Lincoln Memorial

Discussion Questions

1. Why were Egyptian obelisks often found in pairs?

2. What do we know about the pyramid-tombs of the ancient Egyptians? How do you think that this would fit into our republican tradition?

3. When, why, and how was the Athenian Parthenon built?

4. What similarities between Athena and Abraham Lincoln would there be to suggest why this Greek temple would be appropriate to commemorate our sixteenth president?

5. In ancient Rome, what was a curule chair, and what powers did it bestow? What did fasces represent, and how were they appropriate to Abraham Lincoln’s term of office?

6. Explain the differences between Ionic and Doric columns.

7. Find representations of palmettes, oak and laurel wreaths, and urns on tripods in classical art.

8. What role did an urn on a tripod play in the decipherment of Greek Linear B?