GREEK

ARCHIECTURE
 GREEK COLONIES 500 BC

ARC-111. Art & Architecture l, 2011-12

 Greek civilization occurred in the area around the Greek
mainland, on a peninsula that extends into the
Mediterranean Sea .
 It started in cities on the Greek mainland and on islands in
the Aegean Sea.
 Towards the later or Hellenistic period, Greek civilization
spread to other far away places including Asia Minor and
Northern Africa
 Most of the Greek mainland was rocky and barren and
therefore bad for agriculture.
 Most Greeks therefore lived along the coastline or on islands
where the soil was good for farming
 The Aegean and Mediterranean Seas provided a means of
communication and trade with other places.
 The period of ancient Greek history can be divided into four
as follows:

–1100 B. C. –750 B. C. Greek Dark Ages

–750 B. C. –500 B. C. Archaic Period
–5000 B. C. –323 B. C. Classical Period
–323 B. C. –147 B. C. Hellenistic Period•

 The classical and archaic period are sometimes collectively

referred to as Hellenic period
Greek Dark Ages (1100-750 BC)

 –The Mycenaean people were Greek in Origin–Greek

civilization is therefore usually viewed as a continuation of th e
Mycenaean civilization
 –The start of the Greek civilization is therefore dated to the en d
of the Mycenaean civilization in 1100BC
 –Following the decline of Mycenae, the area around the Greek
mainland went into a period of decline that is referred to as th e
Greek Dark ages
 –Greece became depopulated with groups of people moving
out of mainland Greece towards the islands of the Aegean
 –Mycenaean and Greek culture dwindled and many cultural
elements including writing, art and architectural techniques
were lost
 –Trade with Asia Minor, the Middle East and Egypt, which was
at the root of Cretan prosperity stopped entirely
–As Greek people migrated from the mainland, other people from
other less prosperous mountain regions of the north migrated to
the more fertile coastline regions
–They invade the Greek mainland villages and established their
rule
–The northerners brought with them a Greek dialect called Dorian,
as opposed to the Ionic Greek spoken by the main settlers
–The two dialects and cultures later mixed together to create a
Hellenic culture, which is at the root of ancient Greek civiliza tion
–These two dialects became equated with characteristic
architectural forms that evolved in them
–In the period following the invasion by the Dorians, there was a
shift in lifestyle that produced a sedentary agricultural lifest yle
and society.
–Sedentary lifestyle allowed the Greeks to rediscover urbanized
culture that ultimately led to evolution of classical Greek cult ure
Archaic Period (750 -500 BC)

 –The revival of Greece from the dark ages started during the
eight century BC
 –The Greeks developed a new political form called city states
 –City states are cities which are ruled as independent nations
 –The archaic period saw the renewal interest in overseas
trading contact
 -Greek societies that were engaged in trade became rich and
by joining with other their neighbors, sometimes forcefully,
formed large states
 –The polis or city state emerged as the natural and desirable
political entity
 –Early examples of these city states include Athens, Corinth,
Argos, and Sparta on the mainland, and in the Eastern Aegean,
Samos, Chios, Smyrna, Ephesus and Miletus
 –The archaic period marked the rise of the aristocratic families;
families that are considered noble or of higher status
 –The archaic period was dominated politically by the leading
aristocratic families in each city state acting in concert or
squabbling amongst themselves for supremacy
 –At times individual aristocrats were able to take advantage of
popular dissatisfaction to seize authoritarian power –Such rulers
were called tyrants
 –The archaic period marked the rise of the aristocratic families;
families that are considered noble or of higher status
 –The archaic period was dominated politically by the leading
aristocratic families in each city state acting in concert or
squabbling amongst themselves for supremacy
 –At times individual aristocrats were able to take advantage of
popular dissatisfaction to seize authoritarian power
 –Such rulers were called tyrants
Classical period (500 -323 BC)
 –The Classical period of ancient Greek history occurred between 500
BC, and 323 BC.
 –The period started with the Greek city states coming into conflict with
the rising Persian Empire
 –The free Greek cities saw the threat that was developing from the
Persian Empire and prepared for resistance
 –A seaborne expedition by the Persians to Athens was defeated at
Marathon in 490 B
 –Under the Persian King Xerxes, Persia attempted a retribution in 479
BC and was defeated by an alliance of the Greek states headed by
Sparta
 –The Greek alliance soon transformed into an Empire under the
leadership of Athens
 –Pericles, the ruler of Athens between 444 and 429 BC became a
driving force for the development of temple architecture
 –Periclesused the defense revenue from the alliance for temple
building in Athens to thank the Gods
 –Athens reached its greatest political and cultural heights
during the classical period
 –The full development of the democratic system of
government occurred under Pericles
 –The Parthenon on the Acropolis at Athens was built
 –Philosophical schools such as those of Socrates and
Plato were founded
 –Between 431 and 404, Athens entered into a series of
wars with Sparta which left it in ruins
 –The fall of Athens gradually led to political chaos in the
whole of Greece
 –The 4th century saw the rise of Macedonia as a power
in the region
 –The Macedonian king, Philip rapidly extended Macedonian
power and wealth
 –In 338 BC, he defeated a coalition of the major Greek Cities
including Athens and Thebes, and created a federation of all
Greeks with him as the leader
 –He proposed a crusade against the Persians but was
assassinated before undertaking it
 –His son Alexander undertook the crusade and established
himself as the ruler of the former Persian empire
 –Alexander undertook a lot of military campaigns to extend the
Greek empire and founded many new cities such as Alexandria
in Egypt
 –He died in 323 BC without a heir to inherit him
 –The Death of Alexander marked the end of the classical
period of Greece civilization
Hellenistic period (323 -147 BC)

 –The Hellenistic period of ancient Greek civilization started

with the death of Alexander in 323 BC
 –When Alexander died, he did not have a heir to inherit him
 –The Greek empire split into smaller states with Alexander ’s
generals as their rulers
 –The period saw the transplanting of Greek art, civic life and
culture to newly conquered areas
 –The period also saw a marked increase in interest in civic
buildings
 –The Hellenistic period ended in 147 BC, when the Roman
Empire conquered Greece and incorporated the city states
into it
 Social Characteristics & Beliefs
Introduction
 –Greek civilization is the first major civilization in Europe
–Greek civilization along with the Roman civilization are said to be at the root of
current western civilization
–They two are referred to as “classical”culturesbecause of their recognition as
the root of western civilization
–Greek and Roman architecture are also referred to as classical architecture–
Greek civilization started with the mingling of two Greek cultures, the Dorian
and the Ionian to create a single Hellenic culture
–The two developed a sedentary agricultural and commercial society that
ultimately gave birth to the concept of the city state

Societal Organization -The city state

 The ancient Greeks lived in self governing city-states called "polis.“
–The city-states were small, independent communities which were male-
dominated and bound together by race.
–The ancient Greek world was made up of hundreds of these independent city
states
–The polis started as a defensible area to which farmers of an area could retreat
in the event of an attack as in the Mycenaean citadels
–Over time, towns grew around these defensible areas.
–Every polis was different from another, even though there were
similarities between them
–They were all bounded by common language and religious beliefs
–They all made efforts to preserve their own unique identity, and each
city state believed that their state was better than all the other
states
–The city states often fought with one another.
–The city state of Athens on the Greek mainland was among the most
famous and powerful of the city states
-It was a major center for learning and the arts.
–When city-states were first formed, they were ruled by a few wealthy
men.
–However, they gradually moved towards democracy.
–Athens developed an early form of democracy
–How did they make laws? Only men who were born in Athens were
allowed to vote.
–They did this at public assemblies where upper class citizens
discussed and adopted laws that might benefit Athens.
Social Organization And Responsibility
–The scale of the polis was small.
–The philosophers Aristotle and Plato believed that the polis should be of a
small size, so that members know each other personally
–The ideal size of a city state was fixed at 5040 males by Plato–Citizens in
any polis were related by blood and so family ties were very strong.
–Membership of the polis was hereditary and could not be passed to
persons outside the family
-The society of the polis had a social hierarchy with citizens at the top,
followed by people who are not citizens and finally slaves
–Public life was for male citizens while women were secluded in the house–
Greek citizens did not have rights but duties
–All citizens were directly involved in politics, justice, military service,
religious ceremonies, intellectual discussion, athletics and artistic
pursuits.
–It was not acceptable for Greek citizens to refuse to carryout their
responsibilities
Religious Belief
 –The ancient Greeks were polytheistic, believing in many different gods and
goddesses
–The God were regarded as all powerful but similar to human beings in their
passions, desires and appetite
–All aspect of life was under the protection of the gods, and they controlled
everything, from the waves in the ocean to the winner of a race. –All the
gods and goddesses had specific roles, controlling one or two major
aspects of life
–Zeus was, for example, the supreme leader of the gods, Hermes was the
messenger of the gods, and Poseidon was the god of the sea.
 –The essential concept in religious practice was that of contract, of
obligation and the paying of obligation
 –Humans call on the gods for protection and make offerings to the gods to
secure this
 –Ancient Greeks believed that religion would make their lives better while
they were living.
 –They also believed that the gods would take care of them when they died.–
Religious belief was constantly changing and developing as new cults were
introduced from time to time .
Place of Worship
 –Temples were the focus of Greek religious worships–Temples were
usually built in the cities of the Gods called “Acropolis”–Temples were
built in every town and city for one or more god or goddess
–The temples were considered as offerings to the gods–Each community
was therefore under pressure to make them beautiful as possible.
–The temples were also considered as the house of the gods
–They were not designed for functional use
–They usually consist of a large open hall called sanctuary where the
statue of the god to whom it is dedicated is kept
–The temples were the places for routine festivals to the gods
–The festivals included plays, music, dancing, and then a parade to the
temple where they made sacrifices and had a feast.
–Animals were usually sacrificed as a gift to the gods
Architecture in service of religion

 –Architecture in Greece Started in the Service of Religions

–Temples were the abode of gods
–The Greeks regarded beauty as an attribute of the gods and the
conscious pursuit of beauty as a religious exercise.
–The most important task for architects was how to make the temple
beautiful
–The search for ways to express architectural beauty made the Greek
civilization among the first to have established ideals of beauty
–The Greeks convinced themselves that the secrets of beauty lie in
proportions
–Man was viewed by the Greeks as having the most ideal proportions
and is the measure of all things
–Greek developed a system of building proportion that reflected those
of the human body
–With time, they refined their system of building proportion, and
developed the classical Greek orders which we will soon explore
–The principal building material of the ancient Greeks was stone
–Clay and timber were also used
–Timber was used mostly for roofing and its scarcity coupled
with limitations in its length imposed restrictions on the width
of buildings
–Temples were the main building type and it was used as a
decoration element by every city
–Greek society also made buildings other than temples
–These evolved in response to changes in need with time
–he most common buildings are amphitheaters, council halls,
public fountains and theatres, gymnasia, schools and
libraries, public baths and lavatories
–As these civic buildings emerge, treatment once reserved for
temple was extended to them even though on a less grander
scale than in the temples
–Greek construction was of a simple post and lintel or
trabeated construction
–Their ground plans were always very simple, usually
rectangular
–With a combination of simple ground plans and trabeated
construction, they were able to create amazing buildings
–Buildings were constructed by skilled craftsmen who were in
demand and traveled from one state to the other for
construction work
–Designs were done on the ground by measuring out the
foundation
–Blocks of stone were ordered from the quarry –Blocks were
given initial preparation on the building site –Blocks were
large and retained in position by their own weight; it was
not necessary to fix them together in any way
–Roofs were of wood beams and rafters cut to square
shapes with tile roof–Carvings and other decorative work
were finished when the building is completed
Other Activities and Achievements

 –Greek society contributed to the earliest development of science and

scientific inquiry
–Greeks attempted to explain the world through the laws of nature.
–Greeks found out that the earth was round and A Greek person is credited
as being the first to measure the circumference of the Earth
–The Greeks also made significant contributions to the arts, particularly in
sculpture and painting
–They wrote many stories and plays that continue to be performed today.
–The ancient Greeks were huge sports fans and sports was considered a
part of religion
–Every four years, the Greeks held the Olympic Gamesin the stadium at
Olympia. –The best athletes in Greece competed in different events–
Because the games were religious, anyone who was caught cheating
during the games was never allowed to compete again
Early Greek Architecture
Parthenon (447 B.C.)
 ORIGINS
 “architecture” comes
from the Greek
architecton, which
means “master
carpenter.”
 Early Greek
architecture therefore
employed wood, not
stone.
 These early
structures, as well as
those of mud-brick,
have not survived.
Wood Features in Stone

 By the 6th Century BC,

stone replaced wood in the
construction of important
temples.
 Designs still reflected their
origins in wood, however.
 The trigyph, which alternates with the
metapes, began as wooden beam ends.
 In moving from wood to stone,
builders had to adapt to the
differing properties of their building
materials.
 Stone has greater compressive
(resistance to crushing) strength
than wood, but lacks tensile
strength (resistance to bending or
twisting). Therefore, while columns/
posts might be relatively thin, the
entablature/beams, must be quite
thick.
 Greek temples, like
Egyptian temples,
used basic post-
and-beam
construction.
 This is sometimes
referred to as
trabeated.
  Early temples had
massive pillars as
architects worried
about their ability to
Temple of Hera, Paestum support the weight
above.
 Later temples
appear more
elegant.
Hephaistion, Athens
 Entasis
 Entasis counteracts the tendency of
the eye to reach upward, forcing it to
travel up and down the shaft.
 Columns that are straight appear
thinner in the middle when seen
against light, making the supports
appear flimsy.
 The middle bulge counteracts this.
 The upper 2/3 of the shafts to the
right are tapered.
 Some experts feel that the
entasis, the outward
bulging in the middle of
Greek columns, may
originally have been an
imitation of the effect of
great compression in
wooden posts.
 It also serves as a kind of
correction to an optical
illusion, however.
-Entasis was used by the Greeks while building
monuments to correct optical illusions. Entasis is
Greek for swelling or tension and relates to a convex
curve incorporated into upright structures like
columns and spires.
-If a column does not have entasis it will not appear
to be straight particularly in very large buildings. The
Greeks began using entasis with their Doric
columns.
The Greeks, in proportioning their Doric columns,
arrived at an apparent system of entasis that is very
different from the method the Roman employed with
their columns. No part of the outline of the Doric
column is parallel with its axis or center line. From
the very bottom, the shaft slopes in towards the
center, this slope increasing as it nears the neck of
the column, in portions of arcs of circles of a varying
though large radius.The Romans, used a much more
simple method for the entasis on their columns. For
the most part - the bottom third of the column in non-
tapered or straight and the tapering begins at for the
following 2/3rds of the shaft.
 A characteristic of the Doric
order is the use of entasis
 Entasisrefers to the practice of
optical correction in Greek
Doric temples
 All buildings are arranged with
a slight curve to correct for
optical illusionwhen they are
viewed
 This is done to counteract the
concave appearanceproduced
by straight edges in perspective
 The shaft of the column is built
to be slightly convex in shape
for optical correction
 Columns were also built with a
slight tilt
 The drawing to the right
explains entasis
 Diagram oneon top shows how
the ancient Greeks wanted the
temple to appear
 f the temple is built without
correction, then diagram
twoshows how it would actually
appear
 To ensure that it appears
correctly as desired in one, the
Greeks introduced the
distortions shown in diagram
three
 The application of entasisis an
expression of the desire for
perfection by Greek architects
 The best example of the
application of entasisis found in
the Parthenon
The Classical GREEK Orders
 Each order had its own
conventions about the
design of the
entablature
 The entablature is
divided into three
sections; the cornices,
the frieze and the
architrave
 According the rules of
classical architecture,
the entablature should
always be divisible into
these three zones
 The Doric Order

 The Doric order was the

earliest to be developed
 By the 6th century, a set of
universal proportions for
the Doric temple had been
developed.
 The Doric order is made
up of three elements;
stylobate, Column and
entablature
 The stylobateis a podium
raised three steps on
which the temple sits
 The Doric column is further
divided into the shaft and a
square capital
 It had a height of between 5 and 6 times its
diameter.
 The shaft is tapered and made to bulge slightly
to provide correction for optical illusion.
 The shaft is usually divided into 20 shallow
flutes.
 The entablature is divided into an architrave, a
frieze and the cornice.
 The Doric column represents the proportions
of a man’s body, its strength and beauty.
 Doric columns are
the heaviest in
appearance
 The capital is plain.
 The shaft is thick –
though it loses
some of its mass
over time.
 There is no base.
 The Doric column stand without a
base directly on a crepis ,of 3 steps in
temple ,stoas may have 1.

 Circular shaft, usually divided into

shallow channels separated by sharp
arises. The shaft has normally slightly
convex profile called the entasis.
 The shaft terminates in the
hypotrachelion ,above which the
trachelion stands to hold the capital.
 The capital consists of abacus &
echinus.
 Doric entablature 3 main division:
a. architrave (main beam): usually made
up of 2/3 slabs in depth at large
temples.

b. Frieze : vertical channels (try glyph),

alternating with ornamented surfaces
(metope).
c. Cornice: the crowning part.
The Ionic Order
 The Ionic order evolved and took its
name from Ionia in modern day Turkey
 The ionic column including the capital
and base had a height of 9 to 10times
its diameter
 It had 24 flutes, which is more than that
of the Doric column, even though it is
smaller in diameter.
 The flutes were rounded at the top and
bottom.
 The Ionic order had a capital developed
from a pair of voluteabout two-thirds the
diameter of the column in height
 Ornaments are used to decorate the
area between the capital and the volute
 The Ionic column has a base
 One of the limitations of the Ionic order
is that it is designed to be seen from the
front only
 At the corner of
rectangular buildings, an
angular volute had to be
used.
 Entasiswas not applied
to the ionic column
 The Ionic column is said
to represent the shape
of a women with its
delicacy and feminine
slenderness.
 These have greater
elegance.
 The capital has
distinctive volutes.
 The shaft is thinner
than its Doric
equivalent.
 A base is apparent.
 key element of the capital is volute
,remains in between echinus &
abacus .
 A canted angle volute was used at
the corner of rectangular building.
 Greek moldings are important
feature of ionic entablature
 Generally a frieze, often decorated
with continuous band of sculpture,
was inserted in the entablature.
 The height of the of the frieze was
increased by parapet –sima.
The Corinthian Order

 This is also a tall,

elegant form.
 The capital has
distinctive acanthus
leaf decoration.
 A base is also
employed.
 The Corinthian order takes
its name from the city of
Corinth in Greece
 It however appeared to
have been developed in
Athens in the 5th century
BC
 This order is similar in its
proportions to the Ionic
orderbut has a different
capital
 The core of the capital is
shaped like an inverted
bel.
 The bell-like capital is
decorated with rows of
carved acanthus leaves
 The rich decorative effectof the Corinthian
capital made it attractive
 Because of its symmetry, the Corinthian
capital unlike the ionic capital is designed to
be seen from all directions
 The Corinthian column, the most beautifully
ornateof the three orders represents the figure
of a maiden
 This order was not extensively used during the
Greek period
 It became popular during the ancient Roman
period
 Appeared as a decorative
variant of Ionic order.
 The capital was much
deeper than the ionic.
 The perfect type has deep,
Inverted bell, the lower part
of which is surrounded by 2
tiers of 8 acanthus leaves.
 Faces of the molded abacus
is curved outwards to the
corner.
 The Corinthian entablature
are not distinguishable than
the ionic.
 The Temples: Forms & Elements

The most important artistic novelties of Greek architecture were the Three
Orders, They are the whole rules, both geometrical and mathematical,
through which every architectural element of the temple is linked to all the
others and to the whole Building. The three Greek architectural orders are:
Doric – Ionic – Corinthian.
The Greek temples are also grouped according to their typology.
PLAN OF GREEK TAMPLES
 There are four
distinct parts to a
greek temple.
 The bottom,
horizontal part is the
steps. Most Greek
temples had three of
them.
 This part is called the
stylobate.
 The next section is
vertical and is the
column.
 Most columns had a
base (though not the
Doric), at the bottom, a
shaft in the middle, and
a capital at the top.
 The shaft may be
smooth or fluted.
 Above the column is
the entablature. If
the column is the
leg, think of this as
the tabletop.
 It has 3 parts: the
architrave, a kind of
base.
 The frieze, a
decorated part
 The cornice the top.
 The top section is angled
and is called the pediment.
 The sloping top part is
called the sloping
cornice.
 The triangular part below
is called the tympanum.
This is often carved and
decorated.
 Sometimes there are
caved features sticking up
from the room. These are
called antifixae or
acroterions.
 The grandeur and evident
expense of a temple can be seen
in the number of columns
employed.
 Simple tempes have blank walls
around a naos, or chapel. With
an open area or porch in front,
called a pronaos, with two or four
supporting columns.
  Grander temples,
like the Parthenon,
had both a front and
back porch, as well
as a colonnade
surrounding the
entire structure.
Reconstruction of the Parthenon in
 This is called a
Nashville. peripteral temple.
 Grander still, and
generally from the
Hellenistic age,
are dipteral
temples.
 They have a
double colonnade
surrounding them.
Artist’s reconstruction of the Temple of
Artemis, Ephesus, Turkey
Ionic: Temple of Athena Nike – Acropolis Athens c. 427 BC
Temple of Athena Nike
Designed by the architect of
Parthenon Kallikrates, it was
probably build at 427 BC in pure
Ionic style from Pentelic marble.
Due to the of lack of money, the
Peloponnesian war and internal
political strife's the temple was not
build at once. The thorakion with
the victories was constructed
around 410 BC, after the war
victories of Alkibiades. It was
damaged in the explosion of 1645
AD, and the columns were
restored, as close as possible, to
the originals.
Erechtheum on Acropolis in Athens c. 421 BC
Ionic: Temple of Apollo at Didyma
Doric: Parthenon - temple of Athena Parthenos
Parthenon
Parthenon
Doric: Temple of Athena
Doric: Temple of Hera
Doric: Temple of Zeus at Olympia
Corinthian: The temple of Zeus at Athens 2nd c. BC
Delphi
 The Acropolis , Athens

 The fortified citadel of late bronze age.

 The temple of Athena was rebuilt several times.
 In 5 th century the bronze-age gate way was replaced by
newly designed propylon that was afterward replaced as
more complex structure –propylae. Its central element is H –
shaped gate way building on the east-west axis of the
Acropolis.
 Parthenon is a Doric temple
 Temple of Athena Nike & Temple of Erechtheion on
Acropolis are Ionic .
Parthenon (447 - 436 BC).

 The main building on the Acropolis is the revived large temple to

Athena that was built on existing old foundation but was made
wider by extending it towards the center of the Acropolis.
 A Doric temple.
 The temple stands on conventional 3 steps.
 The cella consisted 2 rooms.
 The Parthenon is important for the application of optical refinement.
 The ceiling was of wood with painted and gilded decoration.
 Unlike conventional Greek temples there were windows high in the
wall on either side of the door to allow light.
 To the west ,with its own porch , was a square chamber for
offerings.
 Agora , Athens

 Situated on the low-lying damp ground to the north of Acropolis.

 The essential stage of its development as civic center was
drainage system ,that runs near the western boundary of the
Agora.
 Civic & religious buildings were erected around its perimeter.
 Stoa proved useful buildings in the context of Agora. They
provided shelter and served for embellishing boundary of
Agora, looking in towards the open space.
 Stoa of the King / Stoa Basileia : Doric building in which the
king performed his official duties (religious & judicial).
 Painted Stoa: a simple colonnade between side wall, closed at
the back & with a inner colonnade to support the ridge.
 Stoa of Zeus: The Doric stoa has 2 aisles with projected wings.
The inner colonnade was ionic.
 Bouleuterion : The council house was square in plan and
the roof was pyramidal. The building was divided internally
into an anteroom, & auditorium.

 Tholos: A circular building, used for administrative

purpose.Its wall were made up of unbaked mud brick. The
roof was conical and supports arranged in ellipse.
 Heliaea : The meeting place of the jury court at the south.

 Fountain House : The other colonnaded structures on the

south side were fountain houses ,where a portico provided
shade.