Greek architecture

Greek architecture set the stage for forms that are now copied all over the world. Their temple columns and friezes are the most famous aspects of Greek architecture. These aspects were also used by the Romans, and are why Greek and Roman temples seem very similar in form. If you look closely at ancient Greek and Roman temples, you will see that there are different styles of columns. These styles are referred to as “orders,” and there were two common orders used in Greece: the Doric and the Ionic.

The Doric order is the oldest and the simplest of the Greek styles and have a fluted column with a simple capital and no base. “Fluted” refers to the fact that there are vertical grooves carved into the column. “Capital” refers to the top of the column, where it would meet whatever structure it was holding up. The capital consisted of two sections. A flat, vertical edged, round block, referred to as the abacus, would be closest to the roof, on top of another round block, the echinus, that had an edge that slanted down and inward to connect with the column. Everything above the columns and their capitals is referred to as the entablature. The entablature of the Doric order consisted of three main parts. The basic, flat part of the roof that lay just on top of the columns was undecorated and called the architrave. Above this was another flat section with a thick edge. This was the decorated frieze that would often have pictures of people or gods painted or carved on it. In the Doric order, the frieze is separated into blocks of decoration called metopes. Above this flat area rests the slanted roof. At the front and back of a temple, the slanted roof would create a triangular area, called the pediment, where there was more decoration. The roof and pediment together are called the cornice.

The structure of the Ionic order was similar, with different details. Ionic columns had a base, and were also fluted, though the grooves were slightly farther apart than on the Doric. The columns also had volute capitals. The capitals looked like a partially opened scroll, with both edges curling in on both sides of the column. There was also an abacus separating the column from the roof in this order. Above this was once again the architrave, though in the Ionic order there may have been some undecorated horizontal rows on this part of the roof. The frieze would have been a continuous decoration that separated sections. The cornice would have been in much the same basic style as in the Doric.

The columns of the Parthenon are of the Doric order, while the continuous frieze of the temple is that of the Ionic. The famous Elgin Marbles, statues of the gods that came from the Parthenon, were part of the decoration of the pediments.