Greek and Roman Art and Mathematics

1. GREEK & ROMAN
ART AND
MATHEMATICS
MATH 213 /SPRING 2015
RUTH ANN DAPKUS
http://goldenratio.wikidot.com/greek-and-roman-art

2. The Pantheon and the Parthenon are both ancient temples. While the Pantheon was built in Rome
to celebrate all the Roman gods, the Parthenon was built in Ancient Greece for the goddess Athena.
The Parthenon pre-dates the Pantheon by about six centuries; it was built around 447-438 BCE,
while the Pantheon was built in 126 CE.
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Pantheon_vs_Parthenon

3. Pantheon Parthenon
Location
Rome, Italy Athenian
Acropolis, Greece
Built in 126 AD 447-438 BC
Original purpose
Temple to all the gods of Ancient
Rome
Temple to goddess
Athena
Built by Publius Aelius Hadrianus Iktinos, Kalikrates
Current use Roman Catholic church Museum
Architectural system
Arch Technology Post and Lintel
System
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Image:Pantheon-dome.jpg

4. THE GOLDEN RATIO
A Mathematics Inspiration ~ Probably more than any
other

5. • History
• The Pantheon was originally built by Marcus
Agrippa in 27 BC, and the inscription on the front
reads “M Agrippa L F Cos Terium Fecit,” or “Marcus
Agrippa built this when he was consul for the third
time.” However, the entire Pantheon was destroyed
except for this façade, and the Emperor Hadrian
rebuilt it on the same site in 126 AD. The building
was given to Pope Poniface IV in 609 AD and was
converted to a Christian church, saving it from
destruction or looting. It was used as a tomb in the
Renaissance and is the location of some royal
tombs.
https://www.google.com/search?q=pantheon+pictures&es_sm=122&tbm=isch&imgil=EvxtqUOMkQKs2M
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yUNFhroM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.parismuseumpass.com%252Fdatas%252Fmusees%252Fp%2
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6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=297&v=ANWz9a09KAg
Pantheon

7. The Parthenon was built between 447 and 438 BC by Iktinos and Kallikrates as
a temple to Athens’ patron goddess, Athena.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=264&v=9wO0VglnxK4
Greek Classic the
Parthenon

8. • The Parthenon has been subscribed in the
golden rectangle, because it gives a
pleasant vision to whom looks at it, it is a
sort of divine ownership.
• The golden ratio is a characteristic that you
can find in a lot of circles (from the zoology,
to the botany, to the art…)

9. THE PARTHENON CAN BE INSERTED IN A GOLDEN RECTANGLE BECAUSE THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN ITS BASE AND THE HEIGHT IS 1,618: THE GOLDEN NUMBER. THIS RELATIONSHIP IS
ALSO VISIBLE IN OTHER ELEMENTS AND DECORATIONS OF THE PEDIMENT.

11. *If from it we remove a square of side of it equal to the height, the remaining part
it is still a golden rectangle.
http://goldenratio.wikidot.com/greek-and-roman-art

12. SCULPTURE
In some Greek sculptures the navel (belly
button) represents the mean of the golden
ratio:
The navel is positioned such that the ratio
of the short half to the long half is equal to
the ratio of the long half to the whole.
Aphrodite of Cnidos by Prassitele
From feet to head= 1,606 (in this photo)
From feet to navel= 1
From feet to head= 1,618
http://goldenratio.wikidot.com/greek-and-roman-art

15. The width of height ratio of 9:4 governs the vertical and horizontal
proportions of the temple as other relationships of the building, for
example the spacing between the columns.

16. Greek Columns

17. Doric columns are the simplest. They have a capital
(the top, or crown) made of a circle topped by a
square. The shaft (the tall part of the column) is
plain and has 20 sides.

18. Ionic shafts were taller than Doric ones. This makes the columns look
slender. They also had flutes, which are lines carved into them from top
to bottom.

19. Entasis is the application of a convex
curve to a surface for aesthetic
purposes. Its best-known use is in
certain orders of Classical columns
that curve slightly as their diameter is
decreased from the bottom upwards.
en·ta·sis
ˈen(t)əsəs/
Noun ARCHITECTURE
a slight convex curve in the shaft of a column, introduced to correct the
visual illusion of concavity produced by a straight shaft.http://www.cmhpf.org/kids/dictionary/classicalorders.html

20. References:
http://www.cmhpf.org/kids/dictionary/classicalorders.html
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Image:Pantheon-dome.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=264&v=9wO0VglnxK4
http://goldenratio.wikidot.com/greek-and-roman-art
Musser, G. L., Burger, W. F., & Peterson, B. E.
(2005). Mathematics for Elementary Teachers: A Contemporary
Approach United States: John Wiley & Sons.