The address: Greece, Athens, Athenian agora
Start of construction: 449 BC e.
End of construction: 415 BC e.
Coordinates: 37 ° 58 "32.2" N 23 ° 43 "16.9" E
Short description
Tourists who have managed to visit many parts of the world advise "novice" travelers who dream of getting to know the history of mankind better and personally see ancient monuments of architecture, boldly go to Greece.
View of the temple from the ruins of the Athenian agora
It is on the territory of this European country experiencing at the moment. hard times, there are numerous monuments of history and architecture, amazing sights that were erected by ancient builders before our era. Ancient Greece knew its ups and downs, alas, most of the time its territory was the site of bloody battles between invaders who dreamed of gaining complete control over Hellas. Naturally, all this could not but affect the state of numerous temples and sanctuaries, many of which had to be literally taken out of the ground at the beginning of the 20th century.
One of the few buildings that miraculously survived to our time and rises on the northwestern side of the famous Athenian agora is the world famous Temple of Hephaestus. Many sources mention the Athenian agora, however, the definition of this term is quite rare. In order to understand the meaning of the Temple of Hephaestus, it is worth explaining what exactly the agora was for the ancient Greeks. The Athenian agora is the center ancient Athens, a place where various meetings, pagan rituals, sports competitions were held and a brisk trade was conducted. Simply put, the agora is something like a Roman forum, which was also built even before the arrival of the Savior of all mankind, Jesus Christ, into our world.
General view of the temple
In the Athenian Agora and nearby, only the most important buildings for the ancient Greeks, temples, theaters and sanctuaries were erected. One of these temples is the Temple of Hephaestus, which today can be admired by travelers who have visited the capital of Greece. Surprisingly, the Temple of Hephaestus has survived not because of the Athenians' commitment to the pagan cult, but thanks to the Greek Orthodox Church. However, more on that below….
Hephaestus in ancient Greek myth
According to the myth, Hephaestus was the son of the thunderer Zeus and his jealous wife Hera. There is a legend that during one of the many quarrels of the divine spouses, Hephaestus was thrown from Olympus, and fell on the island of Lemnos, which was formed as a result of a powerful volcanic eruption. Despite the fact that Hephaestus was the son of a god and a goddess, he broke his leg when he fell, and subsequently remained lame. If you carefully study all the Greek myths telling about the life of the gods, examine in detail the surviving frescoes and mosaics, you can draw a certain conclusion: all the gods of Olympus spent their time in festivities and celebrations. When this "way of life" bored them, they took a direct part in the lives and destinies of people and demigods.
View of the temple from the west
Only one of these gods was forced to work constantly. This was the famous Hephaestus, who, according to myths, was the god-blacksmith, the patron saint of fire and volcanoes. For the most part, Hephaestus made excellent weapons and reliable armor for Greek hero Achilles. The one who was hit in the only unprotected place - the "Achilles heel". This is such a difficult "life" was with Hephaestus, who, instead of spending time in celebrations, stood at the horn blazing with unbearable heat.
Temple of Hephaestus - history
According to historians and archaeologists who have studied various chronicles and descriptions, the Temple of Hephaestus was built during the reign of Pericles. Pericles sat on the royal throne of Athens and, with the help of words, knew how to convince his people, and thanks to the talent of the commander, with small casualties he could repel numerous attacks of the enemy. There are facts that the reign of Pericles can be called a golden time for Athens. It was this king who ordered the construction of the magnificent Temple of Hephaestus on the Athenian Agora. Its construction lasted approximately from 450 to 415 BC. It is worth noting that even several such temples could have been erected in such a period. However, chronicles indicate that most of the workers employed in the construction of the Temple of Hephaestus were "transferred" at a certain period of time to build the legendary and gigantic Parthenon.
Northwest facade of the temple
Despite the fact that modern historians have at their disposal descriptions of the traveler Pausanias, who at one time also described ancient Corinth in documents, the name of the architect who developed the plan for the Temple of Hephaestus is not reliably known.
True, some experts put forward a version that the magnificent Hephaisteion was designed by the famous ancient Greek architect Alkamen. This master, again, according to unconfirmed reports, is credited with the authorship of the project Temple of Poseidon located at Cape Sounion. True, no evidence that would speak in favor of this version has yet been found by historians and archaeologists, so the name of the architect of the Temple of Hephaestus is officially considered unknown today. Some ancient sources indicate that on the surrounding territory of the temple of the god-blacksmith, a magnificent garden was laid out in which philosophers, under the shade of pomegranate trees, could reflect on the eternal.
Southwest facade of the temple
In the 7th century AD, a pagan temple dedicated to the god Hephaestus, Orthodox priests made the Church of St. George. There is nothing surprising in this, in those distant times the former power of Athens has sunk into the past and there was no free finance, however, there was no labor in the city. By the way, the Christian church quite often used ancient buildings for its temples. For example, at a certain period of time, a Christian temple was the famous "Tower of the Winds", which was, perhaps, the most ancient meteorological station on our planet. The Temple of Hephaestus became an open-air museum thanks to the Bavarian patron King Otto, during whose reign the Christian church was forced to leave the walls of the ancient sanctuary.
Temple of Hephaestus - architecture and interior decoration
As mentioned above, the Temple of Hephaestus is one of the well-preserved ancient buildings, and therefore it is the most amazing in the territory of modern Athens. The building where the god-blacksmith was revered rises on a hill called Agoraios. Its length is 31 meters and 70 centimeters, and its width is also impressive - 13.7 meters. Miraculously survived not only all 34 columns, which were made by craftsmen who lived before our era, in the Doric style, but also the roof. It is worth noting that the friezes of the temple are made in the Ionian style, and 18 of the 68 metopes are sculptures. Metopes on the eastern side of the Temple of Hephaestus tell tourists with the help of sculptural statues about the life and exploits of Hercules. And four more will tell about the adventures on the island of Crete of the hero of ancient Greek myths Theseus.
Columns and roof of the temple
The philosopher Pausanias, who always described what he saw during his travels, says in his notes that in the center of the Temple of Hephaestus there were two huge sculptures cast in bronze. The first, as you might guess, was dedicated to the lord of fire himself, and the second, to the patron goddess of the city, Pallas Athena. Alas, these sculptures, as well as numerous frescoes and mosaics, were savagely destroyed, and many were simply kidnapped by invaders and marauders.
Reputable architects claim that the Temple of Hephaestus was erected in the likeness of the Parthenon, like most other small temples that once stood in the Athenian Agora. By by and large they are absolutely right, because during the reign of Pericles, many of the sanctuaries in which the gods were worshiped were built in the Doric style. By the way, as a result of archaeological excavations, begun only in the twentieth century, numerous ruins of forges and pottery workshops were found near the Temple of Hephaestus. This suggests that the ancient Athenian artisans tried to work with fire directly near the temple of the god, to whom this element "obeyed".
Southeast facade of the temple
It would be unfair not to mention that many Greeks, even today, believe that the temple was not dedicated to Hephaestus at all, but to Theseus, who managed to defeat the bloodthirsty Minotaur in the labyrinth of Daedalus. This rather dubious version is supported by the sculptures of Theseus, competing with Hercules. By the way, earlier there was a version that the body of the legendary and fearless Theseus rests under the temple itself. However, as a result of excavations, no burials were found under the temple itself or nearby. The only thing that archaeologists managed to discover is a small sanctuary, built long before the construction of the Temple of Hephaestus. Who was worshiped in that small building, from which only a handful of stones remained, will remain a mystery.
In the very center ancient city Athens is located a favorite attraction of many tourists - the Temple of Hephaisteion. Fans of antique art are attracted not only by its convenient location, but also by the excellent preservation of the building. The temple was built just two years before the construction of the Parthenon. It offers a picturesque view of the Athens Mountain.
Foundation of the temple
Hephaisteion - or the Temple of Hephaestus - is a well-preserved building, not the usual ruins for visitors to Greece, from which they could vaguely imagine the outlines of the once beautiful buildings. Visitors have a view of the ideal columns, pediments, the roof of the temple. It is located in a picturesque and cozy place, on the Agoraios hill.
The Temple of Hephaestus was built in 449 BC. e. by order of the famous Athenian politician - Pericles. The reign of this king is considered by many to be the golden time for Athens. Pericles with his speeches was able to convince the people. He was also a talented military leader. Pericles easily repulsed enemy attacks with relatively few casualties. It was Pericles who ordered the erection of the temple of Hephaestus on the Agora.
Temple author
Hephaisteion is the first shrine in all Athens, which was entirely built of marble. The architect who worked on the creation of Hephaisteion remains unknown. However, scientists suggest that it was Alkamen, who also worked on the creation of the Temple of Poseidon, located at Cape Sounion. But scientists did not find any evidence in favor of this version. Therefore, officially the author of Hephaisteion is considered unknown. Many sources say that a pomegranate garden was laid out around the majestic building, in which philosophers could spend time thinking about the eternal.
Temple of Hephaestus: description
The raised platform, on which the temple is located, measures 32 by 14 meters. Hephaisteion is built in the Doric style. The rectangular building of the temple is surrounded on all sides by a colonnade. The roof of the temple was once made of wood and covered with ceramic tiles.
The temple of Hephaestus is briefly described in many tourist guidebooks. The inner space of the building consists of three parts. At the front is the entrance hall (pronaos), then the cellas (a large internal hall with columns), behind it are the rear rooms. On the east side, the temple is open to the rays of the rising sun. They illuminate the majestic statues of Hephaestus and Athena.
Alas, these statues suffered a sad fate, as did the numerous frescoes and mosaics. They were savagely destroyed, and some were kidnapped by marauders. Only a small part of the sculptures has survived to this day. Some of them depict the mythical exploits of Hercules. In the southern and northern parts of Hephaisteion, there are monuments depicting the works of Theseus. Above the entrance to the temple is a frieze that shows the battle of Theseus with the centaur.
Hephaestus in ancient Greek myths
According to mythology, Hephaestus was the son of Zeus and his wife Hera. Since this couple of celestials constantly quarreled, during one of the family scandals, Hephaestus was thrown from Olympus. Despite the fact that Hephaestus was the son of the gods, he injured his leg in the fall, and remained lame. Hephaestus fell on the island of Lemnos, which was once formed as a result of a volcanic eruption.
Many researchers are inclined to believe that the Olympic gods led a rather idle lifestyle. This is evidenced by numerous frescoes and mosaics, as well as the myths themselves. When they got bored with the constant celebrations, the inhabitants of Olympus took part in the lives of people.
And only Hephaestus was the only god who had to work. Hephaestus made an excellent weapon, and also the fruit of his labor was armor for Achilles (struck only in one place that remained vulnerable - the "Achilles heel"). Instead of spending every day in the festivities with the rest of the inhabitants of Olympus, Hephaestus labored near the smelting forge.
To whom the temple was dedicated
This temple was built not only in honor of Hephaestus - the god of volcanoes, pottery and fire. Among all the gods of Olympus, Hephaestus was the only imperfect god. According to ancient Greek myths, God of fire limped, and therefore had to do heavy physical work... However, the fact that Hephaestus was imperfect did not prevent him from arranging his personal life much more successful than other, more perfect, inhabitants of Olympus. According to Homer, Hephaestus married the most beautiful goddess - Aphrodite, the patroness of love.
Hephaisteion is considered the temple of Hephaestus and Athena, since the latter was the patroness of the city. She was also in charge of pottery. Archaeologists who carried out excavations in the vicinity of the temple found out: not far from Hephaisteion lived a large number of pottery masters, blacksmiths.
But many Greeks are convinced that the temple of Hephaestus in Greece is actually dedicated to Theseus. This opinion is based on the fact that there are many images (metopes) in the temple that are dedicated to this hero. Theseus, as you know, defeated the evil and bloodthirsty Minotaur in the labyrinths of Daedalus. Once there was an opinion that the body of Theseus itself rests under this temple. But as a result of excavations by archaeologists, no remains were found. All the researchers have been able to find is a small sanctuary. It was founded long before Hephaisteion was built. Iconic statues of Hephaestus and Athena dating from 421-415 BC e., refute the assumption that the temple could be dedicated to Theseus.
Hephaisteion and the Orthodox Church
In the VII century. n. e. the temple of Hephaestus turned into the Church of St. George - the pagan sanctuary was then occupied by Orthodox clergy. There is nothing surprising. Indeed, by that time, the power of Athens remained in the distant past. The city had neither extra funds, nor a free labor force. It should be noted that the Christian Orthodox Church often used ancient buildings for its own churches. It is known that for quite a long time, Orthodox clergymen occupied the famous "tower of winds", which is the most ancient meteorological station.
However, it was thanks to Christians that Hephaisteion survived until today... They replaced the bright decoration of the temple with a Christian one. Therefore, Hephaisteion escaped destruction from the radical Christian authorities of Byzantium. After Hephaisteion ceased to be the Church of St. George, he received the status of one of the most beloved and protected monuments by the Greeks.
During the reign of Otto, a ruler from Bavaria, Hephaisteion became an open-air museum. Under Otto, Orthodox priests were forced to leave the temple. After Greece gained sovereignty, the National Archaeological Museum began to be located in Hephaisteion. However, later, in 1874, the exhibits were removed from Hephaisteion.
Complex test for the I quarter
pupils ____ 2 "a" class __________________________________________
Read an excerpt from the story "Rus" by S. Romanovsky. What is Russia? Find and underline the answers. (in green)
My mistress Anna Ivanovna once brought a pot of red flowers into the hut. She says, and her own voice trembles with joy:
- The flower was dying. I brought it to Russia - and it bloomed!
- To Russia? I gasped.
- To Russia, - confirmed the hostess.
- To Russia ?!
- To Russia.
- What is Russia?
- We call a bright place Russia. Where is the sun. Yes, everything is bright, read it, so we call it. Fair-haired guy. Fair-haired girl. Light brown rye - ripe. It's time to clean up. Have you ever heard of it?
I cannot utter a word.
I have tears from my eyes with joy.
Russia is a bright place!
Russia is the land of the world.
My dear light-bearing Russia, Motherland, my Parent!
3. Remember the works of folklore. Fill out the diagram.
a) Not a rider, but with spurs, not a watchman, but wakes everyone up.
patter
nursery rhyme
mystery
b) The sun paints the earth, and labor - labor.
song
proverb
rhyme
5. Read. What work is the excerpt from? Fill in the missing words.
He came home and said to his mother:
- I'm not going to school again!
- What are you going to do?
- Like what? Well, how will you work.
- By whom?
- By whom? Well, how are you, for example ...
And Alyoshka's mother worked as a doctor.
This is ___________ from the story of Sergei Alekseevich __________________ "How Alyoshka is tired of studying."
6. Read the titles of the works and the names of the authors. Indicate who wrote what.
"Smorodinka" M. Zoshchenko
"Patch" E. Permyak
"The most important thing" N. Nosov
7. Determine from which work the passage is. Mark your answer.
He took a knife and ripped off the patch, then straightened it and put it on his pants. I drew an ink pencil around the patch and sewed on again. Now he sewed slowly, carefully and all the time he made sure that the patch did not crawl out of the line.
E. Permyak "Currant"
M.Zoshchenko "The most important thing"
N.Nosov "Patch"
8. Read. Who said that? Mark your answer.
- I will not go with you...
And so that no one could hear, she added to herself: "I will sculpt a bunny."
Tanyusha from E. Permyak's story "Currant".
Katya from V. Suteev's story "Snow Bunny"
"Little Men" E. Permyak
"Five from one chest" The Brothers Grimm
"Two Proverbs" H.C. Andersen
10. Read a quatrain from F. Savinov's poem "Homeland". Connect the rhyming words.
I hear the songs of a lark
I hear the trills of a nightingale
This is the Russian side
This is my homeland!
11. Read, underline the names of the heroes of the fable I. Krylov. Write down the title of the fable.
______________________________
The luggage would seem easy for them:
Yes, the Swan breaks into the clouds,
Cancer moves back, and Pike pulls into the water.
Who is to blame, who is right, is not for us to judge;
Yes, only things are still there.
12. Read the titles of the works. Indicate the work of V. Suteev.
V. Suteev "The most important thing"
"Snow Bunny"
"Fear has big eyes"
"Who is better"
13. Read the works. What's this? Indicate the answer.
a) The grandfather is dressed in a hundred fur coats;
Whoever undresses him sheds tears.
nursery rhyme
b) Ivanov's yard has a riddle
The water caught fire. fable
The whole village was extinguishing the fire,
And the fire was not extinguished.
14. Remember the name and patronymic of Tolstoy. Mark your answer.
Ivan Sergeevich
Nikolay Nikolaevich
Lev Nikolaevich
15. Answer the questions:
The author of the poem "Rus" ________________________________________________
The author of the story "Patch" __________________________________________________
A work of folklore about heroes-heroes is ______________________________
Last name of the fabulist ______________________________________________________
The author of the fairy tale "Who is better?" _________________________________________________
Folklore
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