Greek Architecture And Architecture In Ancient Greek Temples

684 Words2 Pages

Greek life was dominated by religion and so it is not unpredictable that the temples of ancient Greece were substantial and attractive . The structures also had a political purpose as they were often built to celebrate civic power and pride, or offer thanksgiving to the contributor of a city for success in war. The Greeks developed three architectural systems, called orders, which each had their own distinctive proportions. The Greek orders are: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Doric: The 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. Ionic The 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. Corinthian The 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.Parthenon - A temple of Athena Parthenos ("Virgin"), The Greek goddess of wisdom, on the Acropolis in Athens. The Parthenon was built in the 5th century BC, and regardless of the enormous damage it has sustained over the centuries, it still conveys the ideals of order and harmony for which Greek architecture is known.The Greeks built a Temple of Apollo at Didyma, in Turkey (about 300 BC). This specific design of the temple was known as dipteral. this refers to the two sets of columns surrounding the interior section of the temple. These columns surrounded a small chamber, which was the house of the statue of Apollo. With Ionic columns reaching 19.5 m high, thes decay suggest the former grandeur of the ancient temple.This is a part of the Acropolis in the city of Athens.... ... middle of paper ... ...cities in the Empire. Some of the surviving buildings are almost complete, such as the town walls of Lugo in Hispania Tarraconensis, or northern areas of Spain. The Ancient Romans planned that public buildings should be made to have an impact on the public, as well as perform a public function. The Romans did not feel confined by Greek elegant principles alone in order to achieve these objectives. The Pantheon which is an example of this, particularly in the version rebuilt by Hadrian, which remains looked after, and which over the centuries has served, particularly in the Western Hemisphere, as the stimulation for countless public buildings. This same emperor left his own mark on the countryside of northern Britain when he built a wall to mark the border of the empire, and after further defeats in Scotland, the Antonine wall was built to replace the Hadrian's Wall.

Open Document