As We See Them Today: Ancient Greek Architecture

Traveling to Greece is like going back in time. All over the Acropolis in Athens, ruins of structures depict how Greece formerly looked like in the ancient times. Religion revolved a great deal on the lives of the ancient Greeks. The ancient Greeks had great respect and fear for their gods and goddesses that explain why the ancient Greek architecture and structures were enormously large with the most beautiful intricate designs in all aspects of ancient Greece. Their temples were often built for political purposes and in celebration of civic power as well as to show pride. Other structures of ancient Greek architecture served as thanksgiving offerings to patron deities (for successes in wars, bountiful harvests, etc.).

An example of this is the Parthenon that stands on the Acropolis in Athens, which was built by the ancient Greeks as an offering to Athena Parthenos, Greek goddess of wisdom. The world popular Stone Henge was a place of worship in the ancient times. Additionally, the ancient Greeks were famous for their ideals of order and harmony that reflected in the ancient Greek architecture. Ancient Greek architecture depended on symmetry that arose from proportion called analogia by the ancient Greeks.

3 systems of ancient Greek architecture

Ancient Greek architecture developed three systems which they called "orders" with each having a distinct proportions and detailing. These ancient Greek architecture orders are: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. These styles were applied in the columns and roofs of their structures. Doric and Ionic orders were the main structural systems used in ancient Greek architecture.

The Doric style showed sturdiness and plain at the top. This style was prevalent in mainland ancient Greek architecture and in the colonies in southern Italy and Sicily. Greek Doric temples use a common pattern known as triglyphs (which means three cuttings) and metopes. The triglyphs and metopes alternate each other across at the front of the temple.

The Ionic system is characterized by thinner and more elegant designs with a scroll design on the capital (the top of the pillar). This order is common in eastern Greece and in surrounding islands. The Corinthian order is the least common of the styles used in ancient Greek. Its design is intricately sculptured decorations of acanthus leaves.

Examples of ancient structures are: the Parthenon that used the Doric order design, Erechtheum (built around 421 – 405BC) on the Acropolis has a design depicting the Ionic order, and the Temple of Zeus at Athens is perhaps the most popular example of ancient Greek architecture with the Corinthian design.