Ancient Greek Architecture Greeks, or Hellenes most probable product of Aegean peoples and Indo-European invaders 776 B.C.

C. held their first ceremonial games, the Olympics. Athens-head of federation of city-states. Rugged coastline, mountain ridges divide it into many small units. Cold during winter, dry and hot in summer. Their gods live in nature, mountains, assumed human form and was not free from human weakness. Athens was the first to create an open democratic society. Ideal of human freedom of the individual originated here. Greeks were the first to recognize and respect the power of human reasoning. Combination of rational order and search for the beautiful. Greek artist remained a craftsman. The Greek Temple Principal building type is the temple. In plan, derived from the megaron. Simplest form it consisted of a cella single room with one door, fronted by a portico with two columns between the extended side walls known as in antis. Parts of a Greek Temple Stereobate -The lower two steps of the stepped foundation of a Greek temple (known as the crepidoma) Stylobate - The top step of the stepped foundation of a Greek temple (which known as the crepidoma) from which the columns rise. Colonnade (or peristyle).- Refers to the rows of columns Porch (or pronaos) - a three walled room opening into the cella. Cella (or naos) - where the statue of the god or goddess was placed Rear porch (or opisthodomos) - is a false porch behind the cella, often added for reasons of symmetry. Its place might alternatively be occupied by an enclosed adytum (treasure room, sometimes interpreted as a "holy of holies. Plans of Smaller Temples The simplest plan is called In Antis, consists of Naos and Pronaos, in which two columns were built. The Athenians Treasuy was built in this style, though this is not a temple. Developed styles have Opisthodomos with two columns. The temple with the Naos and four columns on the Pronaos is called Prostyle and the style added four more columns on back porch are called Amphiprostyle. The temple of Athena Nike in Athens is this style. The temple with a ring of columns all around the In Antis style is Peripteros with double tiered colonnades in the Naos supporting the roof. The temple of Aphaia is the one of the well preserved one of this style. Some rich cities built grander temple with another colonnade around the Peripteros, called Dipteros, such as the temple of Apollo at Didyma and the temple of Artemis at Ephesos. Some temples omit the inner colonnade of Dipteros; the style is called Pseudo-Dipteros, such as the temple of Artemis at Sardis.