The supreme achievement of Greek architecture was the temple. In imperial Rome, or in any typical city of the Roman Empire, the most extensive and imposing buildings were secular, or nonreligious. Those included the basilicas, baths, amphitheaters, porticoes, and aqueducts. In Athens, on the other hand, or in any typical Greek city, there was little or nothing to compete with the temples and the sacred places associated with them. Public secular buildings, of course, there were. However, the little we know of them does not suggest that they often ranked among the architectural glories of the country. Private houses were in the best period of small pretensions. It was to the temple and its adjunct buildings that the architectural genius and the material resources of Greece were devoted. It is the temple, then, which we have above all to study.
Before beginning, however, to analyze the artistic features of the temple, it will be useful to consider the building materials which a Greek architect had at his disposal and his methods of putting them together. Greece is richly provided with good building stone. At many points there are inexhaustible stores of white marble. The island of Paros, one of the Cyclades, and Mount Pentelicus in Attica are simply masses of white marble, suitable as well for the builder as the sculptor. There are besides various beautiful colored marbles, but it was left to the Romans to bring these into use. Then there are many commoner sorts of stone ready to the builder's hand, especially the rather soft, brown limestones which the Greeks called by the general name of poros. This material was not rejected, even for important buildings. Thus the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, one of the two most important religious centers in the Greek world, was built of local poros. The same was the case with the numerous temples of Acragas (Girgenti) and Selinus in Sicily. An even meaner material, sun-dried brick, was sometimes, perhaps often, employed for cella walls. Where poros or crude brick was used, it was coated over with a very fine, hard stucco, which gave a surface like that of marble.
It is remarkable that no use was made in Greece of baked bricks before the period of Roman domination. Roof-tiles of terra-cotta were in use from an early period, and Greek travelers to Babylonia brought back word of the use of baked bricks in that country. Nevertheless Greek builders showed no signs of wanting to adopt baked bricks for their masonry.
Many subtle curves and sloping lines demonstrate the extraordinary nicety of Greek workmanship. A column of the Parthenon, with its inclination and its fluting, could not have been constructed without the most conscientious skill. In fact, the capabilities of the workmen kept pace with the demands of the architects. No matter how delicate the adjustment to be made, the task was perfectly achieved. And when it came to the execution of ornamental details, these were done with a free hand and with fine artistic feeling. The wall-band of the Erechtheum is one of the most exquisite things which Greece has left us.
Simplicity in general form, harmony of proportion, refinement of line-these are the great features of Greek columnar architecture.
One other type of Greek building, into which the column does not enter, remains to be mentioned-the theater. Theaters abounded in Greece. Every considerable city had at least one, and the ruins of these structures rank with temples and walls of fortification among the commonest classes of ruins in Greek lands. But in a sketch of Greek art they may be rapidly dismissed. That part of the theater which was occupied by spectators-the auditorium-was commonly built into a natural slope. There was no roof. The building, therefore, had no exterior, or none to speak of. Such beauty as it possessed was due mainly to its proportions. There was opportunity for elegance as well as convenience in the form given to the stone or marble seats with which the auditorium was provided.

This passage is from page 77 of A History of Greek Art by F. B. Tarbell.

Read the following sentence from the passage.

It was to the temple and its adjunct buildings that the architectural genius and the material resources of Greece were devoted.

Which two sentences correctly paraphrase the sentence?

A.
Resources in Greece were most often used to build temples and their supporting structures (Tarbell 77).
B.
The architectural genius and the material resources of Greece were devoted to the temple and its adjunct buildings (Tarbell 77).
C.
Greece mainly took advantage of its most talented architects and other assets to focus on building temples and their surrounding buildings (Tarbell 77).
D.
It was to build the temple and its adjunct buildings that the architectural genius and material resources were devoted (Tarbell 77).
E.
The material resources of Greece were devoted to the temple and the surrounding buildings (Tarbell 77).

Question

leonard1452 leonard1452

23-12-2022
English

Answered

The supreme achievement of Greek architecture was the temple. In imperial Rome, or in any typical city of the Roman Empire, the most extensive and imposing buildings were secular, or nonreligious. Those included the basilicas, baths, amphitheaters, porticoes, and aqueducts. In Athens, on the other hand, or in any typical Greek city, there was little or nothing to compete with the temples and the sacred places associated with them. Public secular buildings, of course, there were. However, the little we know of them does not suggest that they often ranked among the architectural glories of the country. Private houses were in the best period of small pretensions. It was to the temple and its adjunct buildings that the architectural genius and the material resources of Greece were devoted. It is the temple, then, which we have above all to study.
Before beginning, however, to analyze the artistic features of the temple, it will be useful to consider the building materials which a Greek architect had at his disposal and his methods of putting them together. Greece is richly provided with good building stone. At many points there are inexhaustible stores of white marble. The island of Paros, one of the Cyclades, and Mount Pentelicus in Attica are simply masses of white marble, suitable as well for the builder as the sculptor. There are besides various beautiful colored marbles, but it was left to the Romans to bring these into use. Then there are many commoner sorts of stone ready to the builder's hand, especially the rather soft, brown limestones which the Greeks called by the general name of poros. This material was not rejected, even for important buildings. Thus the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, one of the two most important religious centers in the Greek world, was built of local poros. The same was the case with the numerous temples of Acragas (Girgenti) and Selinus in Sicily. An even meaner material, sun-dried brick, was sometimes, perhaps often, employed for cella walls. Where poros or crude brick was used, it was coated over with a very fine, hard stucco, which gave a surface like that of marble.
It is remarkable that no use was made in Greece of baked bricks before the period of Roman domination. Roof-tiles of terra-cotta were in use from an early period, and Greek travelers to Babylonia brought back word of the use of baked bricks in that country. Nevertheless Greek builders showed no signs of wanting to adopt baked bricks for their masonry.
Many subtle curves and sloping lines demonstrate the extraordinary nicety of Greek workmanship. A column of the Parthenon, with its inclination and its fluting, could not have been constructed without the most conscientious skill. In fact, the capabilities of the workmen kept pace with the demands of the architects. No matter how delicate the adjustment to be made, the task was perfectly achieved. And when it came to the execution of ornamental details, these were done with a free hand and with fine artistic feeling. The wall-band of the Erechtheum is one of the most exquisite things which Greece has left us.
Simplicity in general form, harmony of proportion, refinement of line-these are the great features of Greek columnar architecture.
One other type of Greek building, into which the column does not enter, remains to be mentioned-the theater. Theaters abounded in Greece. Every considerable city had at least one, and the ruins of these structures rank with temples and walls of fortification among the commonest classes of ruins in Greek lands. But in a sketch of Greek art they may be rapidly dismissed. That part of the theater which was occupied by spectators-the auditorium-was commonly built into a natural slope. There was no roof. The building, therefore, had no exterior, or none to speak of. Such beauty as it possessed was due mainly to its proportions. There was opportunity for elegance as well as convenience in the form given to the stone or marble seats with which the auditorium was provided.

This passage is from page 77 of A History of Greek Art by F. B. Tarbell.

Read the following sentence from the passage.

It was to the temple and its adjunct buildings that the architectural genius and the material resources of Greece were devoted.

Which two sentences correctly paraphrase the sentence?

A.
Resources in Greece were most often used to build temples and their supporting structures (Tarbell 77).
B.
The architectural genius and the material resources of Greece were devoted to the temple and its adjunct buildings (Tarbell 77).
C.
Greece mainly took advantage of its most talented architects and other assets to focus on building temples and their surrounding buildings (Tarbell 77).
D.
It was to build the temple and its adjunct buildings that the architectural genius and material resources were devoted (Tarbell 77).
E.
The material resources of Greece were devoted to the temple and the surrounding buildings (Tarbell 77).

Answer :

Other Questions