THE GREEK COLUMNSDEVELOPMENT & USE
KATHRYN URSENBACHHUMANITIES 101
There are three different styles (also called Orders) of Greek architecture:
DORIC IONIC CORINTHIAN
THE DORIC COLUMN• Developed around the 6th century B.C.
• Used in Greece until about 100 BC
• No Base
• Shaft is wider at the bottom
• Shaft has 20 flutes
• Smooth, round capitals (tops)
• No carvings or other ornaments
The Doric column is oftentimes associated with strength and masculinity.
The Parthenon Temple
THE IONIC COLUMN
• First used in the mid-6th century BC
• Stands on a base of stacked disks
• Shafts are usually fluted, but can be plain
• A pair of volutes (scroll-shaped ornaments) decorates the capital
Roman historian Vitruvius compared this delicate order to a female form, in contrast to the stockier
"male" Doric order.
The Temple of Athena Nike
in Athens, Greece
THE CORINTHIAN COLUMN• Probably invented by Callimachus, a Greek sculptor and architect who lived in the 5th century BC
• Named after Corinth, a city in Greece
• Developed in Athens, Greece
• Rarely used in Greece
• Fluted (grooved) shaft
• Capital decorated with scrolls, acanthus leaves, and flowers
• Ornaments on the capital flare outwards, suggesting a sense of height
Temple of Olympian Zeus
in Athens, Greece.
Digital image. DeviantART. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. <http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=colesseum>.
Greek Columns. Digital image. Google Images. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. <http://images.google.com>.
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"Doric Column - Definition of Doric Column - Architecture Glossary." Architecture and House Styles and Building Design. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. <http://architecture.about.com/od/buildingparts/g/doric-column.htm>.
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