Greek Classical architecture began with the Doric
order, the first of three styles of construction. The Doric order was named
for early the inhabitants of mainland Greece, the Dorians. The very concept
of orders was not a tangible law to be physically applied to the process of
building, but rather a standard by which the architecture was crafted and the
elements of the building were conjoined. With the Classical style, each edifice’s
parts were brought together in a harmonious relationship common to all buildings,
providing a common style to unite the disparate structures.
The Doric order was comprised of thick, weight-bearing
fluted
columns, which culminated in a flat abacus. Above the columns at the level of entablature,
the frieze
was comprised both of sculpted panels (metopes) and square-shaped blocks (triglyphs), whose origins may have been to hide the ends of
the wooden rafters of the interior. Both triglyphs and metopes are indicators
of the Doric order, as are round, fluted columns, a flat capital,
and a roof made of terracotta tiles. These columns were constructed of cylindrical
slabs or drums of stone, fitted together without mortar and often with metal
spikes inside to provide strength.
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The Greek Ionic Order, named after the Ionians
who lived on the coast of Asia Minor (Turkey) and the nearby Aegean islands,
has several characteristics which distinguish it from its older relative, the
Doric order. Ionic temples utilized taller and slimmer columns involving less
entasis
compared with Doric temples. The most noticeable difference between the two
orders is the presence of a volute
at the capital
of the Ionic columns between the echinus and the abacus. Ionic columns also stand upon an ornate base, as compared
to the baseless Doric pillars. The overall effect of these differences is that
the Ionic temples have a lighter, less muscular look about them, producing a
more graceful facade. Additionally, the adherence to proportion is less strong
in the Ionic order than the Doric order.
The Ionic Order existed in pre-Classical times
only in the small treasuries of Greek states located at Delphi, and began on
a large scale with its use on the inner columns of the parthenon and naos of
the Parthenon in Athens
in 447 BC. On its own, the Ionic order came into use around 450 BC for small
temples such as the Temple of Athena Nike on the Propylaea (427 BC). The Erechtheum
is an example of a the Ionic order used on a larger scale, located on the northern
edge of the Acropolis across from the Parthenon.
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The Corinthian Order was the last Greek Classical
order to develop. It is an extension of the Ionic order, and its main distinguishing
qualities fall around its capital.
Here the inverted bell shape substitutes for the volutes
of the Ionic with acanthus leaves sprouting out from the top of the column towards
the sky. Additionally, the column itself could be either fluted
or unfluted. The difference between Greek and Roman Corinthian capitals should
be noted: the Greek acanthus leaves tended to be longer and spikier than those
of the Roman pillars, and while the Greek capitals often have large scrolls
between the abacus and the top row of acanthus leaves, the Roman capitals
have smaller volutes located just under the abacus.
Corinthian pillars were used initially only for
the interior of temples, but by the sixth century AD they began to appear on
the exterior of buildings. For the Romans, the Corinthian would prove to be
a standard order.
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