A Visual Glossary of Classical Architecture

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Mark Cartwright
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published on 10 March 2013
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Architectural Elements of the Parthenon
Architectural Elements of the Parthenon
F.Banister (Public Domain)

Abacus - a large slab placed above the column capital to support the architrave or an arch placed above it.

Akroterion
Akroterion
ECeDee (CC BY-SA)

Akroterion - a decorative piece added to the roof of a temple at the apex and corners, usually made of clay or bronze and often in the form of a palm or statue, for example of Nike.

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Adyton
Adyton
Hazmat2 (CC BY-SA)

Adyton - the most sacred inner part of a temple, usually at the end of the cella furthest from the entrance, often with restricted access to the initiated or priests.

Library of Celsus, Ephesus
Library of Celsus, Ephesus
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Aedicule - a frame formed by two columns and an entablature with pediment.

Cornice, Temple of Athena, Priene
Cornice, Temple of Athena, Priene
S. R. Koehler (Public Domain)

Architrave - the lowest part of the entablature, the part below the frieze.

Temple of Nike, Athens
Temple of Nike, Athens
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Amphiprostyle Temple - when both façades have columns, e.g.: the temple of Nike, Athens.

Phrygian Captive, Corinth
Phrygian Captive, Corinth
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Atlantide - a sculpted male figure acting as a column to support an entablature, named after Atlas.

Arch of Constantine I (South Side)
Arch of Constantine I (South Side)
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Attic Story - the part placed above the entablature of a building, e.g.: often seen in triumphal arches.

Roman Buttress
Roman Buttress
isawnyu (CC BY)

Buttress - a mass placed to support a wall, especially when the wall bears an arch or heavy weight. Flying buttresses support a weight over space and allow for walls to be weakened by the inclusion of niches and windows.

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Corinthian Capital
Corinthian Capital
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Capital - the crown which joins the top of a column with the abacus and aids in distributing weight. Different types include the simple convex Doric and the highly decorative Corinthian with stylized acanthus leaves.

Caryatids of the Erechtheion
Caryatids of the Erechtheion
Dennis Jarvis (CC BY-NC-SA)

Caryatid - a sculpted female figure acting as a column to support an entablature, e.g.: in the Erechtheion.

Theatre of Delphi
Theatre of Delphi
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Cavea - the seated area of a theatre, usually built into a natural slope.

Plan of the Parthenon
Plan of the Parthenon
S. R. Koehler (Public Domain)

Cella - the inner area of a temple, usually rectangular and without windows, sometimes columned. Often subdivided into smaller rooms, the largest of which often housed a large cult statue to a particular deity.

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Architectural Column Orders
Architectural Column Orders
Simeon Netchev (CC BY-NC-ND)

Column - used to support the abacus and architrave without the necessity of a wall. There are several types including the simple and earliest the Doric. They may also be free-standing and often commemorate significant historical events such as Trajan's Column.

Conch - also known as an apse, a recess in a wall often highly decorated or containing a statue.

Cornice
Cornice
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Cornice - the decorative projecting part at the top of the entablature which also aided in drainage of rainwater.

Crepidoma, Temple of Zeus, Olympia
Crepidoma, Temple of Zeus, Olympia
Joanbanjo (CC BY-SA)

Crepidoma - also crēpis, the three steps on which stand the columns of a temple. The final top step is known as the stylobate.

Aerial View of the Temple of Apollo, Miletus
Aerial View of the Temple of Apollo, Miletus
Carole Raddato (CC BY-SA)

Decastyle Temple - with ten columns at each façade, e.g.: the temple of Apollo Didymaeus at Miletus.

Dentils
Dentils
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Dentils - a regular series of squares or rectangles used to decorate cornices.

Seating of the Theatre of Epidaurus
Seating of the Theatre of Epidaurus
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Diazoma - the walkway which horizontally divides the seats in a theatre.

Dipteral Temple - when there are a double row of columns on all sides, e.g.: the Parthenon.

Dodecastyle Temple - with twelve columns at each façade.

Treasury of Atreus, Mycenae
Treasury of Atreus, Mycenae
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Dromos - the monumental unroofed and walled entrance to a tomb, e.g. at Mycenae.

Column Drums, Olympia
Column Drums, Olympia
Mark Cartwright (Copyright)

Drum - the individual circular pieces used to construct some types of columns.

Egg and Dart Ornamentation
Egg and Dart Ornamentation
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Egg and Dart Ornamentation - a typical feature of decoration on cornices.

Temple of Portunus, Rome
Temple of Portunus, Rome
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Engaged Columns - columns which are incorporated within a wall.

Architrave, Capitolium, Brixia
Architrave, Capitolium, Brixia
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Entablature - the structure which lies horizontally above columns and which is composed of the architrave, frieze and cornice.

Doric Temple of Juno, Agrigento
Doric Temple of Juno, Agrigento
Chiara Marra (CC BY)

Entasis - the swelling of a column at its base and centre to give the illusion of being perfectly straight.

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Column Flutes, Parthenon
Column Flutes, Parthenon
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Flute - the curved vertical channel carved in a column.

Gigantomachy, Treasury of the Siphians, Delphi
Gigantomachy, Treasury of the Siphians, Delphi
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Frieze - the widest and central part of the entablature often richly decorated with relief sculpture.

Roman Temple, Nimes, France
Roman Temple, Nimes, France
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Hexastyle Temple - with six columns at each façade, e.g. the Maison Carré at Nimes.

Treasury of The Athenians, Delphi
Treasury of The Athenians, Delphi
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

in antis - when the walls of a portico extend in line with the façade columns.

Inner Archway, Arch of Titus
Inner Archway, Arch of Titus
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Intrados - the inner surface of an arch.

Hercules & The Cretan Bull
Hercules & The Cretan Bull
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Metope - a square space in the frieze between two triglyphs, often filled with relief sculpture or ornaments such as shields.

Monolithic Columns, Corinth
Monolithic Columns, Corinth
Mark Cartwright (Copyright)

Monolithic Column - a column carved from a single piece of stone.

Temple of Baachus, Baalbek
Temple of Baachus, Baalbek
Jerzy Strzelecki (CC BY-SA)

Octastyle Temple - with eight columns at each façade, e.g.: the temple of Bacchus at Baalbek.

Opisthodomos - The small room at the rear of a temple commonly used as a treasury.

Theatre Parodoi, Epidaurus
Theatre Parodoi, Epidaurus
Mark Cartwright (Copyright)

Parodoi - the large arched gateways, either side of the skēnē, through which an audience entered a theatre.

The Zanes, Olympia
The Zanes, Olympia
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Pedestal - the block on which stands a column or statue, composed of the plinth, torus, dado and fascia.

Pediment, Pantheon
Pediment, Pantheon
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Pediment - the triangular space above the entablature at the short sides of a temple. Often richly decorated with sculpture in the round.

Parthenon, East Facade
Parthenon, East Facade
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Peripteral Temple - when all four external sides have columns.

Peristyle
Peristyle
Sailko (CC BY-SA)

Peristyle - the rows of columns which surround a temple or courtyard.

Pilaster Columns
Pilaster Columns
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Pilaster - an ornamental column carved in relief on a wall surface.

Portico, Pantheon
Portico, Pantheon
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Portico - a space for walking, usually columned, e.g.: at the front of a temple.

Pronaos
Pronaos
Benutzer:Ronaldo (Public Domain)

Pronaos - the space between the outer columns and cella entrance in a temple.

Athenian Propylaea Reconstruction
Athenian Propylaea Reconstruction
Immanuel Gial (Public Domain)

Propylon - the monumental gateway to a religious sanctuary or defined space. Often incorporating several separate entrances (propylaia).

Treasury of The Athenians, Delphi
Treasury of The Athenians, Delphi
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Prostyle - a temple with columns only at the front façade.

Lion-shaped Sima
Lion-shaped Sima
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Sima - the gutter which collected rainwater from the roof of a temple, often containing decorative spouts at regular intervals.

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Odeon Of  Herodes Atticus, Athens
Odeon Of Herodes Atticus, Athens
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Skēnē - the background on a theatre stage, later examples were monumental in design.

Temple of Poseidon, Sounion, Greece
Temple of Poseidon, Sounion, Greece
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Stereobate - the surface on which the stylobate stands.

Stoa - a long and narrow columned building often used to enclose a particular space at religious sites and public places such as markets and gymnasia. Used as a meeting place and shelter from the weather.

Stylobate - the foundation on which a row of columns stand. Often slightly curved to aid drainage.

Tetrastyle Temple - with four columns at each façade.

Tholos of Delphi
Tholos of Delphi
Kufoleto (CC BY-SA)

Tholos - A circular-shaped temple, the most famous example being at Delphi.

Entablature with Metope and Triglyphs
Entablature with Metope and Triglyphs
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Triglyph - a decorative element of a frieze with two vertical grooves. Often used in alteration with metopes.

Arch of Constantine I
Arch of Constantine I
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Triumphal Arch - a monumental archway to commemorate Roman military victories and other significant events.

Ionic Capital
Ionic Capital
Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Volutes - the scrolls of an Ionic capital.

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About the Author

Mark Cartwright
Mark is a full-time writer, researcher, historian, and editor. Special interests include art, architecture, and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share. He holds an MA in Political Philosophy and is the WHE Publishing Director.

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APA Style

Cartwright, M. (2013, March 10). A Visual Glossary of Classical Architecture. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/article/486/a-visual-glossary-of-classical-architecture/

Chicago Style

Cartwright, Mark. "A Visual Glossary of Classical Architecture." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified March 10, 2013. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/486/a-visual-glossary-of-classical-architecture/.

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Cartwright, Mark. "A Visual Glossary of Classical Architecture." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 10 Mar 2013. Web. 03 Dec 2024.

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