Anaximander and the Architects

Robert Hahn

Description

Anaximander and the Architects opens a previously unexplored avenue into Presocratic philosophy—the technology of monumental architecture. The evidence, coming directly from sixth century B.C.E. building sites and bypassing Aristotle, shows how the architects and their projects supplied their Ionian communities with a sprouting vision of natural order governed by structural laws. Their technological innovations and design techniques formed the core of an experimental science and promoted a rational, not mythopoetical, discourse central to our understanding of the context in which early Greek philosophy emerged. Anaximander's prose book and his rationalizing mentality are illuminated in surprising ways by appeal to the ongoing, extraordinary projects of the archaic architects and their practical techniques.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

1. ANAXIMANDER AND THE ORIGINS OF GREEK PHILOSOPHY

The Problem and the Three Tiers of Explanation
The Conventional View and Its Discontents
The New Contributing Thesis:Technology as Politics

2. THE IONIAN PHILOSOPHERS AND ARCHITECTS

Fixing Anaximander's Date:The First Philosophical Book in Prose
Archaic Prose Writing: Pherecydes' Cosmogony and Legal Inscriptions
Prose in Archaic Architectural Treatises and the Community of Thales and Anaximander, Theodorus and Rhoikos, Chersiphron and Metagenes
The New Connection:The Contribution of the Egyptian Architects to the Ionian Greek Architects of the Archaic Period
An Overview of Monumental Temple Projects in Archaic Ionia
The Meaning of the Temple: Design Choices

3. THE TECHNIQUES OF THE ANCIENT ARCHITECTS

The Evidence for Imagining in Plan or Aerial View
The Evidence for Models
The Theory of Proportions
The Techniques of Anathyrosis and Empolion

4. ANAXIMANDER'S TECHNIQUES

Architect, Philosopher, and the New Vision Supplied by the Application of Geometrical Techniques
Homer's World Picture
Hesiod's World Picture
Anaximander's World Picture:The Plan or Aerial View
Anaximander's World Picture:Three-dimensional Views—The Side, Elevation, Oblique, and Axonometric Views

5. TECHNOLOGY AS POLITICS: THE ORIGINS OF GREEK PHILOSOPHY IN ITS SOCIOPOLITICAL CONTEXT

Re-Framing the New Narrative Account
The Aristocratic Patrons of Archaic Temples
Technology as Politics: The "Argument" for the Appropriation of Civic Authority

NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

Sujets

• Philosophie
• Philosophie antique
• Ancient philosophy
• History of science
• History of architecture

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791491546
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 7 Mo

Extrait

Anaximander and the Architects

Mediterranean, indicating multicolumned temple sites in Egypt and Ionian Greece as of sixth century BCE

GREECE

Athens

Samos

Ephesus Didyma

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

EGYPT

Giza Saqqara Memphis

Abu Simbel

Thebes

SUNY SERIES IN

Cairo

Edfu

TURKEY

Karnak

Luxor

Nile River

= = M M ul u t l i t - i c c o o l l u u m m n n e e d d b B u u il il d d in in g g s

ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHY

Anthony Preus, editor

✦

NAXIMANDER ND THE RCHITECTS

R O B E R T HAH N

The Contributions of Egyptian and Greek Architectural Technologies to the Origins of Greek Philosophy

S TAT E U N I V E R S IT Y O F N E W YO R K P R E S S

Published by S TATE U NIVERSITY OF N EW Y ORK P RESS , A LBANY

© 2001 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address State University of New York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207

Production and book design, Laurie Searl Marketing, Patrick Durocher

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

Hahn, Robert, 1952– Anaximander and the architects : the contributions of Egyptian and Greek architectural technologies to the origins of Greek philosophy / Robert Hahn. p. cm. — (SUNY series in ancient Greek philosophy) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7914-4793-6 (alk. paper) — ISBN 0-7914-4794-4 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Anaximander. 2. Architecture, Ancient—Egypt—Influence. 3. Architecture, Ancient—Greece—Influence. I.Title. II. Series.

B208.Z7 H34 2001 182—dc21

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

00-036567

For Amy

Page vi blank.

Contents

L IST OF I LLUSTRATIONS

P REFACE

xvii

I NTRODUCTION

1

xi

Chapter 1 A NAXIMANDER AND THE O RIGINS OF G REEK P HILOSOPHY 15

The Problem and the Three Tiers of Explanation 15

The Conventional View and Its Discontents 21

The New Contributing Thesis: Technology as Politics 39

Chapter 2 T HE I ONIAN P HILOSOPHERS AND A RCHITECTS 47

Fixing Anaximander’s Date:The First Philosophical Book in Prose 47

Archaic Prose Writing: Pherecydes’ Cosmogony and Legal Inscriptions 50

viii

Anaximander and the Architects

Prose in Archaic Architectural Treatises and the Community of Thales and Anaximander, Theodorus and Rhoikos, Chersiphron and Metagenes 55

The New Connection: The Contribution of the Egyptian Architects to the Ionian Greek Architects of the Archaic Period 66

An Overview of Monumental Temple Projects in Archaic Ionia 69

The Meaning of the Temple: Design Choices 86

Chapter 3 T HE T ECHNIQUES OF THE A NCIENT A RCHITECTS 97

The Evidence for Imagining in Plan or Aerial View 97 The Evidence for Models 120

The Theory of Proportions 137 The Techniques ofAnathyro\sisandEmpolion

Chapter 4 A NAXIMANDER ’ S T ECHNIQUES 163

149

Architect, Philosopher, and the New Vision Supplied by the Application of Geometrical Techniques 163

Homer’s World Picture 169

Hesiod’s World Picture 172

Anaximander’s World Picture: The Plan or Aerial View 177

Anaximander’s World Picture: Three-dimensional Views—The Side, Elevation, Oblique, and Axonometric Views 200

Chapter 5 T ECHNOLOGY AS P OLITICS : T HE O RIGINS OF G REEK P HILOSOPHY IN I TS S OCIOPOLITICAL C ONTEXT 219

Re-Framing the New Narrative Account 219

The Aristocratic Patrons of Archaic Temples 223

Technology as Politics: The “Argument” for the Appropriation of Civic Authority 226

N OTES

241

B IBLIOGRAPHY

I NDEX

315

295

ix

Contents