EUROPEAN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY

1. Greek Architecture

The terms marked in capital letters should be learned as architectural vocabulary. The terms can be
assigned to the individual structures of the illustrations using the letters.

1.1 Floor Plans of Greek Peripteral Temples

One of the most important building forms of Greek temples is the PERIPTEROS. This
shows some important features: The exterior is de ned by a surrounding column
arrangement, called PERISTASIS (A). The passage between columns and the windowless
interior of the temple, called NAOS (greek) or CELLA (latin) (C), is the PTERON (B). The
porch in front of the NAOS is called PRONAOS (D). For aesthetic reasons there is also a
similar room at the back, the OPISTHODOMOS (E). An ANTA (F) is an advanced wall that
has a supporting function. The temple stands on a multi-level structure, the CREPIDOMA
(G).
stylobate= bậc thang cúi khi khi bước lên có cái cột
top step

Two di erent types of temples developed in ancient Greece:

The DORIC TEMPLE is determined by the dimensions of the INTERAXIAL of columns. The
axis references are also important. The alignment of the outer surface of the longitudinal
trục
walls runs through the center of the second and fth front columns. The faces of the ANTAE
are aligned with the axes between the second and third columns of the long side.1
=bậc thang
PERISTASIS CREPIDOMA

PTERON

ANTA

CELLA PRONAOS

OPISTHODOMOS

Fig. 1: Floor Plan of the second temple of Hera, Paestum, Italy. Doric temple. 460-450 BC.

1A. Schmidt-Colinet/G. A. Plattner, Antike Architektur und Bauornamentik. Grundformen

und Grundbegri e (Wien 2004), 12.
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1. Greek Architecture

The IONIC TEMPLE is built on a grid-like oor plan. The front is additionally emphasized by
a deepened PRONAOS.

PERISTASIS CREPIDOMA

PTERON

ANTA

CELLA
PRONAOS

OPISTHODOMOS

peripteral

Fig. 2: Floor Plan of Athena´s Temple, Priene, Turkey. Ionic temple. 2nd. half of the 4th
century BC.

1.2 Floor Plans of special Forms of Greek temples in Asia Minor (Turkey)
In Asia Minor (mainly today's Turkey), some monumental ionic temple forms developed.
With the DIPTERAL-TEMPLE, the arrangement of the columns is doubled. The PSEUDO-
DIPTERAL TEMPLE doubles the width of the PTERON, giving it more visual depth, similar
to the DIPTERAL TEMPLE.2

2 Schmidt-Colinet/Plattner 2004, 14.

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1. Greek Architecture

Fig. 3: Hera´s temple (Rhoikos-Temple), Samos, Greece. Ionic dipteral temple. 570/60 BC.

Fig. 4: Artemis´ temple, Magnesia, Turkey. Ionic pseudo-dipteral temple. 2. century BC.

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1. Greek Architecture

1.3 Additional Greek temple forms

The shape of the TEMPLE IN ANTIS is particularly important. Here there are two columns
between the ANTAE (Latin: in antis).
If there is a row of columns in front of the temple, one speaks of the PROSTYLE. There is
also the design of the so-called AMPHIPROSTYLE. The MONOPTEROS is a simple
rotunda. The THOLOS a rotunda with an interior.

Fig. 5: Temple in antis

Fig. 6: Prostyle and Amphiprostyle

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1. Greek Architecture

Fig. 7: Monopteros and Tholos

List of gures:
Fig. 1-2: Schmidt-Colinet/Plattner 2004, 13.
Fig. 3-4: Schmidt-Colinet/Plattner 2004, 15.
Fig. 5-7: Schmidt-Colinet/Plattner 2004, 17.

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