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In- Depth Video Responses

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Doryphoros

The Canon of Polykleitos is written by Polykleitos that guided other people on making

sculps of ideal male bodies proportionally. Contrapposto is a term used to mean standing against

each other. In this case, opposing limbs are relaxed or contracted. Contrapposto impacts the

representation of the human body in the sculpture since it shows the mathematical relationship

between different parts of the body, creating balance. Greek sculptures like Doryphoros are made

nude to show the perfection of the human form. It was made to create an idea that a human

sculpture can be made based on mathematical presentations. The society puts human potential at

the center. Nudity in ancient Greek was a show of moral excellence, triumph, and glory,

especially for athletes. The athletic-looking nudes portrayed the heroes and gods of the Greek

religion. The stature of the human representations was made to look like real-life human beings.

Augustus of Primaporta

Augustus has been powerfully portrayed. First, Augustus stands in a Contrapposto

position, wearing military regalia and his right arm outstretched, which shows his power as the

military army leader. Secondly, Augustus has been portrayed as a youthful and flawless

individual who connects him to the golden era of athletic heroism. Additionally, Augustus' right

leg is a cupid figure riding a dolphin which is a powerful representation of his conquest that

made him the sole ruler of the empire. Moreover, his breastplate is covered with figures that talk

propaganda stories, indicating that the gods are on his side, which makes him an international

military victor. The purpose of the portrait was to show Augustus' great connection to his past as

a military victor, his connection to the gods. He commissioned it to express his achievement of

bringing peace for 100 years. The similarity between Augustus and Doryphoros is that both have

a similar Contrapposto stance, and both are idealized. They two differ in that Doryphoros
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symbolizes a perfect male body while Augustus symbolizes protection against enemies.

Doryphoros is a symbol of a perfect man, while Augustus is a symbol of a perfect ruler.

The Parthenon

Mathematics was a very integral part of the Parthenon since it was built using symmetry

and proportions to make it unique. They viewed mathematics as a means to comprehend the

divine and be outstanding. Optical refinements made are perfectly made straight lines or right

angles in the Parthenon. The eight columns are perceived as perfect regular arrays, but optical

refinement has been applied through subtle distortion. There is also a slight shift of the column

shafts from the vertical to make it perfectly regular. The subject of the east pediment is the

miraculous birth of goddess Athena from her father's head, god Zeus. At the same time, the west

frieze shows a procession of horse riders, musicians with their sacrificial animals. The Athenians

would enter Acropolis from the west and pass through the south and north towards the entrance

on east Panathenaic procession was a part of festivals in the classical Athens where the Athenian

community matched from Dipylon gate to the Acropolis, which was a reflection of their culture.

The Greeks viewed themselves as strong and able to get outstanding achievements, especially in

athletics, and able to control nature and remain religiously dedicated to gods and goddesses.

The Pantheon, Rome

The Pantheon was built using special architectural features. It has a massive domed

ceiling which stood out to be the biggest. The dome was built from a mixture of concrete,

volcanic tuff, and pumice stone. It also has a central opening (oculus) to the sky at the Centre of

the dome. The Pantheon also has coffered ceilings/lacuna, which was created to minimize stone

ceilings' weight. Spiritually, the Pantheon symbolizes a house of all the gods that existed and
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were worshiped by the ancient Romans. The oculus is also symbolic in that it represents the

presence of God that reaches men without the intervention of religious leaders. The geometrical

representation was vital to enable the architects to build the Pantheon with the specific features

put in place perfectly. The Parthenon and the Pantheon are similar in that they were both built for

the same purpose; to honor gods. However, the Parthenon is a Doric temple with ionic columns

for support. Its floor is rectangular and made of marble, and the base made of limestone. The

Pantheon, on the other hand, is circular with portico-supported granite Corinthian columns. It is

made of brick, concrete, marble, and granite