Ancient Greece

Architecture of Ancient Greece

Greek life was dominated by religion and so it is not surprising that the temples of
ancient Greece built to honor their gods were the biggest and most beautiful. They
also had a political purpose as they were often built to celebrate civic power and pride,
or to offer thanksgiving to the patron deity of a city for success in war.

Origin
the word 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 mudbrick, have not survived.

Temples - Purpose
Unlike modern churches or
mosques, Greek temples
were not meant to be
meeting places for
congregations.
They were homes for the
communitys god or goddess
and a place to keep offerings
A cult image was centrally
located within a naos, or
chapel.

Temples - Purpose

In the mild climate of Greece, ceremonies

generally took place outdoors.
Even the altar, upon which sacrifices were made,
were outside the temple structure.

The Archaic period

Before the Archaic Age was the Dark Age
Dark Age = a period of wars and invasions. Shortly
after the Trojan War, Greece fell into a Dark Age .
The word archaic is from Greek origin and freely
translated which means 'from the beginning'.
the development of art
the first big temples were built and also painting and
the construction of monumental sculptures began to
develop.
saw advancements in political theory, especially the
beginnings of democracy, as well as in culture and art.

Archaic Period

Homer's epic poems are first

put to writing.(Iliad and the
Odyssey)
Resurgence of trade
The First Olympic Games
-776 BCE
Large stone sculptures of
human figures
Greek script produced

Girl
competing in
the Heraia
foot race at
Olympia

The Classical Period

Flourishing of philosophy, politics,
literature, music, painting,
sculpture and architecture.
Therefore this period can be called
classic as well as Golden Age of
the Ancient Greek.
Athens and Sparta dominated the
Hellenic world with their cultural
and military achievements.

Athens and Sparta

The competing Greek city-states of Athens and
Sparta had very opposing cultures and
governments, but both managed to grasp power
over Greece.
Athens, with its free speaking democracy, allied
with many smaller city-states to form a powerful
rule.
Sparta, with its strong military, conquered many
lands and forced them into submission.
Athens and Sparta flourished during their time as
powerful governments, but both eventually fell.

The Hellenistic Period

The period between the defeat of the Persians
and the conquests of Alexander the Great.
Greece enjoyed a cultural flowering and
economic prosperity seldom matched in the
ancient world.
Drama, philosophy and sculpture all began or
underwent significant refinement in this
period.
Built elaborate temples and secular buildings
with Ionic and Corinthian columns.

Classical Greece

Section 4

Alexander the Great

Philips conquests might have continued, but he

was assassinated
Title, plans for conquests fell to son, Alexander
the Great
Alexander only 20, but had been trained to rule
almost from birth
Learned warfare and politics from father, mother,
and Aristotle

Greek Orders
The Greeks developed three architectural systems, called orders,
each with their own distinctive proportions and detailing. The Greek
orders are: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.

The Doric style is rather

sturdy and its top (the
capital), is plain. This style
was used in mainland Greece
and the colonies in southern
Italy and Sicily.

The Ionic style is thinner

and more elegant. Its capital
is decorated with a scrolllike design (a volute). This
style was found in eastern
Greece and the islands.

The Corinthian style is

seldom used in the Greek
world, but often seen on
Roman temples. Its capital is
very elaborate and decorated
with acanthus leaves.

Acanthus
One of the oldest flowers in the
Mediterranean area, represents
long life or immortality in
Mediterranean countries.
The symbolism and meaning
associated with the Acanthus is
that of enduring life, and the
plant is traditionally displayed at
funerary celebrations.

The
Acropolis

Acropolis is a Greek word meaning 'high city'.

The Athenian Acropolis rises from the plain of Attica to 500 feet above sea level.
In times of attack the Acropolis became the last fort of defense.
The Acropolis hill, so called the "Sacred Rock" of Athens, is the most important
site of the city.
The Acropolis contains some of the world's most famous structures built in the
classical architectural style.

The
Built as a temple of Athena
Parthenon
Parthenos ("Virgin") in the Doric
Style, the Greek goddess of
wisdom on the Acropolis in Athens.
The Parthenon was built in the 5th
century BC, and despite the
enormous damage it has sustained
over the centuries, it still
communicates the ideals of order
and harmony for which Greek
architecture is known.
How does the
Lincoln Memorial
compare to the
Parthenon?

Greek Amphitheatre