athena?

The temple of Athena Nike
The temple of Athena Nike (Athena as a goddess of victory) is the smallest temple at the Acropolis in Athens, placed at its southwest corner, at the edge of a high cliff (see images above).

How did they build the temple of Athena Nike?

In the sixth century BCE a cult of Athena Nike was established and a small temple was built using Mycenaean fortification and Cyclopean masonry. The temple sat untouched until it was demolished in 1686 by the Turks who used the stones to build defenses.

What is Athena the god of?

Athena, also spelled Athene, in Greek religion, the city protectress, goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason, identified by the Romans with Minerva. She was essentially urban and civilized, the antithesis in many respects of Artemis, goddess of the outdoors.

Why was this site chosen for the Parthenon?

Your Answer: The Parthenon is a marble temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. It is located on a hill, overlooking the city of the athens. This site was chosen to show the authority of the building and connect the temple closer to Athena and the gods. The Parthenon is a temple in the doric order with eight columns.

Why do we build temples?

The multitude of reasons for temple construction are what have given us our rich and diverse cultural and spiritual heritage. All around the globe, regardless of religion, denomination, race or creed, people have felt duty-bound to build in order to honour their gods. It is something that unites us all.

Who built the temple of Zeus in Athens?

The Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens, also known as the Olympieion, was built over several centuries starting in 174 BCE and only finally completed by Roman emperor Hadrian in 131 CE. Its unusually tall columns and ambitious layout made the temple one of the largest ever built in the ancient world.

How did people enter the temples of the Greek gods?

The believers would simply perform rituals in front of the temple, where a small altar was placed, and could take a glimpse of the sculpted figure of the goddess through the space between the columns. The privilege of entering the temple was reserved for the priestesses, who held a respected position in Greek society.

What happened to the temple of Athena in Athens?

In the 5th century C.E. the temple was converted into a Christian church, then in the 17th century it was completely dismantled by the Ottoman Turks who needed its material to build fortifications. The temple was later reconstructed after Greece regained independence in 1832. In the 1930s the building was restored again.