Architecture of ancient Greece

I. What constructions of ancient Greek architecture do you know?

II. Read the following words using transcription from the dictionary and pay attention to the stress:
Greece, marble, yellowish, limestone, distinguish, compliance, column, ensemble, peripteros,
portico, colonnade, order, pilaster, entablature, capital, abacus, triglyph - metope frieze, architrave, flute,
volute, acanthus

III. Write the principal forms of the following verbs and translate them.
to make up, to lay, to amaze, to locate, to dedicate, to invent, to end, to stand

IV. Choose the proper English word:

1. мрамор a) limestone b) marble c) wood
2. величественный a) majestic b) durable c) organic
3. соответствие a) perfection b) attention c) compliance
4. благородный a) fortified b) noble c) complicated
5. антаблемент a) column b) volute c) entablature
6. фриз a) beam b) pilaster c) frieze
7. каннелюра a) fillet b) flute c) volute
8. углубление a) fillet b) entablature c) flute

V. Read and translate text.

Greece is a country with great architectural past, in which much attention was paid to the
construction of temples. In the construction of the oldest temples the Greeks replaced wood with white
marble and yellowish limestone. Such material is not only looked majestic, but also distinguished for its
long durability. Ancient Greek architecture distinguished by full compliance with the forms and their
constructive basis that made up the organic whole. The basic construction was walls laid from stone
blocks.
The noble forms of ancient Greek architecture amaze nowadays, although from a constructive
point of view everything was very simple. Only two elements were used: carried parts (beams, lintels,
plates) and load bearing parts (walls and columns).
The Greeks brought the refinement of architectural structures and all, without exception, decor
details to the highest degree of perfection and elegance.
The greatest achievements of the Greek building art were temples.
One of the greatest monuments of ancient Greek architecture is the Athenian Acropolis. Acropolis
is fortified part of the upper city in ancient Greece, on which the ruins of several architectural monuments
of ancient Greek locate.
"The Pearl" of Acropolis is the Parthenon temple, the central building of the ensemble. Parthenon
was erected by architects Iktinos and Callicrates. The Parthenon is a Doric peripteros with 50 columns.
Next Parthenon’s monument is Erechtheion. It was built in 421 – 406 B.C. and was dedicated to
both Athena and Poseidon. It had two entrances on the north and east, which were decorated with Ionic
porticos.
Monumental gateway to the Acropolis is Propylaea, the main entrance formed by porticoes and
colonnades. It was designed by Mnesicles.
Greeks invented a system of orders. Order is the relationships between the parts of the ancient
buildings. Architectural order is the embodiment of post-and-lintel system, consisting of tectonic vertical
(columns, pilasters) and horizontal (entablature) elements. It is most readily recognizable by the type
of column employed. In the Greek architecture three styles dominated: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian.
 The Doric order is the simplest, concise in its form. The Doric column was powerful and short,
fluted, and has no base. Such column was narrowed upward and ended with a capital with square abacus.
The capital was a simple circular form. The distinctive feature of the Doric column is a triglyph - metope
frieze above the column.
The Ionic order was formed in the middle of the VI century B.C. The Ionic columns are more
slender than the Doric. The Ionic columns stand on the base and have the three-part architrave and band-
shaped frieze; flutes are separated by flat fillets. The distinctive feature of the Ionic column is using
volutes in capital.
Corinthian order is similar to Ionic, but differs from it by complicated capitals, decorated with
acanthus leaves and scrolls. The Corinthian is the most ornate of the orders.

Vocabulary
to pay attention
уделять внимание
marble - мрамор
limestone - известняк
to distinguish - отличать
durability - долговечность
compliance - соответствие
organic whole – единое целое
laid – выложенный
refinement-усовершенствование
noble - благородный
amaze - поражать
carried – несомый
load bearing – несущий
lintel – балка
beam - балка
fortified - укрепленный
to dedicate - посвящать
portico -портик
embodiment - воплощение
entablature - антаблемент
flute - каннелюра
fillet – поясок, углубление
volute–волюта
acanthus –акант

VI. Find in text English equivalents of Russian word combinations:

Быть украшенным портиками в Ионическом стиле, возведение храмов, несущая часть, выглядеть
величественно, без базы, отличаться прочностью, составлять единое целое, стоечно – балочная
система, антаблемент, несомая часть, величайшее достижение, памятник древнегреческой
архитектуры, система ордеров, колонна, квадратные абаки, отличительная черта, триглиф –метоп
на фризе, более стройный, лентовидный фриз, каннелюры разделенные поясками, архитектурное
прошлое, использование волют, суженный кверху, похож на Ионический, сложная капитель,
трехчастный архитрав, декорированный листьями аканта и завитками, богато украшенный.
VII. Complete the sentences:

1. In ancient Greece much attention was paid to the construction of ...

a) tombs
b) temples
c) pyramids

2. Marble distinguished for its ...

 a) inaccessibility
b) frailness
c) durability

3. Propylaea was formed by porticoes and ...

a) colonnades
b) capitals
c) beams

4. The Ionic columns are ... than the Doric.

a) higher
b) more slender
c) more bulky

5 The distinctive feature of the Doric column is a triglyph - metope frieze above the ...
a) porticoes
b) column
c) base

6. The distinctive featureof the Ionic column is using volutes in ...

a) flute
b) frieze
c) capital

VIII. Say if the following statements are true or false, if the statements are wrong, make the necessary
corrections:

1. The Doric order is the most ornate.

2. Ancient Greek architecture distinguished by full compliance with the forms and their constructive
basis that made up the organic whole.
3. One of the greatest monuments of ancient Greek architecture is the Athenian Acropolis.
4. The distinctive feature of the Doric column is its volutes.
5. The Parthenon is a Doric peripteros with 50 columns.
6. Erechtheion had two entrances on the north and east, which were decorated with Corinthian porticos.
7. The distinctive featureof the Ionic column is using triglyph - metope frieze above the column.
8. Greece is a country with great architectural past, in which much attention was paid to the construction
of pyramids.
9. Monumental gateway to the Acropolis is Propylaea, the main entrance formed by porticoes and
colonnades.
10. The Doric column was more slender, fluted, and has no base.
11. The Corinthian is the simplest of the orders.
12. The Ionic columns are powerful and short.

IX. Answer the following questions:

1. What type of buildings was built in ancient Greece?
2. What building materials did ancient Greeks use?
3. What basic elements were used by building?
4. What is one of the greatest monuments of ancient Greek architecture?
5. What degree did ancient Greeks bring the refinement of architectural structures to?
6. What is Acropolis?
7. Describe the monuments of Acropolis.
8. What is architectural order? What orders did ancient Greeks invent?
9. What are the distinctive features of the Doric column?
10. What are the distinctive features of the Ionic column?
11. What are the distinctive features of the Corinthian column?