Hellenistic Architecture

Stoas, Theaters, Temple complexes

Historical Background• 323 BCE: Death of Alexander the Great

• Seleucid dynasty at Antioch in Syria.

• Attalid dynasty at Pergamon in Asia Minor.

• Macedonians control Greece.

• Hieron II (275 - 216 BCE) in Syracuse.

• 201 BCE: Roman praetor in Syracuse.

• Bickering among Greek city-states.

• Philip V: defeated by Romans in 197 BCE; totally broken at Pydna in 168 BCE.

• 146 BCE: Mummius sacks Corinth. Rome razes Carthage.

• 133 BCE: Pergamon bequeaths its kingdom to Rome.

• 33 BCE: Battle of Actium.

Architecture• City planning in Asia Minor effects the

rebuilding of city centers like the agora in Athens.

• Stoas frame and monumentalize public spaces.

• Dictatorial displays favor gigantic building projects - large temples constructed.

• Rise in public entertainment for an expanding, diverse population seen in theater complex constructions.

Examples• Temples:

– Apollo at Didyma, – Olympieion at Athens.

• Stoas: – Attalos at Athens– Market in Miletus.

• Theaters: – Dionysos in Athens– Pergamon.

Temple of Apollo at Didyma

• Pre-Greek cult center with sacred grove and spring. • First temple completed in 6th century BCE: unroofed Ionic

building enclosing the spring and naiskos. • 311 BCE: Cult revived by the Seleucids and temple

commissioned.

Plan of Didyma temple

• Monumental Ionic, dipteral temple surrounding a naiskos.

• 118 meters by 60 meters.

• Monumental stairway descends to the cella.

• Climb up to staircase through tunnels from the pronaos.

• Temple primarily of marble.

• Temple plans inscribed on the marble walls.

Olympieion, Athens.

• Begun by the Peisistratids in 6th century BCE as a Doric temple. Unfinished.

• ~175 BCE: Antiochus IV commissioned the architect Cossutius to finsih in Corinthian order.

• 108 by 41 meters. • Triple rows of eight

columns back and front.• Sack of Athens by Sulla in

86 BCE. Corinthian capitals brought to Rome.

Plan of the Olympieion

Stoa of Attalos

• Gift of Attalos (159 - 138 BCE) and his wife. • 115 by 20 meters. • Two floors of 21 shops. 42 shops total. • Primarily made of marble.

Column orders in the stoa

• Exterior: Doric on the ground floor (unfluted bottom half). Ionic on the top floor.

• Interior: Ionic on the ground floor. Pergamene (new) on the top.

Reconstruction

• Completed by the ASCSA in 1950s. • Serves as the museum for the Athenian Agora.

Stoa framing

Miletus

• Rebuilt in Hellenistic period. Mid 2nd c. BCE.

• Complex market arrangement. South and North markets. All public buildings and offices enlsoed in thus planned market area.

• Bouleterion - ironic during these times of the loss of local autonomy.

Theater of Dionysos at

Athens

• 5th century theater was simple, without marble seats and structure.

• Mid. 4th c BCE: Lykourgos responsible form marble crystallization of its form.

Theater at Pergamon

• Site planned and built in 3rd c. BCE. Bequeathed to Rome in 133 BCE.

• Theater dominates, underlying “theatrical setting”.

• Great Altar platform looms over theater.