Architecture of Ancient Greece Aislynn Grantz 3rd Period December 2013

Timeline Of Ancient Greek Architecture 800 BCE.- Site of Delphi acquires religious significance 700 BCE.- Sanctuary of Poseidon built at Isthmia 650-600 BCE.- Herian, temple built on Olympia to goddess Hera 570 BCE.- Temple in honor of Apollo built in Corinth 550-430 BCE.- Construction of the Temple of Artemis built 460 BCE.- Hephainsteion and Hepaistos built in Athens 447-432 BCE.- The Parthenon built in Athens dedicated to Athena 430-420 BCE.- Sanctuary of Aphrodite built in Argos 400-200 BCE.- Amphitheater built in Argos 330 BCE.- Temple of Zeus built in Nemea 300 BCE.- Theatre of Delos built 300-290 BCE.- Theatre of Ephesus built Timeline Of Ancient Greek Architecture

Amphitheater Temple Ancient Greek architecture is known for its temples, amphitheaters and market squares (agora). Greek structures were typically built from local limestone and each structure involved the work of many people including the architect who directed the project, the secretary and magistrates who supervised the work, accountants who kept records of the expenses and many different artisans such as stonecutters, carpenters and other specialized artisans.

The Greek Orders The Greeks developed 3 architectural styles or orders. The Greek orders were called Doric, Ionic and Corinthian.

The Hephaisteion, in Athens The Parthenon Doric Order The Doric order is the simplest of the three orders. The columns on the building have a top called a capital that is made of a circle topped by a square. The shaft (the tall part of the column) is plain and has 20 sides. There is no base to the column. The area above the column, the frieze, has simple patterns. The metopes and triglyphs are above the columns. The metope is a plain stone that is between the triglyphs. The metopes sometimes had statues of heroes or gods on them and the triglyphs had a pattern of 3 vertical lines between the metopes.

The Temple of Athena Nike Ionic Order The Ionic style is more decorative than the Doric. Ionic shafts were taller than Doric shafts, making them look slender. The shafts also had a small bulge in the columns called entasis which made the columns look straight. Ionic columns also had flutes, which are lines carved into them from top to bottom. The bases were large and looked like a set of stacked rings. Ionic capitals had scrolls above the shaft. The frieze was plain.

The Temple of the Sybil in Rome Corinthian Order The Corinthian order is the most decorative of the three orders and was used more frequently by the Romans than the Greeks. The shaft has flutes with a large base that look like the Ionic base. The Corinthian style also uses entasis to make the shafts look straight. The capitals have flowers and leaves below a small scroll. Corinthian roofs are flat, whereas the roofs of Ionic and Doric buildings are slanted.

Model of the Temple of Artemis Remains of the Temple today The Temple of Artemis was built to honor Artemis, one of three maiden goddesses of Olympus. The temple was considered to be one of the grandest of all the seven ancient wonders. It had to be rebuilt at least three times due to fire, flood and a mob that destroyed it. The third temple lasted 600 years but was destroyed by the Goths in 269 A.D. The temple is thought to have been four times as large as the Greek Parthenon. Very little remains of the Temple of Artemis today since it was never fully rebuilt following its destruction by the invading Goths.

The Parthenon The Parthenon is a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, the patron deity of the people of Athens. The Parthenon is considered to be the best example of Doric style construction. The Parthenon was designed by Phidias, a famous sculptor. Work on the building began in 447 BCE and continued until 438 BCE.

The Erechtheion The Erechtheion is an ancient Greek temple built in the Ionic style. The temple was built in Athens between 421 and 407 BC. The temple was named after the Greek hero Erichthonius who was the son of Hephaestus and Gaea (Earth) and had a snake's tail. The temple is probably most famous for its porch which is supported by six female figures called Caryatids.

The Temple of Zeus The Temple of Zeus was a Doric style temple constructed at Olympia in the sacred sanctuary of Altis. The temple was eventually ruined due to floods and wars. The temple was burnt by order of Theodosius II in AD 426. Badly damaged by the fire, it was further damaged by earthquakes in AD 551 and 552. The ruins of the temple were discovered in 1829 AD by French archaeologists and it took 5 years to excavate.

“Greek Architecture. ” Ancient-Greece. org. Web. December 2013 Rodgers, Nigel. The Art & Architecture of Ancient Greece: An illustrated account of classical Greek buildings, sculptures and paintings, shown in 200 glorious photographs and drawings. Anness Publishing, March 16, 2012. Print. Malacrino, Carmelo. Constructing the Ancient World: Architectural Techniques of the Greeks and Romans. J. Paul Getty Museum Publishing, August 31, 2010. Print. “Classical Orders of Architecture.” Chatlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission. Web. December 2013. http://www.cmhpf.org/kids/dictionary/classicalorders.html “Greek Architecture.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. Web. December 2013. http://www.ancient.eu.com/image/384/ Sources