APAH Greek Vocab

Acropolis

A high city; a Greek temple complex built on a hill over a city.

Athena

Greek goddess of war and wisdom; patroness of Athens.

Canon

A body of rules; in Greek art, the ideal mathematical proportion of a figure.

Caryatid

A female figure shaped column (atlantid – male).

Cella

The main room of a temple where the god/deity is housed.

Contrapposto

A graceful arrangement of the body based on tilted shoulders and hips and bent knees.

Entablature

The upper story of a Greek temple.

Frieze

A horizontal band of sculpture.

Gigantomachy

A mythical Greek war between the Giants and Mount Olympian gods.

Isophalism

The tradition of depicting heads of figures on the same level.

Kiln

An oven used for making pottery.

Kouros

An archaic Greek sculpture of a standing youth.

Krater

A large Greek bowl used for mixing water and wine.

Mosaic

A decoration using pieces of stone, marble or colored glass that are cemented to a wall or a floor.

Nike

Ancient Greek goddess of victory.

Pediment

The triangular top of a temple that contains sculpture.

Peristyle

The colonnade surrounding a Greek temple.

Peplos

A garment worn by women in Ancient Greece, usually full length and tied at the waist.

Portico

An entranceway into a building having columns supporting a roof.

Propylea

A gateway leading to a Greek temple.

Relief Sculpture

Sculpture that projects from a flat background.

Bas-Relief Sculpture

A very shallow relief sculpture.

Shaft

The body of a column.

Tholos

An ancient Greek shrine.

Zeus

King of the ancient Greek gods; known as Jupiter to the Romans; god of sky and weather.