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My character is the son of the tyrant Peisistratus known as Hippias, who contributed to ensuring preeminence in Greece. Hippias was born in 547 BC as one of the sons of Peisistratus and died in 490BC. Nevertheless, he took over power after the death of his father. He came from a well-known background as his father had a governing position in Athens. Hippias came from a family of a higher status. He was also regarded as the tyrant of Athens from the year 528BC to 510 BC.
In addition, Hippias played a vital role during the Panathenaic festival as he was considered the patron of poets and even artisans. During his tenure, Athens prospered; however, things changed after the assassination of Hipparchus, who was his brother. He also played a significant role in ensuring that the temple of Athena Polias was well renovated and maintained and most vitally ensuring that it was dedicated to the god Dionysus in the south.
Parthenon is a temple that dominates more significant parts of the hill in Acropolis at Athens. The temple is the culmination of the development of the Doric order, one of the most straightforward classical Greek architectural orders. The architectural work in Parthenon began in the year 447BC through the leadership and architects Callicrates and Ictinus with the aid of the supervision of the Sculptor Phidias (Thompson 309).
The architectural work was completed by the year 448, and in the same season, there was a dedication of gold and ivory statues in Athens. However, the exterior works and decoration continued up to the year 432BC. Over the recent years, the rectangular section of the white Marble Parthenon has incurred severe damages, including the loss and fading away of sculpture, but the primary structure has remained intact.
Athens’s most significant and crucial festivals were the Panathenaic Festival (the all-Athenian festival). The celebration was one of the grandest forms of the party in the entire Greek world. All the inhabitants were invited to take part in the festivities apart from the slaves. Moreover, this celebration and festival allowed women to get out of the house and participate actively in the public function. Typically, the fiesta was crucial mainly because it was believed to observe the Panathenaic Festival. However, it was also to honor the goddess as the city’s patron divinity, and it was initially celebrated annually.
The festival entailed several activities, including the athletics competition that contained foot races, boxing, pankration, and even wrestling. Boat racing was not typical during these activities, but it found its way in because of the strong Athena connection towards boat building. Events such as dancing, physical fitness, relay races, and boat races were restricted to the Athenian citizens (Gvozdeva 413). The celebration also provided a platform for individuals from both Athens and noncitizens to participate actively in the music contests category, rhapsodic contest, and eventually the procession.
There were also Panathenaic amphorae which were the essential components of amphorae. These significant ceramic elements contained the olive oil presented to the winners during the Panathenaic Games. The amphorae also contained a clear and distinctive form of tight handles, tiny feet, and neck (von Bothmer 53). It was also decorated with more consistent symbols, and they were in a standard form as they were decorated using the black figure method. The majority of the Panathenaic amphorae portrayed Athena Promachos, the goddess of war, resulting in the advancements between columns that brandished wearing of the aegis and the spear.
The procession was customarily done before dawn at the Northern section of the city near the Dipylon gate. It is the most significant event in ancient Greece as it marked the climax or the end of the Panathenaic Festival and was purposely held to idolize the goddess Athena. The procession scenes were demonstrated through an almost 158m long Parthenon Freeze in the Acropolis Museum (Gvozdeva 414). It is also clear that there were two grand ceremonies to celebrate Athena’s birthday annually, and the Great Panathenaic Celebration was conducted after every four years. The festival began with thorough dancing, athletics, then drum and musical contests.
On the festival’s final day, the procession could begin from Kerameikos, and it was led by a group of men carrying sacrificed animals. Then later, they were joined by the maidens carrying the “rhytons,” and the musicians were playing a fanfare for the majority of the girls of noble birth who played a vital role in holding the “sacred peplos aloft.” The parade followed the Panathenaic way, and in the grand finale ‘the peplos” was placed on the statue of Athena Polias in the Erechtheion.
In conclusion, this festival was primarily created to celebrate, honor and respect the goddess Athena who was perceived as the patron of the Athenian people. The festival was also responsible for bringing and embracing unity among the Athenians. The festival also gave women and children an opportunity to participate in this ceremony. However, they had to initially seek permission from their fathers and husbands before doing anything else or leaving home. In Ancient Greece, the men were free to do what they wanted, including hunting, recreational activities, and horse riding. At the same time, their female counterparts were not allowed to do so or engage in such activities.
Works Cited
Gvozdeva, Tatiana Borisovna. “Great Panathenaia in Greek drama.” RUDN Journal of World History, vol. 10, no. 4, 2018, pp. 403-414.
Thompson, H. A. “The Panathenaic Festival. Mit 4 Abbildungen.” 1961. De Gruyter, 2020, pp. 308-312.
von Bothmer, Dietrich. “A Panathenaic Amphora.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, vol. 12, no. 2, 1953, pp. 52-56.
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