Minoan Art
Sculpture and Art in Ancient Greece
Greek art and sculpture has had a profound effect throughout the
ages. Many of the styles have been reproduced and copied by some of
what the modern day audiences would class as some of the finest artists
to have ever lived e.g. Michelangelo. Western art and sculpture derived
from Roman art, while in the East, Alexander the Great's conquest gave
birth to Greco-Buddhist art, which has even had an influence as far as
Japan all of which stem from ancient Greek art. The Greeks used many
different types of materials in their sculptures including stone, marble
and limestone as these were abundant in Greece. Other materials such
as clay were also used but due to their brittle nature very few have
survived. Greek sculptures are very important as the vast majority of
them tell us a story about Gods, Heroes, Events, Mythical Creatures and
Greek culture in general. Many of the statues that have survived are
actually of Roman origin. Like many people today the Romans had a deep
respect for Greek sculptures and many were copied. If the Romans had
not made these copies, many of the Greek Legends and stories that we
know today would have been lost to antiquity. Greek sculptures are
mainly divided into 7 time periods - Mycenaean Art, Sub-Mycenaean or
Dark Age, Proto-Geometric, Geometric Art, Archaic, Classical and
Hellenistic.
Mycenaean art is the first era in which we find surviving examples
of Greek art. This era dates from around 1550 BC to 1200 BC on the
Greek mainland. During this period there were two separate
civilisations living on the mainland, the Greeks and the Mycenaeans.
The Greeks at the time learnt a lot from the Mycenaeans, who where more
technologically advanced. The Greeks learnt how to build gates and
tombs (such as Agamemnon's tomb in the 'Bee-hive') and how to use
different metals in art, using Mycenaean techniques. The famous
Cyclopean Wall of Mycenae before the lion gate is a good example of
their masonry skills. The Mycenaeans were also fantastic goldsmiths
which can be seen from finds such as 'Agamemnon's Death Mask' found in a
grave dating back to the 16th Century. Other items such as ivory
figures (the head of a warrior with boars' tuck helmet) and a Rock
Crystal 'sauceboat' dating between the 16th and 13th Century show they
could craft out of other materials as well.
Around 1200 BC, attributed to the Homeric Fall of Troy, seems to be
the down fall of Mycenaean art, this time period being known as the
Sub-Mycenaean or the Dark Ages. This time period lasted from around
1100 to 1025 BC and very few examples of statutes or art have been
found. The few items that have been found show no new methods or
innovation. This is probably due to the constant wars and invasions
which crippled the growth of their civilisation during that time.
The next phase (ca. 1025 - 900 BC) is known as the Proto-Geometric
art era. We begin to find pottery starting to be decorated with simple
shapes, wavy lines and black hands. It is thought that this time period
was the Greeks' first expression of reviving their civilisation. With
the invention of faster pottery wheels and other innovations it is
believed that experimenting with pottery began. Notable examples of
this era have a broad horizontal band about the neck and belly,
concentric circles applied with a compass and multiple brushes. They are
mainly of abstract elements.
Geometric
Art dates from around 900 - 700 BC and was a dramatic transformation
that led to the establishment of primary Greek institutions such as the
Greek city - state (polis) and the Greek alphabet. Sculptures and
carvings began to be made representing each city states' heroes and past
legends including animals and humans. The growth of new trade routes
and the opportunities for colonisation permitted Greek art to flourish.
Large temples and sanctuaries were built in tribute to the Gods and
were furnished with precious statues and art. The armed warrior, the
chariot, and the horse are the most familiar symbols of the Geometric
period. The only thing that was yet to emerge from this newly
burgeoning Greek passion for the arts was the solid stone statue.
With the newly established trade routes in the Levant and the Nile
Delta we begin to see an amalgamation of Greek and oriental art. This
led to the Archaic age (ca. 700 - 450 BC) which showed a more
naturalistic style reflecting significant influence from the Near East
and Egypt. This is known as the Orientalising Phase (735 - 650 BC) and
happened gradually. Many Greek artists began to assimilate ideas from
their Eastern counterparts, starting to use palmette and lotus
compositions, animal hunts and such composite beasts as griffins (part
bird, part lion), sphinxes (part woman, part winged lion), and sirens
(part woman, part bird). Competition between the Greek artists
throughout the Greek mainland and colonies began to emerge to see who
could produce the greatest and most innovative marvels. Sculptors in
the Aegean islands, notably on Naxos and Samos, carved large-scale
statues in marble. Goldsmiths on Rhodes specialized in fine jewellery,
while bronze workers on Crete fashioned armour and plaques decorated
with superb reliefs. The prominent artistic centres of mainland Greece,
notably Sparta, Corinth, and Athens, also exhibited significant regional
variation. Sparta and its neighbours in Laconia produced remarkable
ivory carvings and distinctive bronzes. Corinthian artisans invented a
style of silhouetted forms that focused on tapestry-like patterns of
small animals and plant motifs. By contrast, the vase painters of Athens
were more inclined to illustrate mythological scenes. Despite the
differences in dialect - even the way the alphabet was written varied
from region to region at this time - the Greek language was a major
unifying factor in Greece as it is today with English speaking
countries. Huge sanctuaries and temples were built and decorated with
the finest motifs, as competition was fierce in the Greek world to
surpass previous works of art. The Archaic age was best known for the
emergence of stone statues of humans, such as the limestone kouros
(male) and kore (female) statues.
Statue of Kouros c.590 BC
These new statues showed young humans naked and always with a smile
on their face. The main aim was to try and show perfection in human
form, however, the majority of statues came across as rigid and
unnatural. Despite these flaws it was the Greeks who first invented the
free standing statues during this era. Athens, by 550 BC, had
perfected the use of 'black figure pottery' which it subsequently
successfully exported throughout the Greek world. Among the great
painters of Attic black-figure vases, Sophilos, Kleitias, Nearchos,
Lydos, Exekias, and the Amasis Painter experimented with a variety of
techniques to overcome the limitations of black-figure painting with its
emphasis on silhouette and incised detail. The consequent invention of
the red-figure technique, which offered greater opportunities for
drawing and eventually superseded black-figure, is conventionally dated
about 530 B.C. and attributed to the workshop of the potter Andokides.
Classical
Art (480 - 323 BC) was created during a "golden age", from the time
Athens rose to prominence and Greek expansion, right up until the death
of Alexander the Great. The Classical age could be seen as a turning
point in art and produced some of the most exquisite sculptures known
today. It was during this age that sculptors had mastered marble and
began creating statues that showed joyous freedom of movement and
expression, while celebrating mankind as an independent entity (atomo).
Discobolos, Ancient Greek Statue
The best example showing freedom of movement is the Discobolos (The
Discus Thrower) by Myron in the Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome. This is
one of the most famous classic Greek statues from this period. The
Classical age also saw the first time human anatomy was deemed worthy of
being portrayed in a statue and for ever immortalised in stone and
bronze. Portraying people in a static and stiff position had now been
replaced with the more modern 'snap-shot' three-dimensional movements,
so that people could admire the human body for its aesthetic values. It
was the first time that humans could be seen as almost God-Like, which
meant that the human body became the subject of study for the first
time. In ancient Greece, a long intellectual evolution had reached its
logical conclusion during the classical era when 'man as a living
organism on this planet acquired the importance it deserved and gods
became human through marble and bronze'. With the rise of democracy and
philosophy it changed the face of art literally. From the Classical
period all the Greek statues from this time period showed a lack of
expression, whereas, the depiction of 'barbarians' show a dramatic
facial expression. This was because the Greeks believed that
suppression of the emotions was a noble characteristic of all civilised
men, while the public display of human emotion was a sign of barbarism.
Logic and reason was to dominate human expression even during the most
dramatic situations. Temples and sanctuaries cried out for more and
more lavish and monumental statues bringing the legends and Gods to
life, such as the famous motifs from the Parthenon (unfortunately only a
few fragments remain). Statues at funerals also evolved from the rigid
un-human like statues of the past to new modern pieces that showed more
detail and more family orientated scenes, such as the Family group on a
grave marker from Athens, National Archaeological Museum.
The
greatest statues of this age were the Statue of Zeus at Olympia and the
Statue of Athena at the Parthenon, both of which were designed by
Phidias. Smaller copies of these statues still exist but the originals
unfortunately were so awe-inspiring that they were stolen by the
Byzantium Emperors from the Parthenon and later destroyed in what is
thought to have been a fire. The sculptures of Greece more than any
other art form are the pure expression of freedom, self-consciousness
and self-determination. These were the values that motivated the
inhabitants of Ancient Greece to defeat mighty Persia and led them to
the development of a model of society that ensured the dignity of every
man within it.
The Hellenistic Era (323 - 31 BC) began around the death of
Alexander the Great and ended with the battle of Actium in 31 BC. The
Hellenistic period saw dramatic changes compared to previous logic. The
artists of the Hellenistic period did not stick to classical
conventions and rules but turned to a more experimental movement and a
sense of freedom that allowed the artist to explore his subjects from
different unique
points of view.
Charioteer of Delphi
The easiest way to explain this is to look at the 'Charioteer of Delphi'
and the 'Boy Jockey' statues. The first statue is from the classical
period and shows greatness and humility whereas the latter is from the
Hellenistic era which shows a greater expression of power and energy.
Artists were also able to take ideas from a much wider area as the Greek
empire was at its peak, reaching even as far as India. This led to a
number of new art styles emerging such as Greco-Bactrian, Indo-Greek and
Greco-Buddhist. With the emergence of Rome it was now more acceptable
to make sculptures of normal people and animals, with sculptors less
obliged to make figures heroic and physically perfect. New Hellenistic
cities started to spread in places like Egypt and Syria, all of which
wanted statues depicting Greek Gods and Heroes to be placed in their
temples. This led to more and more statues and items of pottery being
mass-produced, resulting in a poorer quality of product. That said,
vast improvements in techniques and materials allowed one of the largest
and most magnificent creations in human endeavour, the 'Colossus of
Rhodes' to be built. Unfortunately, the combined effects of looting and
various earthquakes destroyed the statue, thought to have been as big
as the Statue of Liberty. Some of the best known Hellenistic sculpture
s
are Dying Gaul, the Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of
Samothrace, all of which depict a classical hero but have a Hellenistic
twist which shows a more sensuous and emotional taste.
copy : http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Sculpture/
done by : Nur liyana bte hj rosli
The Parthenon
Work began on the Parthenon, built on the Acropolis, in 447 BC to
replace an existing temple which was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC
and cost 469 silver talents to build. The work began under the orders
of Pericles to show the wealth and exuberance of Athenian power. The
name of the building most likely came from a cult statue of Athena
Parthenos housed in the eastern room of the building. This magnificent
structure was built of ivory and gold and was sculptured by the
renowned sculptor Phidias. As with most buildings on the Acropolis it
was dedicated to Athena to thank the Goddess for their success. The
Parthenon was finally finished in 432 BC and was to show the world the
dominance and power of Athens. The vast majority of the money used in
the construction came from the Delian League funds. The Delian League
was a treaty between the Greek states in league against the Persian
Empire. However two years before work started on the Parthenon, the
Athenians had struck a peace treaty with the Persians ending the war,
although the League continued to exist. It is believed that because of
this the league stopped being a mutual defence against Persia but part
of the Athenian Empire. This theory was reinforced when Athens moved
the Leagues treasury from the Pan-Hellenic sanctuary at Delos to the
Parthenon (Opisthodomos room). Not only was the Parthenon a magnificent
structure to look at, but it also showed Athenian dominance over the
rest of the Greek peninsula and that Athens was its Greek imperial
master.
The five main instigators of the design and construction on the
Parthenon were Pericles, Phidias, Kalamis, Ictinus and Calibrates.
Pericles was the leading Athenian statesman at the time, Phidias and
Kalamis were in charge of the design of the sculptures and decorations,
and Ictinus and Calibrates were the main architects. The vast majority
of the 469 silver talents spent on the Parthenon went on transporting
the stone from Mount Pantelakos, which was about 16 kilometres from
Athens, to the Acropolis. It is thought there are around 13400 stones
in the building. The Parthenon is a clear example of Doric design with
Ionic architectural features. The architects used a clever visual
effect in their design of the building. The curvature of the Stylobate,
the taper of the Naos walls (housing the cult statue) and the Entasis
of the columns allow the visual effect to make the temple appear more
symmetrical than it actually is. This design was so renowned it has
been copied centuries later, even the Romans incorporated it into the
design of their buildings, and a good example of this can be seen at the
Roman library at Ephesus. Measured at the top step, the dimensions of
the base of the Parthenon are 69.5 meters by 30.9 meters (228.0 x 101.4
ft). The Cella was 29.8 meters long by 19.2 meters wide (97.8 x 63.0
ft), with internal Doric colonnades in two tiers, structurally necessary
to support the roof. On the exterior, the Doric columns measure 1.9
meters (6.2 ft) in diameter and are 10.4 meters (34.1 ft) high. The
corner columns are slightly larger in diameter. The Stylobate has an
upward curvature towards its centre of 60 millimetres (2.36 in) on the
east and west ends, and of 110 millimetres (4.33 in) on the sides.
Inside the Cella it was made up of both old and new elements. There
was a double pi-shaped colonnade which held the statue Athena
Parthenos. The statue showed Athena dressed in full armour holding Nike
(Goddess of Victory) to the Athenians in her right hand. In the west
room (Opisthodomos) were 4 Ionic columns. The two sloped wooden roofs
had marble tiles with false lion shaped spouts in the corners and false
palmette shaped antefixes running along the edge. The room also held
large marble statues placed on corner pediments, which were adorned with
depictions of Athena's life. The East Pediment showed Athena's birth
from Zeus' head whilst the Olympian Gods watched. The West pediment
portrayed the dispute between Athena and Poseidon over control of Athens
in front of Heroes, the Gods and the mythical Kings of Attica. The
Outer Colonnade was made up of 92 metopes alternating with Triglyphs
that were placed above the epistyle underneath the architrave, all of
which held reliefs, (Trojan War on the northern side, Centauromachy on
the southern side, Amazonomachy on the western side and Gigantomachy on
the eastern side). The Frieze (dated 442-438 BC), which ran along the
top of the Opisthodomos, Pronaos and the Cella was of the Ionic order
and showed the greatest Athenian festival 'Panathinaia'. The festival
held a procession from the Dipylon Gate in the Koromikos to the
Acropolis. The procession was held yearly and had a special procession
every fourth year. Athenians and foreigners came together at the
festival, with all paying tribute and offering sacrifices to Athena.
The Parthenon had been kept in relatively good condition right up
until the 19th century. During this time it had seen a number of
changes. For nearly a thousand years the Parthenon was still used as a
temple to Athena until as late as the 4th Century AD. By this time
Athens had been turned into a province of the Roman Empire and had lost
most of its former glory. Unfortunately sometime in the 5th Century the
Parthenon was raided by a Roman Emperor and the statue of the cult
image of Athena was stolen and taken to Constantinople where it was
later destroyed during the crusades (around 1204 AD). After the looting
by the Roman Emperors the building itself was still intact and was
turned into a church in the 5th Century AD by the Christians. The
Byzantine Christians converted the Parthenon in honour of Parthena Maria
(Virgin Mary), or the Church of the Theotokos (Mother of God), which it
remained for around 250 years. Turning the temple into a church meant
that the building was still kept in good condition apart from a bit a
restructuring internally; for example a few of the columns were removed
as well as some of the marble statues. It also meant that statues and
other motifs depicting more than one god were either removed or
destroyed. The Ottomans converted the Parthenon from a church to a
mosque (ca. 1460s). Again the Parthenon was well maintained and looked
after until the late 17th Century. In 1687 the Venetians, under
Francesco Morosini, attacked the Ottomans in Athens. The Acropolis had
been fortified by the Ottomans (as well as the Athenians over a century
before). The building was also used as a gunpowder store and when the
Parthenon took a direct hit from a mortar fired by the Venetians from
the Hill of Philopappus, the gunpowder exploded and destroyed a large
part of the building. Morosini and his men soon plundered the building,
looting what they could find and destroying the rest, leaving the
partial ruins that can be seen today. As most of the sculptures and
depictions were either looted or destroyed we only know what they looked
like from drawings by Jacques Carrey, a Flemish artist in 1674. What
was left was further damaged in 1801 when many of the depictions and
remaining antiques were forcibly removed by the British Ambassador at
Constantinople, the Earl of Elgin, under orders to make casts and
drawings by the Sultan.
It was only in 1975 that a concertive effort was made by the Greek
government, with help from Europe, to try and restore the damage caused
by the explosion as well as the modern day damage caused by pollution.
Unfortunately the Parthenon will never be restored to its former glory;
however, in time we will hopefully be able to have a better idea of what
it once looked like.
credits:http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Parthenon/
done by Nur Liyana bte hj rosli
The Acropolis
Acropolis in Greek means "
The Sacred Rock, the high city". All around
the world the Acropolis of Athens is known as 'The Acropolis'. There are
many Acropolises in Greece but the Acropolis of Athens is the best
known.
The Acropolis is primarily dedicated to the Goddess Athena. But humans
from the prehistoric era have populated the Acropolis and the caves
around it. Situated in the middle of Athens, many myths, festivals and
important events are connected to the sacred Acropolis. The Acropolis
echoes the grandeur and the power of the Athenian empire.
Geographical Description
Acropolis rock has been a part of Earth since the Late Cretaceous
period. Built of limestone it is based on the Attica plateau and
includes the Likavitos hill, the Philopappos hill, the hill of the
Nymphs, and the Pnyx. The Acropolis is also known as the Cecropia, after
a mythological half serpent-man Cecrops who is considered the first
Athenian King.
With a height of about 70 meters and 300 meters long, it is 150 meters
wide. Many human inhabitants have made constructions here since the
Mycenaean era resulting in the flat top table of the Acropolis. As there
was spring water and caves in abundance, the place was perfect for
human habitation.
History of Acropolis
Neolithic Era
Human occupancy of Acropolis and Attica has been dated back to 6 BC i.e.
during the Neolithic Era. Many unique works of arts and architecture
prove that inhabitation around Attica started in the Upper Paleolithic
period while the caves in Acropolis and Klepsythra springs were occupied
from the Neolithic Period.
Mycenaean Era
In the Mycenaean Era, during the 13th century a well-built wall was
constructed around the hill of Acropolis where the king resided and he
controlled the small settlements around the fortress.
These walls that were created by the Mycenaean kings were around eight
meters high and constructed their palaces inside these walls. These
walls consisted of two barricades. The walls are built in a typical
Mycenaean style consisting of a wall, barricade and a tower on right
hand side for defense. Today very little remains of these walls and
palaces.
The Dark Ages
The Acropolis has seen no major destruction during the Mycenaean Era.
The Acropolis successfully resisted the attack by the Dorians, a fact,
which is supported by Athenian folklore. Therefore the palaces and walls
show no signs of fire or attack. But the Kylons and the Pisistratus had
overtaken the Acropolis, suggesting power transfer. It is during this
period that the 9-gate wall 'Enneapylon' was built around the water
spring 'Clepsydra'.
The 'Sacred Acropolis' Era
The Acropolis became a sacred place in the 6th century BC when a temple
dedicated 'Athenia Polias' was built in the northeastern side of the
hill. The 'Athenia Polias' temple is made up of limestone and many
artifacts and documents were found from this area. The temple is also
known as 'Bluebeard temple' after the 3-headed serpent whose beard was
blue. In the late 6th century BC another temple was built known as the
'Archaios Naos' or the Old Temple, which was built by the Peisistratos.
The Acropolis flourished during the Peisistratos rule when many
religious festivals and memorials were recognized. Many artifacts and
works of art bear inscription describing the splendor of Athens during
the archaic period.
The 'Bluebeard temple' was destroyed when the Athenians defeated the
Persians at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. A much larger and grander
building was built which is known to be the "Older Parthenon". The
Mycenaean gate was also destroyed and replaced by the 'Old Propylon'
monument, which was used for religious purposes.
The "Older Parthenon" construction remained unfinished because the
Persians once again attacked Attica in 480 BC and destroyed Attica and
its monuments. Whatever artifacts were remaining, were buried by the
Athenians (to save them) in the small, natural caves and 2 new walls
were built around Acropolis. These walls were known as the 'The wall of
Themistokles' and 'The wall of Kimon'. Whatever artifacts were buried by
the Athenians during the war, and survived, are known today as the
'Persian Debris'.
The Golden Age of Athens
Whatever chief and sacred temples were built in and around Acropolis and
Attica was during the Golden Age of Athens i.e. from 460 BC to 430 BC.
Pericles was responsible for most of these structures. Pericles was an
ambitious man. The constructions lasted for about half a century.
Phidias, a sculptor and Ictinus and Callicrates, who were architechts,
were in charge of these constructions. Workers who were laborers on
these constructions were paid 1 drachma a day. Temples and monuments
such as the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion and the temple of
Athena Nike were built during this time. The temples on the north of
Acropolis housed earlier sects and Olympian Gods and those at the south
were dedicated to the Goddess Athena and her forms such as Polias,
Parthenos, Pallas, Promachos, Ergane and Nike.
No major structures were constructed from 404 BC to the 1st century BC
during the Peloponnesian Era. In the 7th century BC a small temple
dedicated to Augustus and Rome was built east of the Acropolis.
In spite of many Roman invasions of Greece, the Acropolis has retained
its charm and has been saved from destruction and looting.
Advent of Christianity
As time passed, natural degradation and human interference both
affected the Acropolis. As Christianity was introduced, the monuments
were converted into churches. All the structures were renamed and served
as churches and cathedrals. During the medieval period, some of the
structures became residences or headquarters for kings such as the
Frankish or Turkish rulers. Due to reasons such as wars, invasions and
attacks important structures such as the Parthenon, etc were destroyed
leading to a tragic loss of history. It was only during the late 20th
century that the Acropolis was excavated properly and paid attention to.
The excavation and restoration process is ongoing. The artifacts and
works of arts can be seen at the Acropolis Museum.
credits
done by liyana
Ionic Order :
The Temple of Apollo at Didyma - The Greeks built the Temple of
Apollo at Didyma, Turkey (about 300 BC). The design of the temple was
known as dipteral, a term that refers to the two sets of columns
surrounding the interior section. These columns surrounded a small
chamber that housed the statue of Apollo. With Ionic columns reaching
19.5 m (64 ft) high, these ruins suggest the former grandeur of the
ancient temple.
The Temple of Athena Nike - part of the Acropolis in the city of
Athens. The Greeks built the Temple of Apollo at Didyma, Turkey (about
300 BC). The design of the temple was known as dipteral, a term that
refers to the two sets of columns surrounding the interior section.
These columns surrounded a small chamber that housed the statue of
Apollo. With Ionic columns reaching 19.5 m (64 ft) high, these ruins
suggest the former grandeur of the ancient temple.
Corinthian Order:
- most ornate of the classic orders of architecture. It was also the
latest, not arriving at full development until the middle of the 4th
cent. B.C. The oldest known example, however, is found in the temple of
Apollo at Bassae (c.420 B.C.). The Greeks made little use of the order;
the chief example is the circular structure at Athens known as the
choragic monument of Lysicrates ( 335 B.C.). The temple of Zeus at
Athens (started in the 2d cent. B.C. and completed by Emperor Hadrian in
the 2d cent. A.D.) was perhaps the most notable of the Corinthian
temples.
credits http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Art/
Done by Nur liyana bte hj rosli
Doric Order :
Parthenon -
temple of Athena Parthenos ("Virgin"), 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.
Ionic Order :
Erechtheum - temple from the middle classical period of Greek art
and architecture, built on the Acropolis of Athens between 421 and
405BC.
The Erechtheum contained sanctuaries to Athena Polias, Poseidon, and
Erechtheus. The requirements of the several shrines and the location
upon a sloping site produced an unusual plan. From the body of the
building porticoes project on east, north, and south sides. The eastern
portico, hexastyle Ionic, gave access to the shrine of Athena, which was
separated by a partition from the western cella. The northern portico,
tetrastyle Ionic, stands at a lower level and gives access to the
western cella through a fine doorway. The southern portico, known as the
Porch of the Caryatids (see caryatid) from the six sculptured draped
female figures that support its entablature, is the temple's most
striking feature; it forms a gallery or tribune. The west end of the
building, with windows and engaged Ionic columns, is a modification of
the original, built by the Romans when they restored the building. One
of the east columns and one of the caryatids were removed to London by
Lord Elgin, replicas being installed in their places.
Credits : http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Art/
Done By : Nur Liyana bte Hj rosli
Architecture in ancient Greece :
Greek life was dominated by religion and so it is not surprising that
the temples of ancient Greece were the biggest and most beautiful.They
also had a political purpose as they were often built to celebrate civic
power and pride, or offer thanksgiving to the patron deity of a city
for success in war.
Greek Temple Architecture :
The Greeks developed three architectural systems, called orders, each
with their own distinctive proportions and detailing. The Greek orders
are: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.
Doric
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.
Ionic
The Ionic style is thinner and more elegant. Its capital is decorated
with a scroll-like design (a volute). This style was found in eastern
Greece and the islands.
Corinthian
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.
Credits :http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Art/
Done By : Nur Liyana Bte Hj Rosli
