GREEK ARCHITECTURE

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GREEK ARCHITECTURE
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Architecture in ancient GreeceGreek life was
dominated by religion and so it is not surprising
that the temples of ancient Greece were the
biggest and most beautiful. They also had a
political purpose as they were often built to
celebrate civic power and pride, or offer
thanksgiving to the patron deity of a city for
success in war.
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Architectural MaterialsMud-brick, stone, and
wood were used for temples in the seventh century
B.C., regular buildings for the sixth century,
and houses in the fifth. Marble and limestone
were used from the end of the seventh century and
used more and more through the fifth. Roofing in
the sixth century was a new material called terra
cotta, which was baked tile, which was also used
as an ornamental material for peaks and gables.
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ColumnsIn ancient Greece three types of columns
can be found Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. All
three types of columns have three separate parts
to their structure (base, shaft, and capital)
with the exception of Doric which has no base.
The base is all one piece as well as the capital.
The shaft is composed of several pieces which fit
together in a tongue-and-groove type of securing.
Columns were constructed in a raw fashion first
before the final product was produced
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Doric
Ionic
Corinthian
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DoricThe Doric style is rather sturdy and its
top (the capital), is plain. This style was used
in mainland Greece and the colonies in southern
Italy and Sicily.
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IonicThe Ionic style is thinner and more
elegant. Its capital is decorated with a
scroll-like design (a volute). This style was
found in eastern Greece and the islands.
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CorinthianThe Corinthian style is seldom used in
the Greek world, but often seen on Roman temples.
Its capital is very elaborate and decorated with
acanthus leaves.
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TemplesGreek temples were not very big. To
support the roofs, columns were used. Roofs were
constructed of timber members boarded and covered
with Terra-cotter on marble tiles. The entrance
doors were tall. They were about two-thirds the
height of the lofty naos. When the doors were
opened they would let enough light in to
illuminate the statue in the naos. Windows were
rare in the temple buildings. At one time it was
thought that quite a few temples must have been
"hypaethral" meaning partially open to the sky.
Rectangular temples are described according to
the number of columns on the entrance front and
by the arrangement of the exterior columns of the
temple in relation to the naos.
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Types of columns Henostyle One column
Distyle Two columns Tristyle Three
columns Tetrastyle Four columns
Pentastyle Five columns Hexastyle Six
columns Hepastyle Seven columns
Octastyle Eight columns Decastyle Ten
columns
What type of temple is this?
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The vertical columns were used to support the
beams called architraves. In order to form the
ceiling, other beams were laid across the
building with their ends on these architraves
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I hope this has been informative! If you would
like to visit the Agora please click here.
This is the plan for the Acropolis in Athens.
Please see handouts for more information!