Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Nereid Monument
Greek temples (like this reconstruction of a temple-shaped tomb from Xanthos, c. 390-380
B.C.
) housed a statue of a god or goddess. Unlike Christian churches, which serve as meet-
ing places, Greek temples were the gods' homes. Worshippers gathered outside, so the
most impressive part of the temple was its exterior. Temples were rectangular buildings
surrounded by rows of columns and topped by slanted roofs.
The triangle-shaped space above the columns—the pediment—is filled with sculp-
ture. Supporting the pediment are decorative relief panels, called metopes. Now look
through the columns to the building itself. Above the doorway, another set of relief pan-
els—the frieze—runs around the building (under the eaves).
The statues between the columns (and three more facing the monument) are
Nereids—friendly sea nymphs with dramatic wave-like poses and wind-blown clothes;
some appear to be borne aloft by sea animals. Notice the sculptor's delight in capturing
the body in motion, and the way the wet clothes cling to the figures' anatomy.
Next, we'll see pediment, frieze, and metope decorations from Greece's greatest
temple.
