Greek Architecture Vs Roman Architecture

Through this essay I will be discussing the comparisons and the contrast between temples in Greek architecture and roman architecture. I will be commenting on the forms, materials, technology and the siting to compare and contrast the architecture of ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Also I will discuss how these points reflect the structure of the Greek and roman societies from which the temples emerged.

Greek Architecture

There were three main styles in Greek architecture, these styles were called the Doric style, Ionic style and the Corinthian style. Each of these styles consisted of a vertical support called a column, each column extended from a solid base at the bottom to a shaft in the central part of the column and a capital at the top

In this form columns are often placed very close together and generally did not have bases to the columns. The shafts of the columns were constructed with concave curves called flutes and the capitals of the columns would be plain and they would have a rounded section near the bottom of the element, these were called the echinus, the capital would also have a square at the top, this element was known as the abacus. Another distinctive part of the Doric form is the frieze of the entablature, the frieze is decorated with vertical channels, which are called triglyphs. The spaces located between these triglyphs are called the metopes, these metopes could be left plain but were often sculpted for extra decoration with ornamentation or figures. The frieze and architrave of the entablature in the Doric form were separated by a band called the

It is called the ionic form due to being first developed by the people of the Ionian Islands. The ionic form was viewed as a more delicate form compared to the Doric form, the ionic form was considered more feminine and the Doric form masculine. The ionic form was more so used for smaller buildings or the interior of the larger buildings in Greek architecture. The more recognizable elements of the ionic form are the volutes, which are shaped like two scrolls on the capital. It has been suggested that these scroll shaped volutes are based on nautilus shells. Another recognizable element of the ionic form is the curved section between the volutes, this is often carved with oval shaped decorations. On the ionic form the entablature above the capital is much narrower than in the Doric form and also the frieze on the ionic form contains a continuous line of sculpture A classic example of the ionic form is the Temple of Hera on the island of Samos which was built around the years 570 B.C and 560 B.C, the Temple of Hera was built by an architect by the name of Rhoikos. Unfortunately, the temple only stood for a decade due to being levelled by an earthquake.

An example of the Doric form and the ionic form used in cooperation is the Parthenon in Greece. Construction of the Parthenon started around the year 447 B.C and completed around the year 438 B.C.