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| The Parthenon, Athens Acropolis, the best surviving example of a Doric temple |
One of the most instantly recognisable symbols of Greek artistic achievement is its graceful architecture; in particular, the elegant stone columns and triangular carved pediments of the three architectural ‘orders’ developed between 600BC and 300BC.
These styles were created for building temples to the gods. Carved in marble, they mimic the woodcutting techniques used to build the original wooden buildings.
The Doric order is both the oldest and the simplest, with sturdy columns and pediments covered in sculpture, which, at the time, would have been painted red or blue for impact. The best surviving example of a Doric temple is the Parthenon (438BC) on Athens’ Acropolis.
The Ionic order flourished around the same time in the wealthy cities of Asia Minor. It is lighter and more decorative, with slender columns featuring scrolling curls at each corner of the capital. The style peaked in the now-lost Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Today, we can see Ionic architecture in the Temple of Athena Nike on the Acropolis.
By the 400s BC a new, more elaborate version of Ionic architecture had emerged – the Corinthian order. It features intricately carved acanthus leaves at the heads of columns that may reflect Middle Eastern influence. The grandeur of the Corinthian order made it a favourite building style in Imperial Rome.
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