GREEK ARCHITECTURE: ORIGIN, CHARACTERISTICS AND STYLES - ART - 2025

The Greek architecture of antiquity encompasses all structures created by Greek - speaking inhabitants who occupied the territory of the Peloponnese, the Aegean Islands and parts of Anatolia approximately 2,500 years ago. It encompasses all architectural work created since 900 BC. Until the first century of the present era.

Currently, the most important Greek architectural works are the temples, which were built throughout the entire Hellenic territory in ancient times. Both the temples and the Greek theaters are in surprisingly good condition, considering how long they must have been built.

Origin

While it was long believed that the origins of Greek architecture came from Mediterranean cultures, the civilizations whose architecture directly influenced the Greek style were those of Asia Minor. In particular, Greek architecture comes from the civilizations that occupied what is now Turkey.

Until the middle of the 5th century BC. C., the main objective that had the Greek buildings was the praise of the gods. In fact, it is not common to find public buildings other than temples that date before this period.

The temples served as houses for the gods, which were represented by a statue that was present in all these buildings.

Greek architecture is generated in what is known as the geometric era of architecture, where the forms of the buildings were based mainly on rectangular elements.

General characteristics

Greek architecture presented a series of particular characteristics that were present in most of its buildings. As today, buildings in ancient Greece used to be divided into domestic and public. In turn, each type of building had particular characteristics.

Domestic buildings (houses)

Originally, houses in ancient Greek cities generally had no particular internal organization. They were simply constructed of mud bricks and the floors were made of hardened earth.

However, from the V century BC. C., began to use other less rudimentary materials for the construction of private buildings.

The use of stone for domestic constructions became much more common from this century on. The interior of the houses was covered with plaster, which gave a quality touch to the structure.

Although the Greek civilization was quite organized in general terms, its constructions did not have a particular order. In other words, urban design was not one of the priorities of the Hellenics. As a consequence of this, cities used to have a rather chaotic organization, which resulted in streets without a particular order.

The problem of disorganization in the construction of houses occurred throughout all the Greek polis, including the largest ones like Athens. However, it should be noted that from the V century BC. C. some Greek architects began to give importance to the planning of the cities.

Public structures

The most widely built public structure in ancient Greece was the temple. The temples were present in all the great cities, and had a uniform design that was used as a base for the construction of all these structures.

The temples were rectangular buildings, which were based on the ideas of the Mycenaeans (one of the first exponents of Greek architecture) and had a central room, a hall and a porch.

These temples did not function like today's worship centers (like mosques and churches), but rather were structures built to honor a particular god. Usually, the sculpture of the god who was honored in the temple was in the central room, in the open air.

From the development of urban planning, in the 5th century cities began to expand in a superior way with regard to their organization. For example, fountains were built in public places so that families could get water.

Public structures were important places for Greek civilization, and they were all related to each other. In fact, most of the public buildings had the same general characteristics.

Styles

The styles of architecture of the Greek civilization are divided into three definite types. These styles are referred to as "orders," and each represents the particular origin of each Greek architectural style. These orders are the Ionic, the Doric, and the Corinthian. The architectural order defines each style of construction present in ancient Greece.

Doric order

The Doric order was the one that was created when the Greeks made the transition between non-permanent materials, such as mud and wood, towards other materials that did remain in good standing over time, such as stone.

The Doric style is characterized by the use of columns with a fairly flat design, which rest directly on the temple without having a connecting base.

In the architecture of the other orders the columns used to have an upper base and a lower base, but the Doric did not have this particular characteristic.

The columns that were used in the Doric order were definitely what defined the buildings of this period. The columns, although flat, were quite thick and were the most prominent feature in buildings from this period.

One of the elements of this order that most remained in good condition over time were the supports of the Temple of Apollo, but the most famous building that was built in this period was the Parthenon in Athens. The latter is one of the most emblematic structures of Greek civilization and of human civilization before Christ.

Ionic order

The Ionic order was formed in an area of ​​what is now Turkey, where several Greek settlements had been established more than two millennia ago. Unlike the Doric order, Ionic architecture did present supports on the columns of temples and buildings.

In addition, it was customary to decorate the bases with artistic carvings that imitated the shape of a parchment. This architecture originated in the middle of the 6th century BC, but it reached the great Hellenic cities in the middle of the following century.

The first great structure of this order was the Temple of Hera, located on the island of Samos. However, this building did not remain standing for long after being affected by an earthquake.

This architectural style can be seen in many of the most important buildings in Greece. The Parthenon presents prominent ionic elements, such as the frieze with which the structure is covered on the inside of it. The Athenian Acropolis and the Erechtheum also have particular elements of the ionic order.

Corinthian order

The Corinthian order was not only the last of the Greek architectural orders to originate, but it is also the most complex style of architecture used in the Hellenic world. In fact, this order was used in both Greek architecture and Roman architecture, after the conquest of Greece by the Roman Empire.

The first structure to present elements of this order was the Temple of Apollo, which dates from 430 BC. C.

The main characteristic of this order is the use of shapes that appear to be natural. The shapes closely resemble the leaves of a tree. An acclaimed Corinthian sculptor is said to have originally developed this method and from there the new architectural order was named and quickly popularized.

The leaves that were carved into the structures had a rather stylized cut, and these gave the impression of growing around the columns.

The slender properties of this architecture made it a favorite method of the Romans. They used it in the construction of various structures, including the Pantheon in Rome.

Featured Greek buildings

Parthenon

The Parthenon is an imposing structure that stands on the highest hills of the Acropolis of Athens. It was built in the middle of the 5th century BC. In honor of the goddess Athena Parthenos (the virgin goddess).

The construction of this temple represents the culmination of the development of the Doric order, the simplest architectural style of the three Greek styles.

This temple was built for almost 10 years and when its construction was completed, a golden statue of Athens was placed in the center of it. Although the building has deteriorated over the centuries, the structure remains almost intact.

Erechtheum

The Erechtheum is another of the most important structures built by the Greeks. It is also located on the Athenian Acropolis, but it was built about 7 years after the completion of the Parthenon.

This structure is dedicated to the mythological king Erecteus; It was built with the purpose of replacing an old building that also served to praise the legendary king.

The unusual shape of this temple and its lack of symmetry are mainly due to the irregularity of the land on which the structure was built. Interestingly, there is a difference of three meters in elevation between the east and west.

Temple of Zeus

The Temple of Zeus is one of the most imposing architectural works of ancient Greece. It is the most important structure in the Altis and the largest temple built in the entire Peloponnese. According to many modern architects, this construction is considered one of the most important of the Doric order in all of Greece.

Its construction culminated in the year 456 a. C.; it stood for a thousand years, until it was burned on the orders of Theodosius II and collapsed by an earthquake in the fifth century of the current era.

Temple of Artemis

The Temple of Artemis, also known as Artemisia, was built in the 6th century BC. C. in the territory of what is now Turkey. It is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Its privileged location on the outskirts of Greek territory made it possible for travelers from all over the world to appreciate the architecture of this civilization.

The Temple served to honor the moon goddess Artemis and was built in the middle of a commercial crossroads in Turkey, which attracted a large number of visitors to this monument.

Stoa of Atalo

The Stoa of Atalo was originally built by King Atalo II as a gift to the Athenians for having received it in the city while he was a student of the philosopher Carneades. The structure is quite elongated and has a large number of shops that extend throughout the entire building.

La Estoa is 116 meters long and has a total of 42 stores. It was the most prominent commercial building in this area of ​​the city and was in use for almost 300 years.

Differences between Greek and Roman architecture

The main differences between Greek and Roman architecture are mainly due to a basic structural element. The Romans never adhered to the use of clay and stone in their structures; rather, they invented cement-based construction.

The cement allowed structures with more solid bases and also allowed to create rounder shapes.

The structures of both civilizations were quite similar visually, but the real differences could be seen in terms of structure.

The foundations of each building were much more solid in Roman architecture. In addition, cement allowed the Romans to use domes in their buildings, which stone did not allow the Greeks.

Likewise, Roman structures presented a series of similar characteristics throughout their Empire. On the other hand, the Greeks varied according to each area, since the Greek cities acted independently. Because of this, the Romans created many more memorial, religious, and decorative structures.

References

1. Greek Architecture, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 2013. Taken from ancient.eu
2. Greece Architecture, Greeka: Greece Island Specialists, (nd). Taken from greeka.com
3. Greek Architecture (c. 900-27 BCE), Visual Arts, (nd). Taken from visual-arts-cork.com
4. Temple of Zeus, Olympia Greece, (nd). Taken from Olympia-greece.org
5. Erectheion, Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports, (nd). Taken from culture.gr
6. Parthenon, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018. Taken from Britannica.com
7. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus: The Un-Greek Temple and Wonder, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 2012. Taken from ancient.eu
8. The Stoa of Attalos, Agathe, (nd). Taken from agathe.gr