Art History: Compare and Contrast Temple of Ramses II and Parthenon

The temple of Ramses II and Parthenon are two well known architectural structures in the
art history of Egypt and Greek respectively. The great temple of Ramses II is a rock-cut situated
within the ancient Ybsambul or Wawat, in Nubia adjacent to the Sudan border, which is
approximately three hundred kilometers from Swan. Initially, the great temple was carved out
from the mountain rocks right on the west bank of the river Nile in between 1274 BC and 1244
BC, identified as of Abu Simbel complex. It was dedicated to the defined Ramses II as Ptah,
Amun, and Horakhty, though Ptah was kept in darkness because it was an underworld-associated
god.1 The temple of Ramses II is artistically designed with four large statues of Pharaoh of the
New Kingdom dynasty of ancient Egypt on the front.3Parthenon temple is the dominating
architectural structure on the Acropolis hill, in Athens. The temple was named Acropolis after
the hill. The temple was initially constructed in the mid of 5th century 490BCE after which it was
dedicated to Athena Parthenos, the then Greek goddess.2 As a great architecture in the art history
and most visited archeological divine site in Greece, the temple of Parthenon is regarded as a
symbol of the culmination of the Doric order development, which is the simplest in form of the
three main classical order of the Greek architecture.4 In other words, being architectures built and
archived in a common ancient period in the art history, the temple of Ramses II and Parthenon
have certain similarities as well as differences in terms of artistic and sculpture makings in the
features. Therefore, this paper compares and contrasts the temples of Ramses II and Parthenon
by identifying and analyzing both the artistic differences and similarities between them ever
observed in the art history.
Comparison
To compare, both of the temples of Ramses II and Parthenon are probably some of the
most famous in the ancient complexes of Egyptian and Greece religions. Both temples of
Ramses II and Parthenon were constructed at the onset of civilizations, which started at around
the same times. For instance, the construction of temple of Ramses II begun very early in the rein
of Ramses II, that is, by around 1264 BC.5 The temples were similar in the sense that they are all
characterized by the representation of socio-religious stratification as they all bear the sculptures
of the high most figures in the religious and social history of Egypt and Greece. For example, the
temple of Ramses II does not only strategically portrays the large vertical statues of the most
important gods of the New Kingdom dynasty, e.g. Re-Harakhte (Heliopolis, the sun god), Amun-
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Re (the mighty god of Thebes), Ptah (Memphis, the creator god), and Pharaoh Ramses II but is
dedicated to them as well1. Similarly, the temple of Parthenon was wholly dedicated to the great
famous Greek goddess, Athena and subsequently named after the cult of the Athena Parthenos.
Athena is regarded as the city's patron.6
Additionally, even though the two temples bear different structural appearances but they
are both designed with artistic impressions for worship, praying, immolation et cetera. This
similarity suggests that religion is the architectural design basis and anchor for both of the two
temples and that Egypt and Greece have common, close, and same religious aspects and cultures.
Another interesting similarity is that both temples are designed in such a way that they try to
conform, in their special artistic structures, to the religious practices and beliefs, and in harmony
to the nature. The construction of both temples has been based on a strict geography and
mathematical rules. Mathematics is technically applied to achieve symmetrical design for the
temples of Ramses II and Parthenon. Notably, the numbers phi and pi are greatly integrated into
the design and building of both temples, which are believed to emulate the earth’s spherical
nature. However, the Greece mostly copied from Egypt the mathematical and geographical
pattern used in the design and construction of the temple of Parthenon.
To add to the similarities, various religious undertones were apparently captured in both
temples of Ramses II and Parthenon to a common orientation towards certain stars.2 For instance,
the temple of Ramses II bore great religious significance for the Egyptians as it is composed of
various pylons, courts, carvings, and large statues of great people in the kingdom. Similarly, for
the Greece, Parthenon, known as Acropolis, played the same significance since Parthenon
sculpture is considered as the pinnacle of the sculptural development for the ancient Greece.3
Moreover, both of the temples represent the most marvelous and gigantic artistic complex ever
erected in the art history of Egypt and Greece. Overall, one common aspect of the temples of
Ramses II and Parthenon is that they are both extremely lavish and large pieces of ancient
architecture that were designed to portray the grandeur of the mighty Pharaoh and Athena
respectively. Both temples are designed with special internal apartments, known as the inner
courts, believed to be the actual daily dwelling places for the gods and goddess.
Contrasting
In contrast, just like other Egyptian arts, the temple of Ramses II followed very strict law
such that sculpture figures and carvings used for the design were extremely large with
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expressionless plump lines and heads of gods or goddess statues. By that, there were no elements
of emotional expression in their faces, and symmetry was the major area of focus in the design of
Ramses II temple and its sculpture as well as other structures housed within. Emotional
expression symbolized the celebration of the victory achieved by Ramses II against the Hittites
in the Kadesh battle in the 1274 BC.1 On the other hand, the design and construction of the
temple of Parthenon had some elements of reality in the makings. Unlike the Ramses II temple,
the architecture of the entire temple and its component arts were quite natural. The housed
statues, e.g. that of goddess Athena, clearly explored proper human anatomy capturing each and
every organ, muscles, and expression. Moreover, the functionality of each apartment of the
temple, as well as the emotional expressions, was well written on the temple walls and faces of
the statues, carving et cetera. However, the large statues, vertical pylons, and carving within the
Parthenon temple were not designed based on any symmetry order.
In addition, while Ramses II temple was designed on the basis of Egyptian innovation of
pi and phi mathematical expressions emulating spherical characteristics of the earth, Parthenon
temple was designed on the basis of Pythagoras theorem with a Doric peripteral formation. This
structure implies that the temple is comprised of a rectangular floor with a series of lowered steps
in each and every side with a colonnade of approximately 8 by 7 of the Doric column stretching
all around the periphery of the temple with the base arc of about 70 meters.4 In fact, every
entrance to the temple is supported by an additional six columns in the front.
Additionally, whereas nudity has only been applied to the servants and children's statues
engraved and carved in walls of the temple of Ramses II, female and male adult nudity is
dominant or common in statues engraved in Parthenon architecture. The young male people
captured in the statues as naked without any covering garments on their bodies. Moreover, while
the artistic sculptures such as statues and carvings engraved within the Ramses II temple are
fixed and static in appearances, the sculptures used in the temple of Parthenon architecture
portrays some elements of movement and action going on. Another important difference, the
architecture of the temple of Ramses II is constructed using more of ornamental bronze and
stones6 whereas, for the Parthenon temple architecture, less durable limestone and marbles are
greatly used.
Lastly, the temple of Ramses II is designed and constructed with a complex layout plan
such that chambers, halls, courts and the sanctuary placed within the temple, whereas, Parthenon
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temple had a very simple layout plan with only a single cella e.g. Naos. Cella was comprised of
two separate rooms.6 Such simple design was attributed to the fact that Egypt was endowed with
an expert community of workers and craftsmen.3 The temple of Ramses II had a simple flat roof
with columns and pylons closely packed to offer support to the roof, however, for the Parthenon
temple, it is a terracotta roof with pitched wooden rafters and beams. Fire is regarded as the only
constant hazard that would destroy the temple such as the Venetian explosion that eventually
collapsed Parthenon.6 Moreover, the Ramses II temple has an external wall resembling a fortress
and isolates the entire temple from the surrounding that symbolically represents the evil and
chaotic forces. On the other hand, the temple of Parthenon is designed and positioned for any
maximum impact possible within the context of setting landscape to accommodate valuable
items e.g. Parthenon frieze.2 The outer scene of the temple walls, as well as the outer courtyard
walls, indicate the war of the light forces, represented by king Pharaoh, and subduing the
darkness forces, which is represented by foreign enemies. In addition, the scenes in the hypostyle
and sanctuary walls indicate sacred offerings to the goddess and gods. Contrarily, for the temple
of Parthenon, all sculptures and other structural elements were painted or decorated after the pre-
defined Doric and Ionic orders and no random paintings or decorations portraying the
accomplishments of goddess, gods, kings or queens.6 Finally, the temple of Ramses II was
designed with lowered roofing and raised flooring relatively higher in the inside of the temple,
with sanctuary situated at the highest level of the temple ground and the lowest roofing point. On
the other side, Parthenon temple was raised over designated platforms referred to as stylobate,
without internal stairs.6
Conclusion
To summarize it all, it is succinctly clear that the temple of Ramses II and Parthenon have
quite a number of similarities and differences in art history of Egypt and Greece respectively.
Their design and construction have both tried to conform to their religious and social
architectural standard requirements. Moreover, both temples had tried paying much attention to
attaining harmony in worship practices, and religious beliefs amongst the believers or society.
The conventional sculptural design is that of large vertical statues, and carvings symbolizing
various beliefs of the respective religions. Notably, a lot of differences have largely existed in the
landscaping, decoration, sectioning, façade, roofing, and the general layout plan of the temples.
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Bibliography
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https://www.ancient.eu/parthenon/