Author Description

"Probably no cultural force has been so vital to the development of Western civilization as the classical Greek tradition. The magnificent architectural monuments of fifth century (B.C) Greece have been the source of inspiration to countless artists in all ages of history. No one building, however, nor even the classical style itself, was an isolated phenomenon. From the earliest Helladic structure, through the restless linear complexes of Minoan culture (especially the amazing palace of Knossos), to the formal, rigorously symmetrical forms of late Helladic building, it is possible to follow the development of Greek architecture. Almost paralleling the forms of literary expression from the energetic Homeric epic to the compact drama of Sophocles, Greek architecture can be viewed as one major aspect of an increasingly well-integrated whole. The great variety and architectural experimentation of the sixth century (B.C) was a vital step which culminated in the structured order, idealism, and complete harmony of the classical fifth century. Within the well-ordered system of the city-state, philosophers and architects alike were able to channel their creative energies into the refinement and integration of knowledge. Thus, the Parthenon could emerge no as an architectural innovation but as the exquisite statement of an ethos. When the city-state dissolved, as it did in the Hellenistic period, the Greeks had to go beyond their objective experience to struggle with intangibles. Architecture met these new challenges in a variety if ways: by bringing each individual structure into a more formal relationship with surrounding buildings and with its environment; by concentrating on new types of buildings; and by emphasizing the vertical, thus diminishing the mass and self-sufficiency of each building" - Publisher.