Temple Architecture: Roman Topography (3)

BiI '26

Greek temple tendencies

Peripteral, sit on stylobates, 3 steps, accessible from all sides, Doric columns

Peripteral

Columns all the way around the temple

Stylobates

Low platforms of temples

[#]style (e.g. octastyle, tetrastyle)

Term for denoting the scale of a temple by how many columns run on the front of it

naos

Central area in Greek temples with cult statue

Roman temple tendencies

Influenced by Etruscan; high podiums, many stairs, clear front, porticos

Cella

Central area in Roman temples (enclosed)

Prostyle

A temple that only has columns around the porticus

Perpiteral sine postico

A temple that has columns on front and sides but not back

Engaged columns

Columns that are built into the wall instead of freestanding

Pseudoperipteral

Columns all the way around it but some are engaged

Order

The type of column: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Composite

Doric order

fat, tapered columns; echinus capital

Ionic order

Straight column shafts; capital with curls (volutes)

Volutes

The curls on an Ionic or Composite order column

Corinthian order

Straight, thin columns; capital with acanthus leaves

Composite order

Corinthian style but acanthus leaves curl into volutes in four corners

Acanthus leaves

Feature on a Corinthian or Composite capital

Parts of a temple roof structure above capital

Abacus, entablature, pediment

Parts of an entablature

Architrave, frieze w/ relief, cornice

Architrave

The part of the temple that sits directly on top of the columns; often just a slab of marble

Frieze

Decorated part of the entablature with images carved in stone (relief)

Cornice

Bottom part of temple roof; resembles crown molding

Pediment

Triangular part of temple roof above cornice

Fluting

Grooves on a column

Abacus

Small piece of stone between the column and the entablature

Egg-and-dart

A type of molding decoration that looks like eggs with darts in between

façade

The front of a temple

Trigylphs and metopes

The alternating decorative elements that make up the Doric frieze

Metopes

Often feature mythological narratives