History of World Architecture I: Ancient Aegean, Greece, Persia, Etruscans, and Rome

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering classical architectural terminology, building typologies, and orders across the Ancient Aegean, Classical Greece, Achaemenid Persia, Etruria, and Republican Rome.

ashlar

Hewn stone masonry with even faces and square edges laid in horizontal courses with vertical joints – as opposed to rubble or unhewn stone straight from the quarry.

corbel

Parallel masonry layers, each projecting beyond the one below.

corbel arch

A "false" arch constructed by progressively cantilevering or corbelling from the two sides with horizontal joints.

cushion capital

In pre-Classical Greek architecture, a simple rounded capital carved from a block of stone, resembling a round cushion or pillow.

cyclopean stones

In pre-Classical Greek architecture, masonry constructed of very large irregular blocks of stone. The later Greeks believed such masonry was the work of a race of giants, the Cyclopes.

dromos

A long, high-walled, sloping entrance passage to a Mycenaean tholos tomb.

jamb

The vertical face of an archway, doorway, or window.

labyrinth

A building with, or arrangement of, winding and confusing passageways.

megaron

The principal hall of an Anatolian, Cretan, or Mycenaean palace or house. It is rectangular in plan, with a circular central hearth and a front porch formed by the prolongation of the side walls.

postern

A small gateway, sometimes concealed, at the back of a castle, town, or monastery.

propylaeum (propylon)

An entrance-gateway to an enclosure (usually to a temple or palace precinct).

relieving arch

An arch, usually of rough construction, placed in a wall above an arch or any opening, to relieve it of much of the superincumbent weight.

tholos (Mycenaean)

(pl., tholoi) A round tomb. In Mycenaean architecture, a round, corbel-vaulted tomb; also referred to as a "beehive" tomb.

hypostyle hall

A large hall composed of many columns placed closely together to support the roof, which gives the appearance of a forest of columns.

Persepolis

Greek, "the Persian city." Ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Dynasty of Persia, ca. 550 to 330 BC.

Apadana

The grand Audience Hall of Darius and Xerxes at Persepolis, Persia (modern day Iran), ca. 500 BC.

arch

A curved structural member that spans an opening and is generally composed of wedge-shaped blocks (voussoirs) that transmit the downward pressure laterally.

arcuation

(adj., arcuated) Having arches; a system of architecture dependant upon arches.

centering

In arch construction, the temporary wooden framework used to hold construction material in place until a vault or arch is self-sustaining.

keystone

The central voussoir at the top of a completed arch.

tufa

A soft porous volcanic rock.

tumulus

(pl., tumuli) Burial mound; in Etruscan architecture, tumuli cover one or more subterranean multi-chambered tombs cut out of local tufa.

Tuscan Order

The standard Etruscan order. A Tuscan column resembles a Greek Doric column, but is made of wood, is not fluted, and has a base.

voussoir

A wedge-shaped stone used in the construction of an arch or vault.

amphitheater

An elliptical or circular space surrounded by rising tiers of seats, as used by the Romans for gladiatorial contests; e.g., the Colosseum in Rome.

apse

A vaulted semicircular or polygonal termination.

aqueduct

An artificial channel for carrying water, usually an elevated masonry or brick structure supported on arches; invented by the Romans.

barrel vault

The simplest form of vault, consisting of a continuous vault of semicircular or pointed sections, unbroken in its length by cross vaults; also known as a tunnel vault.

basilica

In Roman architecture, a large meeting-hall used in public administration. Often Roman basilicas were oblong in form with aisles and galleries and an apse opposite the entrance (which may be on the long end or the short end).

buttress

A projecting mass of masonry serving to provide additional strength for the wall as it resists the lateral thrust exerted by an arch or vault.

castrum

Roman military camp, built on a common rectangular layout throughout the Empire. A castrum was surrounded by a rampart and a wall with towers, and crossed by two main streets, running between four gates. The headquarters (praetorium) lay at their intersection.

concrete (Roman)

Artificial stone made by a mixture of specific proportions of cement, water, and aggregate, such as crushed stone and sand.

dome

A vault of even curvature erected on a circular base.

forum

In Roman architecture, a central open space, usually surrounded by public buildings and colonnades; corresponds to the Greek agora.

groin vault

A vault produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults of identical shape.

hypocaust

The underground chamber or duct of the Roman system of central heating, the floor being heated by the hot air circulating below.

insula

An ancient Roman apartment block.

thermae

In Roman architecture, public baths usually of great size and splendour, consisting of bathing rooms of varied heating intensity and facilities for exercise and relaxation.

opus incertum

Random Roman concrete facing composed of small stones; used second to first centuries BC.

opus reticulatum

Roman concrete facing composed of small square stones set diagonally; used first century BC to first century AD.

opus testaceum

Roman concrete facing of flat bricks or tiles; used starting mid-first century AD.

tepidarium

Room with a bath of warm water in Roman thermae.

caldarium

Room with a bath of hot water in Roman thermae.

frigidarium

Room with a bath of cold water in Roman thermae.

agora

The open meeting place or market place in an ancient Greek city.

bouleuterion

An ancient Greek assembly building or council hall.

choragic monument

A monument built to honor the winner of a choral contest.

odeion

A small ancient Greek or Roman theater, often roofed and used for musical performances.

palaestra

An ancient Greek wrestling school; or, more generally, an ancient Greek or Roman building for athletic training.

proskenion

(proskene / proscenium) A raised platform from which actors performed their lines in a Greek theater.

skene

A backdrop building in a Greek theater.

stoa

In ancient Greece, a long, roofed portico with columns along the front and a wall at the back used for shops, meetings, or exhibitions.

tholos (Greek)

A circular building with a conical or vaulted roof, and with or without a peristyle.

Hippodamian grid

A city planning system based on an orthogonal rectilinear grid, named after Hippodamus of Miletus (active ca. 500 BC).

The Greek Orders

The three classical architectural systems developed in ancient Greece—Greek Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian—each distinguished by characteristic column profiles, capital forms, and entablature moldings.

Doric Order Anatomy

The structural and decorative parts of the Doric order: an entablature divided into a cornice, frieze (with alternating triglyphs and metopes), and architrave, supported by a column composed of a capital (abacus and echinus) and a shaft with sharp arrises and flutes, resting directly on the stylobate.

Ionic and Corinthian Orders Anatomy

The architectural components of the Ionic and Corinthian orders: entablatures with molded cornices (often containing dentils), continuous friezes, and fasciated architraves, supported by columns with ornate capitals (volutes in Ionic; acanthus leaves and volutes in Corinthian), fluted shafts separated by fillets, and molded bases resting on plinths.

Evolution of the Doric Order

The conceptual progression of the Greek Doric order from primitive wooden huts and post-and-beam construction to petrified stone architecture, as seen in the Parthenon, where timber rafters and pegs evolved into stone triglyphs, metopes, and guttae.

acropolis

Greek, "high city." The upper citadel of a Greek city, usually the site where important temples were erected.

caryatid

A sculptured female figure used as a column, as on the Erechtheion at the Acropolis of Athens.

cella (or naos)

The sanctuary of a Greek temple, which houses the cult statue.

Chalcotheca

Armory at the Acropolis in Athens, holding the arms of the goddess Athena, as well as votive offerings.

crepidoma

In Greek architecture, the stepped platform upon which the superstructure of a building is erected. The uppermost level of the crepidoma is the stylobate. The lower levels are called the stereobate.

stereobate

A substructure of masonry visible above ground level; the lower levels of the crepidoma.

stylobate

A continuous flat coping or pavement on which a row of columns is supported; the uppermost level of the crepidoma.

entasis

Literally, swelling. A slight convex curve to the profile of a column.

kore

Greek, young woman. An Archaic Greek statuary type depicting a young woman.

kouros

Greek, young man. An Archaic Greek statuary type depicting a young man.

opisthodomos

A false rear porch of a Greek temple, usually containing the treasury.

Order

In classical architecture, a column with base (usually), shaft, capital, and entablature, decorated and proportioned according to one of the accepted modes (e.g., Greek Doric, Ionic, or Corinthian).

pediment

In classical architecture, a low-pitched gable above a portico, formed by running the top member of the entablature along the sides of the gable.

peplos

A simple long woolen belted garment worn by ancient Greek women.

peristyle

A single colonnade surrounding a building or courtyard.

pilaster

A shallow pier or rectangular column projecting only slightly from a wall, and, in classical architecture, conforming with one of the orders.

Pinacotheca

Greek, picture gallery. At the Acropolis of Athens this room of the Propylaea contained a picture gallery and functioned as a rest lounge for visitors.

polis

Greek, city.

portico

A roofed space, open or partly enclosed, forming the entrance and center-piece of the façade of a temple, house, or church, often with detached or attached columns and a pediment. It is called prostyle or in antis according to whether it projects from or recedes into a building.

pteroma

In a Greek temple, the space between the walls and the colonnades.

pronaos

Antechamber before the naos (cella).

tympanum

The triangular space enclosed by the mouldings of a pediment.

in antis

Having columns placed between two pilasters (antae) on the ends of projecting walls.

prostyle

(from Greek stylos, meaning pillar) Having columns across the front of a temple, but not between the projecting walls.

amphiprostyle

Same as prostyle, but with columns at both ends of the temple.

distyle

A portico or temple front having two columns across its façade.

tetrastyle

A portico or temple front having four columns across its façade.

hexastyle

A portico or temple front having six columns across its façade.

octastyle

A portico or temple front having eight columns across its façade (e.g., the Parthenon).

pteron

(from Greek ptero-, row of columns) An exterior colonnade.

peripteral

Surrounded by a single peristyle or row of columns.

dipteral

Surrounded by a double peristyle or double row of columns.

Archaic Period (Greek)

Period in Greek art and architecture dating ca. 600 BC — 480 BC.

Classical Period (Greek)

Period in Greek art and architecture dating ca. 480 BC — 323 BC.

Hellenistic Period (Greek)

Period in Greek art and architecture dating ca. 323 BC — 31 BC.

Palace Complex (“Palace of King Minos”), Knossos, Crete, ca. 1700-1380 BC

Citadel at Tiryns, peloponnesus, Mycenare, ca. 1300 BC

Megaron, Palace at Pylos, 13th century BC

Citadel and Palace of Mycenae, Greecee, ca. 1330 BC

Treasury of Atreus, Mycenae, Greece, ca. 1330 BC

The Doric Order, illustration from Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, Entretieins sur l’architecture (Paris, 1872)

The Greek Orders: Doric, Ioninc, Corinthian