Greece I Vocab

History of World Architecture I

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

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)

Panathenaic Festival

a festival dedicated to Athena with athletic games occurring in Athens every four years

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)

Stereobate

a substructure of masonry visible above ground level

Stylobate

a continuous flat coping or pavement on which a row of columns is supported

Tympanum

the triangular space enclosed by the mouldings of a pediment

Fluting and aris

the carving in the capital with airs, the sharp line coming down

Stylos

pillar

Ptero

feathered, winged, or a row of columns

In antis

having columns placed between two pilasters (antae) on end of projecting walls

Prostyle

(from Greek, stulus, meaning pillar) having columns across front of temple, but not between the projecting walls

Amphiprostyle

same as prostyle, but with columns at both ends

Distyle

two columns across temple front

Tetrastyle

four columns across front

Hexastyle

six columns across front

Octastyle

eight columns across front

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 row of columns.

Archaic

600-480 BC early

Classical

480-323 BC high

Hellenistic

323-31 BC late

Greco Persian Wars

499-448 BC

Peloponnesian War

432-404 BC Sparta defeats Athens

Intercolumniation

the spacing between columns is not even, they get closer together as they move towards the ends

Amphiprostyle

pro style column on front and back

Parapet

low wall

Metopes

Lapiths battling centaurs