Describe the political, economic, and cultural importance of the rebuilding of the Akropolis, and discuss the ways in which the Parthenon in particular represented the ideals of Classical beauty

Question

Please provide the best answer for the statement.

Answer 1

1. Perikles determined that the Akropolis should be rebuilt as an expression of the greatness of Athens, as a tribute to Athena, and as a memorial of the recently concluded war with the Persians. Not incidentally, it served as a tremendous public works program, employing scores of craftsmen and builders.
2. The Parthenon was the centerpiece of the Akropolis and was famed for its architectural perfection and for the magnificence of its decorative sculptures, including the massive statue of Athena Parthenos. The clarity of its parts, the harmony among them, and its overall sense of proportion and balance represented the epitome of Classical architecture. The ratio controlling the Parthenon’s design can be expressed in the algebraic formula x = 2y + 1. The temple’s columns, for instance, reflect this formula: there are 8 columns on the short ends and 17 on the sides, because 17 = (2 x 8) + 1. At the same time, there are no true verticals or horizontals in the building, in part to foster the impression of perfect regularity from a distance, as in the entasis of its columns, but also to lend its apparently rigid geometry a sense of liveliness and animation.