Ancient Greek Art and Architecture: Orders & Temples

Classical Greek culture can be summarized as:

• Anthropocentric culture: Dominated by a concern for humanity, considered the most perfect being on Earth and the center of the universe. Its interests centered on beauty, rationality, and balance.
• Political organization: Based on the city-state or Polis.
• Political ideal: Democracy, with thought guided by reason.
• Religiosity: There were no dogmas or clergy, but religion acted as a unifying link among Greeks. All beliefs were based on myths, and gods were conceived as humans, possessing strengths, weaknesses, and passions.

Greek Architecture: Orders and Elements

Greek architecture, which developed during the 7th century BCE, focused on human scale and utilized trabeated construction. It employed load-bearing walls and columns, aiming for visual perfection. Three classic orders can be distinguished:

The Doric Order (7th-5th Century BCE)

This is the most severe and sober order. It features:

• No column bases; the shaft rests directly on the stylobate.
• A fluted shaft.
• A capital comprised of a collar, echinus, and abacus.

The entablature consists of the following parts:

• Architrave: Wide and smooth.
• Frieze: Composed of triglyphs and metopes, which are often decorated with reliefs.
• Cornice: The highest part of the entablature, designed to protect from rain.

The roof, typically gabled, creates a triangular space known as the pediment. Acroteria (decorative elements) may appear at the corners of the pediment.

The Ionic Order (Mid-5th Century BCE)

This is a more slender, decorated, and elegant order, acquiring remarkable dimensions (monumentality). It consists of:

• A base.
• A taller, more slender column with flutes formed by fillets.
• A capital decorated with volutes (scrolls) and an abacus.

The entablature consists of:

• Architrave: Smooth, but usually divided into three horizontal bands.
• Frieze: Decorated with reliefs.
• Cornice.

The roof is typically gabled.

The Corinthian Order (Late 5th - Early 4th Century BCE)

This order was widely used in the Hellenistic and Roman periods, evolving from the Ionic order. Its most distinctive feature is its capital, which possesses a series of acanthus leaves and small scrolls called cauliculi.

The Greek Temple

The temple was conceived as the house of the deity and the primary location for religious ceremonies. Greeks typically did not enter the temple to pray; access was usually restricted to sacred sites around it.