GREEK TEMPLE: ORIGIN, TYPES AND PARTS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The Greek temple is a structure built in order to house the image worshiped in the religion of Ancient Greece. These monumental buildings were built in order to house the god protector of cities. Unlike buildings honoring deities in other cultures, Greek temples were anthropomorphized.

That is, they were made to human measure, as if the god they housed had the same dimensions as a human. Like the rest of buildings in the history of mankind, Greek temples evolved over time. In principle, they were buildings made of clay and wooden beams.

Later they were changing and decorative elements were added until they became the prominent buildings that we know today. The Greek temples were gradually being included in the orders, which took the architectural branch and developed at the time.

Among these orders were the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. The composite order developed during the Hellenistic era.

characteristics

A Greek temple is the most representative figure of the culture of ancient Greece. Its construction was based on a structure with pillars in which the gods would be venerated. These structures are megaons; that is, rectangular rooms with columns. It also has columns and a central opening.

All of this was built in proportion to the average size of humans, unlike buildings such as the Egyptian pyramids, designed to fit the deities.

Greek temples were created in order to store votive offerings. These are objects with ritual motifs that were presented to win the favor of supernatural forces. However, over time, in the Greek temples they began to carry out cult activities such as venerations and sacrifices.

These constructions were the most important and most popular in Greek architecture. They were not created in order to house many people and that is the main reason for their small size; These temples were located in isolated and sacred places.

These can be accessed through the monumental or propylaean gates. In the Greek temples the decoration and exterior architecture predominate due to its greatness, characteristic of ancient Greece.

Origin

The structures considered Greek temples come from ancient buildings built with clay and wooden beams. These constructions were used as rooms and were characterized by having a curved finish that, at the end of the 8th century BC. C, was changed by rectangular plants.

The buildings that are considered as temples date from the Geometric period. In the VIII century a. A 100-foot-long Hecatompedon temple was built at the Sanctuary of Hera on Samos.

One of the oldest temples is located on the island of Euboea and it is the monumental Lefkandi tomb. It dates from the beginning of the 10th century BC. C., measured 10 x 45 meters and had a roof that protruded from the walls, supported by 67 wooden supports. This was the first specimen of a peristillo.

Different types of plants were developed for these temples throughout Greece. In mainland Greece it was built with an apse plan; on the other hand, in Crete the buildings had rectangular plants during the 7th century BC. C.

In Asia Minor, Ionic-type temples were built from the 8th century BC. C.; the most representative are Eretria and Samos. The properly erected temples in Greece are of the Doric type.

Types

The classification of Greek temples varies according to different criteria.

- According to its portico it may be In antis, which is when a temple has two antas, such as the temple of Hera in Olympia, 7th century BC. C. If they have windows on both facades, they are of the double window type.

- When the columns are supported on a portico, it is called a protrusion and, if it is present on both facades, it is called an amphiprole.

- By the number of columns present on its facade they can also be classified. From two columns they are called distal. If there are ten or more, they are called a decastillo. The most common are tetra styles, which have four columns, hexa styles with six, and octa styles, with eight.

- Depending on the arrangement of the columns, they can be peripheral, if a row of columns is around the building. If there are two, they are called dipteran.

- When the lateral columns are attached to the walls, it is called pseudoperipteral. If it has a double colonnade at the front they are called a pseudodiptere. If it is not surrounded by a column, it is called apter.

- When they have columns on the two facades it is known as amphiprostyle and if it is a circular temple it is called monopteran or tholos.

Parts

The parts of a Greek temple can vary, some may have all the parts and others may not. The space in front of the main nave or naos, functions as a vestibule for the place behind it. It is called pronaos.

The central space of the temple is the naos or cella and within this is the sculpture that represents the deity of the city.

After the naos is the opistodomos, a chamber cut off from the rest of the parties. It was used to store objects of worship and treasure.

Some representative parts of the facade of the temple are:

-The pediment or front is the triangular finish of the facade or portico. It is located on the lower sides of the temples that have a gabled roof.

-The tympanum is a triangular space located between the pediment cornices and its base.

-The set of horizontal moldings supported by pillars is called cornice. This crowns the temple and is formed with an architrave, frieze and cornice.

-Finally, the krepis or crepidoma is the basement of the temple. It is made up of three steps and they are the transition between the natural floor and the floor of the temple.

Greek temples according to architectural order

As time passed, the Greek temples fell into the classification of regional architectural styles. The considered classical styles are of the Doric and Ionic order.

The Doric order is characterized by having a covered peristyle but open to the outside, so that light enters and internal shadows are captured from the outside.

Instead, the Ionic order has its origin in Asia Minor. Among all the orders, it is the one with the lightest and finest shape. It has more slender and thin columns than those of the Doric order. Its capital is inspired by wind models.

Its architrave is subdivided horizontally into three bands or platforms. In addition, the entablature has a frieze, sculpted with bas-reliefs and of a continuous type.

For its part, there is also the Corinthian order, dating from the 5th century BC. The most characteristic of this order is its capital, which is made up of two different bodies. The lower one has two parallel rows of acanthus leaves and small stems that intertwine at the corners.

There is a legend in which the sculptor Callimachus was inspired by a basket near a tomb to build this type of temple. This basket was closed at the top of an abacus and under it grew an acanthus plant. Its leaves bloomed around the basket.

Finally, the compound order unifies characteristics of the previous orders and originates in the 5th century BC. C., in the Hellenistic period.

Main exponents

Among all the developed orders, there are some Greek temples that stand out for having special characteristics. Among the Doric order temples, the following stand out, which are dedicated to certain gods:

- Apollo, in Thermos (circa 625 BC).

- Apollo, in Corinth (6th century).

- Afaya, in Aegina (6th century).

- Artemis, in Corfu (6th century).

- Temple D in Selinunte (6th century).

- Temple G or Apollo in Selinunte (circa 520), unfinished octasty and periphery.

- Athena or Ceres, in Paestum, (6th century).

- The Teseion or Hefasteion (449 BC).

- Poseidon, in Sounion.

- Parthenon (dedicated to Athena), in Athens.

For its part, among the Ionic order temples are the following representative temples:

- Artemisia, in Ephesus (6th century), Dipter

- Temple of Apollo in Naucratis.

- Temple of Zeus, Athens, the first Olympeiom.

- Erectheion, Athens.

- Temple of Cabirios, Samothrace.

- Temple of Athena in Miletus.

- Apolo Didymaios, Didima.

- Temple of Athena Polias, Priene.

- Temple of Zeus Sosispolis, Magnesia.

- Great temple of Dionysos, Teos.

Finally, among the most recognized Corinthian order temples are:

- Temple of Zeus Olbios, Diocesarea.

- Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens.

Symbology

The Greek temple was a place of worship and not of congregation. It was the house of a deity and was separated from humanity, in a way that it claimed greatness and was different from other buildings.

During pre-Hellenic times the Greeks made their sacrifices in open air places and not inside the temple.

The construction of the Greek temple was artificial; In other words, it is totally different from its natural environment. Its pictorial tones and geometric structure were embedded in the panorama as an apart, without merging.

The temples symbolized the rationality of man. This because for a long time man had been guided by nature and its darkness, or lack of knowledge. The achievement of Greek construction enhanced the power and knowledge of man; on this was based the Greek architecture.

References

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2. Harris, R. (2011). The Landscape of the Gods: Greek Sanctuaries of the Classical Age and their Natural Environment. Aisthesis, (49), 67-83. Recovered from redalyc.org.
3. Jones, M. (2014). Origins of Classical Architecture: Temples, Orders, and Gifts to the Gods in Ancient Greece. Recovered from: eaststemcell.com.
4. Marconi, C. (2004). Kosmos: The Imagery of the Archaic Greek Temple. Res: Anthropology and aesthetics 45. Recovered from journals.uchicago.edu.
5. Scully, V. (2013). The Earth, the Temple, and the Gods: Greek Sacred Architecture. Trinity University Press, Texas. Recovered from books.google.co.ve.