The Development of Ancient Greek Temples Essay Example

the interior changes, but the typical plan consists of a pronaos, cella, and opisthodomos. The plan at right is a common plan of a Greek temple.

They were houses for the gods rather than places for congregational worship.The actual practice of religion was focused on the altar, which was usually separate from the temple. The art and architecture of Ancient Greece can be categorized into several time periods based on style and other visual characteristics. The Archaic time period can be broken down into Early Archaic (c.

600 - 570 B. C. ), Middle Archaic (c. 570 - 530 B. C. ), and Late Archaic (c.

530 - 480 B. C. Following the Archaic time period is the Classical era, which is broken down into Early Classical (c. 480 – 450 B. C. ), High Classical (c.

450 – 400 B. C. ), and Late Classical (c. 00 – 323 B. C. ).

By identifying and analyzing temples from each of the time periods, the chronological development of the Greek temples is apparent. Temples that were created earlier are simpler than later temples and have less architectural sculpture and decoration. Before the colonnaded stone temples were the simpler naoi of the 9th and 8th centuries B. C. These were created out of local materials such as perishable wood and mud-bricks. Although art historians are not sure whether they are temples or houses, their plans resemble a simplified form of the later common megaron plan.

A terracotta temple model from Perachora shows the building with a pronaos, or front porch, with two columns on the front. There is an interior cella, and the back end is curved

in apse form. Another terracotta temple model which probably dates to about 50 years later very closely resembles the model from Perachora. However, this model has a straight back, and the surface of the model is painted. The differences between the two models exemplify the progression of architectural form in early Greek temples.

Temple models such as these also give us a clue to the early architecture of temples in Greece.The Temple of Apollo at Dreros (Crete) is an actual temple rather than a model, but still dates to the second half of the 8th century B. C. Similar to the temple models, in the plan of this temple is a porch with a main cella behind it. There is a hearth in the middle of the cella for sacrifices and offerings to gods. This temple gives us more concrete evidence of early Greek temples.

The Temple of Apollo at Thermon is an example of a temple plan that transitioned into the Early Archaic time period. This temple, which dates to about 640 B. C. , was much longer and narrower than the previous temples.

Its shape and size lead the way for future Greek temples. It had a long, narrow cella, as well as an opisthodomos, or chamber open at the back. The walls were made of brick, and the entablature and columns were made of wood. There was a colonnade around the temple, as well as a single row of interior columns to hold up the roof.

There were five columns at the front and back of the temple, and fifteen on either side. The odd number of columns at the front and back

quickly changed to an even number because a person entering the temple wouldn’t be able to see the cult statue with a row of columns down the center of the building.The Temple of Hera at the Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia is an Early Archaic temple that was constructed around 600 B. C. This Doric temple differed greatly from the temple at Thermon. This later temple had six columns on the front and back, with sixteen on either side.

Six columns on the front and back becomes the norm, but the number of columns on either side varies with each temple. The original columns of the temple were made of wood but were later finished with stone. Refinements such as these took place over a long period of time, so there is a wide variety of styles of capitals and sizes of drums.The opisthodomos was enclosed behind the cella for use as a treasury. There was also the addition of the pronaos, or front porch. There were two columns at the front of the pronaos, which becomes standard in Greek temples from here on.

The Temple of Apollo at Corinth, in contrast to the Temple of Hera, had four interior rooms. The Middle Archaic building constructed about 540 B. C. had a pronaos, opisthodomos, and an interior cella divided into two rooms. These two rooms either served as an inner sanctuary or a treasury. There were again six columns at the front and back, but with fifteen on the sides.

The temple was made of local limestone but surfaced with stucco. The columns were monoliths, meaning they were not separated into drums but were constructed as

one large stone. The diameters of the columns on the front were wider than those of the columns on the sides. This, and the fact that the columns were monoliths, points this temple to an earlier date than other Late Archaic and Classical temples. However, although there is no proof, the temple may have been decorated with terracotta revetments.

This addition of decoration exemplifies the development in elaboration of Greek temples.The Temple of Zeus (Olympieum) is a Middle Archaic temple constructed in Syracuse in about 560 B. C. It had the traditional long, narrow cella with a pronaos and secluded adytum.

There were six monolithic columns at front and 17 on either side. This was all similar to previous temples, but the roof decoration and painted terracotta differentiate this temple from previous temples. There was also a second row of columns at the front of the temple which puts emphasis on the facade. The Temple of Athena at Assos in Asia Minor is another Middle Archaic temple, but it was constructed outside of mainland Greece.This Doric temple had many irregularities when compared to other Greek temples. Although there was a pronaos and interior cella, there was no opisthodomos.

In addition, there were no interior columns in the cella. There were six by thirteen columns, as well as two in front of the pronaos. Because this Greek temple was constructed in Asia Minor, the building was made out of a hard, brittle local stone called andesite. No stucco was used to cover the stone.

The temple, although considered Doric, had Ionic touches. The temple also has traces of architectural sculpture on the architrave and in the

metopes.The architrave was not usually sculpted because decoration is not common on the structural parts of buildings. Only the metopes on the facade were sculpted. Nevertheless, this addition of architectural sculpture and the Ionic details emphasize the progress in the elaboration of Greek art and architecture. Greek temples continue to develop into the Late Archaic period.

The Temple of Apollo at Selinus, Sicily was constructed between 520 and 450 B. C. , and its construction was heavily influenced by temples on mainland Greece. With this influence came new forms of capitals, more proportioned columns, and alterations to the ground plan (Berve).Around the cella was a peristyle of eight by seventeen columns.

The temple had a portico, or pronaos, with four by two columns to better see the interior. The cella was divided lengthways into three parts by two colonnades. These characteristics do not become common of later Greek temples. However, this temple had much lighter proportions that earlier temples and the Ionic order could have been used. The Ionic order is used later to add embellishment to the capitals, whereas the Doric order is simpler and is associated with wider and larger columns.

Two temples in the city of Acragas in Sicily were constructed during the Middle Archaic period. The Temple of Zeus Olympios, which was created from about 500 to 406 B. C. , was very different from the traditional temples on the Greek mainland. In place of the colonnade surrounding the building, the columns were attached to a solid wall with seven at the front and back and fourteen on either side. There was no pronaos, and the cella was formed by two rows

of twelve piers which were also engaged to a wall.

The opisthodomos at the west end was separated from the cella but opened to the rear.Because the space between the columns was great and the stone was soft, the architrave could not hold up the stone. As a result, large nude male figures were added to support the stone. These figures represent the increase of elaboration of sculpture on Greek temples. The architect of the Temple of Heracles at Acragas had the temples of Syracuse and Selinus in mind when constructing the building. However, he wanted to surpass the other temples, especially in size.

The Temple of Heracles exceeded the Temple C at Selinus, previously the largest temple, by about six and a half feet.The temple had the typical pronaos, cella, and opisthodomos, but lacked the usual adytum. The pronaos and opisthodomos were also symmetrically balanced. The columns were comparatively slim and the capitals had a steep curve. The colossal size yet slim columns become common characteristics of Greek temples in the Classical period.

The Classical period in Ancient Greek architecture brings about elaborate architectural sculpture and more complex ground plans. A new order of columns, Corinthian, is introduced, which further adds to the decoration on the temples.The Temple of Athena at Syracuse is a Doric temple that dates to the Early Classical period. It was a peripteral temple with 6 columns on the front and back and 14 on the sides.

This count approaches the classical count of 6 by 13 columns around a temple. The temple has a pronaos, cella, and opisthodomos which opened to the back. There is no adytum, but the

cella was divided into three elongated sections by two colonnades. The temple was made of the plain native limestone like almost all Sicilian temples with a coat of stucco. However, the architect went further by importing marble from Cyclades to add emphasis to the temple’s design.In addition to the marble details, the temples had colorfully painted terracotta on the walls and roof.

The doors to the temple are famous because of their artistic decoration. The doors are filled with figure carvings in ivory and studded with gold nails. The ornate decoration of the terracotta, ivory, and gold on the temple’s roof, walls, and doors exemplifies the advancement of detail on Ancient Greek temples. The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae was an Early Classical temple on mainland Greece that was created around 450 B.

C. The temple had a somewhat typical plan with a pronaos, cella, and opisthodomos.There were again six columns on the front and back and fifteen on the sides. Both the pronaos and opisthodomos had two columns in front. The temple was made of the local flinty limestone, but some parts were made of white marble.

There are traces of pedimental sculpture, and the metopes above pronaos and opisthodomos were sculpted. There was a continuous frieze around the inside of the cella as well. The interior columns in the cella were different from those of past temples. These columns were tall and engaged, and almost all were Ionic.

Three of these columns were Corinthian.The development of Greek temples is apparent through the introduction of the Corinthian column because the emphasis has moved from the purpose of the building to its design and

appearance as well. The Temple of Hephaesteum in Athens was created between 449 and 444 B. C. during the High Classical period.

This Doric temple is simple yet has detailed characteristics that make is a Classical temple. It has the traditional six by thirteen columns around it, as well as a pronaos, cella, and opisthodomos. This ground plan is very common of Classical temples.Although the foundations are made of limestone, the temple is made of Pentelic marble, which also becomes standard.

There is extensive architectural sculpture on the temple. There is a continuous frieze above the porches as well as pedimental sculpture. There is also evidence of paint on the sculpture. The metopes had a red background, and the triglyphs and friezes had a blue background. There were also traces of green and gold detail.

In addition, the walls of cella were prepared for murals but were never executed. These artistic characteristics move this temple away from simplicity and towards embellishment.An example of a Late Classical temple is the Temple of Athena Alea at Tegea. The building was constructed between 360 and 350 B.

C. The Doric temple is peripteral with six by fourteen columns. It has the classical plan with a pronaos, cella, and opisthodomos. However, there are two ramps that lead to this temple: one at the front and another at the north side. The building combines the Archaic tendency of being unusually long for its width with later classical characteristics of tall slender columns and almost curves-less echinus, or capitals (Grinnell).

It was made of conglomerate and local Doliana marble. The temple had decorative sculpture in the pediments and metopes which were more

three-dimensional than architectural sculpture in the past. Another very classical characteristic of this temple was the Corinthian capitals in the cella. These columns were more developed than earlier temples, yet they were still simple.

The realistic and decorative sculpture and the Corinthian columns place this temple in the Late Classical time period. The Temple of Athena Polias at Priene is another Late Classical temple.This temple contrasts with all previous temples mentioned because it is Ionic. In fact, it was regarded in antiquity as the classical Ionic temple. No ‘classic’ of Ionic architecture had been produced in Ionia previous to this temple (Berve).

The monumental temple had swelling, decorative columns that also served as firm structures. The architect conformed to the late classical trend towards clearly balanced dimensional relationships within the temple. This system of proportions created unity in the structure because the peristyle was laid out in a ratio of 1:2.The six by eleven columns were all evenly spaced.

The temple still has the consistent plan of a pronaos, cella, and opisthodomos, but the interior columns were abandoned. The early Ionic emphasis on the entrance was also lost. The Ionic characteristics of the temple can be seen through the exuberant growth of its ornamentation. The volute capitals, marble ceiling, and multicolored moldings demonstrate the idea of the connection between construction and articulation.

The plump, primitive Doric capitals were replaced by the delicate acanthus tendrils that curl up into spirals (Berve).The image at right shows the volutes on the capitals and the decoration on the architrave. The lively and vibrantly animated volutes make up for the lack of sculptural decoration on the temple. This temple was

one of the first to have elaborate decoration on the columns, which makes it an important temple to compare to later Ionic temples. The development of Ancient Greek temples can be seen through the use of the different Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders.

“The elements and their arrangement were established as an order of things, and within that disciple, architecture and the use of Orders evolved (Taylor).Earlier temples from the Archaic time period have simple Doric columns. As time progresses into the Later Archaic periods, Ionic details emerge. Corinthian columns are used in the Classical period as the emphasis on the temple moves towards the embellishment of its appearance. The number of columns also changes with the development of the temple. Earlier temples have an odd number of columns on the front and back while later ones conform to the norm of six columns on the front and back.

Early temples of the 8th century B. C. were made of mud brick and wood.These temples do not survive today. Archaic temples progress to use local stone such as limestone. Later temples, such as those of the Classical time period, use expensive imported marble to increase the elaboration of the temples.

The different orders, number of columns, and materials used can help to analyze the development of Ancient Greek temples. From the pre-Archaic terracotta temple models of the 8th century B. C. to the monumental Ionic Temple of Athena Polias of the 4th century B. C. , we can see how religious architecture in Greece changed and developed.

The way in which these temples were constructed depended on the architect and the time period in which they

were created. “Greek architecture, but especially the evolution of the Doric temple, differs conspicuously from every comparable phenomenon of art history in its unwavering line of growth” (Berve). Through the analysis of these temples from different time periods in Ancient Greece, we can see the progression in architecture from the simple to the elaborate and complex. Bibliography Barletta, Barbara A.

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