Parthenon Architectural and Sculptural Glossary

Vocabulary flashcards covering the structural and sculptural terms of the Parthenon as detailed in the lecture transcript.

Capital

The topmost member of a column functioning as a structural transition between the vertical shaft and the horizontal load (entablature or arch) it supports.

Abacus

A flat, square, or moulded slab forming the highest, crowning member of a column's capital.

Acropolis

A citadel or fortified part of an ancient Greek city, typically one built on a hill; derived from acro (high) + polis (city).

Annulet

A small fillet or band encircling a column.

Architrave

The lowest band of the entablature, acting as a lintel that spans the columns and supports the rest of the structure.

Agora

A public space used for markets, civic and political gatherings; notably not located on the acropolis.

Base

The bottom section of a column located between the shaft and the pedestal or floor, providing structural stability.

Citadel

A fortress, typically one on high ground above a city.

Column

A vertical structural element that transmits weight, including the shaft, capital, and base.

Cornice

The projecting top moulding that protects the lower elements from rain and provides a decorative cap.

Echinus

The rounded, cushion-like moulding located at the top of a column capital, directly beneath the abacus.

Entablature

The upper horizontal, structural, or decorative element of a classical building resting on column capitals, consisting of the architrave, frieze, and cornice.

Entasis

A slight convex curve in the shaft of a column introduced to correct the visual illusion of concavity produced by a straight shaft.

Flute

The shallow, vertical, concave grooves carved into column shafts, pilasters, or surfaces to create rhythm and verticality.

Frieze

The entire horizontal band containing alternating triglyphs and metopes, positioned above the architrave.

Guttae

Small, cone-shaped "pegs" located beneath each triglyph.

Metopes

The square, often sculpted or painted, panels placed between triglyphs; located above the outer colonnade of the Parthenon.

Pediment

A classical architectural element consisting of a triangular gable, usually found above a horizontal entablature and supported by columns.

Peristyle

A row of columns surrounding a space within a building, such as a court or internal garden, or edging a veranda or porch.

Polychromy

Multicolored; evidence shows triglyphs were originally painted blue, while metope backgrounds were red or white.

Shaft

The vertical, central portion of a column situated between the base and capital.

Taenia

Meaning "ribbon", a small, flat, projecting fillet moulding that separates the top of the architrave from the frieze.

Triglyphs

Architectural elements that frame the metopes of the Doric frieze.

Volute

A scroll-like ornament that serves as a defining feature of classical architecture, particularly in the capitals of Ionic columns.

Catenary folds

U-shaped, drooping folds of drapery that sag between two suspension points, mimicking the natural curve a chain makes under its own weight.

Chiastic pose

A pose using a crisscross X pattern to balance tension, creating a contrast of tension and relaxation between opposites.

High relief

Figures deeply carved and nearly detached from the background, as seen in the Parthenon metopes.

Low relief (bas-relief)

Shallow carving, as seen in the Panathenaic frieze.

Free standing / in the round

A type of artwork fully surrounded by space and designed to be viewed from all angles; pediment sculptures are described as almost in the round.