What are the famous buildings in ancient Greece. Ancient Greece

Temples

Temples that served in Greece exclusively for religious purposes give an idea of ​​Greek architecture.

The prototype of the Greek temple is the megaron. The temple was the house of god. Wooden temples have not survived, but they can be judged from later stone temples. Closely spaced columns support horizontal beams (architraves) and gabled roofs. The architrave, frieze and cornice form an entablature decorated with carved details depicting the ends of wooden beams with heads of bronze nails, such as were used to connect elements in wooden temples.

The design of the temples was simple, the architects followed a certain typology. The interior space of the temple, the cella, was the abode of the gods (usually one or two rooms). The temple is often surrounded by a colonnade (usually six or eight columns at the front and rear of the temple and additional rows of columns on the sides). This structure, perfect in its simplicity, was erected using ingenious techniques.

One of the features of Greek architecture is the use of the order, a specific tectonic system used in classical architecture. In the most ancient Doric order, columns with a simple capital consisting of a round echinus and a square abacus slab do not have a base and are placed on a three-stage base (stylobate).

Usually, at the bottom, 1/3 of the height, the column trunk has a thickening (entasis). The entablature surrounding the upper part of the temple consists of three elements: a flat architrave, a frieze, which is divided into triglyphs, shaped like the ends of wooden beams, and smooth or relief metopes; and, finally, a cornice hanging over the lower parts of the building.

All parts have certain dimensions, which are calculated based on the module - the diameter of the column. In early Doric temples (c. 550 BC) such as the temple at Paestum, the height of the column did not exceed four and a half diameters. Over time, the proportions changed. The height of the Parthenon columns is already eight diameters.

Traces of paint were found on the ruins of temples. Polychrome (the use of several colors) gave these buildings a completely different appearance from what we picture in our imagination.

Following the Doric, two more orders appeared. The Ionic order is characterized by thinner and more graceful columns with a base. A distinctive feature of the Ionic capital is the spiral-shaped curls - volutes. The small temple of the Erechtheion and the temple of Athena Nike on the Athenian Acropolis are typical examples of this architectural style, elements of which can be seen in the Doric temple of Apollo at Bassae. Compared to the strict Doric order, the Ionic order seems more “feminine”. The third order, Corinthian, appeared much later. This is the most magnificent of the three orders, characterized by small volutes at the corners of the capital, the lower part of which is decorated with carved acanthus leaves. The Corinthian order was widely used in Rome, it is also very popular in the architecture of classicism and neoclassicism.

Secular buildings

As for secular buildings, an idea of ​​them is given by the monuments of Minoan architecture on the island. Crete. The Palace of Minos appeared before the eyes of researchers as a huge labyrinth. Around the front courtyard there were two- and three-story buildings of various shapes and sizes located unsystematically (or obeying a system that we are not able to grasp). There were no window openings in the rooms; light penetrated through special wells that passed through all floors and created varying degrees of illumination in the halls. The columns of the Knossos Palace were the embodiment of tectonics, expanding not to the bottom, but to the top. The walls were covered with countless frescoes and stripes of ornament, most often in the form of waves or spiral curls, reminiscent of the proximity of the sea and the eternal movement of waves. Human figures are depicted conventionally: for example, the head and legs are in a lateral projection, and the torso is frontal.

It is also impossible not to mention the Greek theater. The Greek theater, with rows of seats for spectators descending in a semicircle to a round orchestra (stage), had no roof.

In the center of any Greek city there was an open square, an agora, where trade and meetings were held. The covered portico gallery at the edge of the agora housed shops, warehouses and offices. Using the example of the almost newly rebuilt stoa of Attalus on the Athenian agora (c. 150 BC), we can imagine what such structures looked like.

Both on the island of Crete and in mainland Greece, starting from the 3rd millennium BC. BC, the houses of ordinary people were built from adobe (sun-dried) bricks, often on a stone foundation. In the largest dwellings, the rooms were grouped around a megaron - a large rectangular courtyard.

In cities, houses were built along the streets, the outer wall was blank, and there was only an inconspicuous entrance. The walls of the houses were covered with plaster. The floor was covered with plaster or paved with gypsum slabs. . The floor, divided into regular squares, was decorated with ornamental motifs with images of octopuses and fish. In many rooms there were benches along the walls, made of the same material as the main building and also plastered. Quite deep niches were built in the walls to store supplies. Bathrooms were present only in palaces. Terracotta baths, reminiscent of modern ones in shape, were decorated with paintings and embedded in a kind of clay pedestal.

Greek architecture reached its greatest flowering in the Athenian - classical - period. Simplicity and clarity of forms and plans, giving rise to a feeling of harmony and reaching perfection in the famous Parthenon. The concept of “classical” implied the deep integrity of an architectural structure, which did not allow anything to be added or removed without destroying the integrity of the work. This is the reason for the Greeks' rejection of luxury. Greek houses looked rather ascetic. The natural simplicity of their decoration, the minimum of furniture: all this is very in tune with modern minimalist interiors.

The plan of a later Greek house was formed around an internal peristyle courtyard, through which all other rooms were illuminated. It also served as the main meeting place and meals. The courtyard was surrounded on all sides by a gallery with columns. The walls were first whitewashed with lime, and later they began to paint them. They were painted with tempera, the favorite color being red. Often the wall had a white or yellow base belt about a meter high. In the courtyard they were usually decorated with carpets and embroidered fabrics.

The floors of the first floor remained adobe. Just like the walls, the floors were sometimes painted, and in the richest houses they were laid out with mosaics. The most common pattern is a circle inscribed in a square. On the second floor there were often rooms for women. The floors here were adobe or wood.

The Greeks were well aware of ivory. This valuable material was used to decorate furniture and other household items: caskets, caskets, etc.

Furniture

Furniture in Greece was made of wood, bronze and marble. The most varied furniture was for seating. A folding stool on an X-shaped support “comes” from Egypt. The Greek carpenters finally began to use a plane and a lathe, which immediately affected the quality of woodworking. The Greeks, apparently, also mastered bending wood using steam - a method “rediscovered” by Europeans again only in the 19th century. The most common form of antique furniture of this time was a stool with four round turned legs that became thinner at the bottom. It was called "diphros". Its legs were made either vertical or slightly diverging downwards and were smooth. There are two main directions in the manufacture of stools. The first type is almost identical to the stool on which we still sit. It was easily transported from place to place, it was not assigned a specific place in the house, and it weighed a little. With the development of culture, stool legs began to be carved in the shape of “lions” - this trend is also alive to this day.

To increase comfort, it was customary to place pillows on such stools. The second type most suits today's definition of a small table. It was used for the same purposes, but was less mobile, that is, it usually stood in one place and could be used not only as a seat, but also as a table. Gradually, various ornaments and even scenes began to be carved on such stools. On special occasions, stools were made of stone and thus survived to this day. There was also a third type, although it is hardly appropriate to directly attribute it to stools. They, too, have survived to this day, and under their ancient name - these are thrones. Thrones were intended exclusively for persons endowed with power; they were always very richly decorated, not only with carvings, but even with precious stones.

The apogee of Greek furniture art is the “klismos” - a light, elegant chair with crescent-shaped legs, the back of which supported the back. Metal staples or wooden pads fastened the individual parts of such a chair. The design of a sofa with two backs on the sides is like a transition to a bed - a “kline”, which consisted of a shallow box on vertical legs. They preferred to eat, read and write in a semi-lying state on special beds (kline), which were covered with bright fluffy fabrics with exquisite patterns. The soft back and armrests were invented in Greece. They were made from both cloth and leather.

Accordingly, the tables were low, as they were intended only for arranging various food items. For the most part they were made portable. After the meal, the table was moved under the bed, which had rather high legs, about one meter. The Greeks did not know chests of drawers or wardrobes, so the most common and important type of home furniture was a chest, a special type of box for storing various things. The walls of such chests are covered with paintings of different colors. Meanders, palmettes and other motifs of Greek ornament are depicted against a bright blue background. In addition to chests, the ancient Greeks also used “pistos” - large, cylindrical jars made of bronze. Incense burners - “triligatheria”, candelabra and tripods were made from bronze. Most of the furniture was colored.

Textiles in interior design

It was customary to lay fabric on chairs and beds. In general, fabrics played no less important role in the ancient interior than they do now. The Greeks used bedspreads for furniture and wall hangings. With the help of plain curtains, zoning of rooms was carried out (doors, as such, were very rare). Patterned fabrics could hang along the walls freely or in a fold. Sometimes they were hung in several sections, each of which had its own color. For draperies in ancient Greece, wool and cloth were used, usually in bright colors; preference was given to green, saffron, gold and shades of purple.

The patterns on the fabrics were usually woven, but embroidery was also present. The ornamental motifs were of natural origin and echoed those that decorated capitals, cornices and vases: acanthus leaves, meanders, palmettes. This created the integrity of the entire substantive content (or, in modern terms, design) of the antique house.

Ornament

For the ornament, in addition to plant motifs, the most characteristic is the well-known meander: a series of lines broken at right angles, non-intersecting or intersecting lines.

Ornamentation was always purely decorative for the Greeks and did not have the same symbolic cult meaning as it did among the Egyptians. Frequent decorative elements in interior design were ionics and belts with denticles.

Ceramics

Ceramics flourished in Greece. The vases were varied in shape and covered with artistic painting; they were used to store wine and oil, incense, and water. Vases were painted using complex techniques in the form of ornaments, mythological subjects, and everyday scenes. Vases were made of silver and decorated with relief images.

Temple of Artemis in Ephesus (currently Selcuk in Izmir in Turkey). Considered one of the seven wonders of the world. It was built in the middle of the 4th century. BC e., burned by Herostratus in 356 BC. e., was restored and rebuilt several times.

Periods in Ancient Greek Architecture

Archaic period

In ancient Greek architecture, there is an archaic period (7th century BC - 590 BC). During this period, the peoples inhabiting the territory of Ancient Greece created structures, the design principles of which formed the basis for later buildings. Examples of ancient Greek architecture of the archaic period are mainly preserved on the Apennine Peninsula, in Sicily, in Paestum, Selinunte, Agrigenta, and Syracuse. The composition of archaic architectural ensembles was created by buildings located in a row.

Monuments of archaic ancient Greek architecture were the temples of Hera ("Basilica") in Paestum, Athens ("Demeter"). The Temple of Hera ("Basilica") is made of tuff; its peculiarity lies in the odd number of massive columns at the end. The columns themselves thicken towards the bottom, creating a “puffy” feeling. The massiveness of the structure is combined with decorative stone carvings.

Temple of Hera in Paestum. Mid 6th century BC.

Columns of the Temple of Hera in Paestum.

Early Classic period

The next stage in the development of ancient Greek architecture is early classical (590 BC - 470 BC). During this period, ancient Greek architecture was enriched with Egyptian and Asian elements, which fit into the philosophy and religious views of society. The structures became less elongated, the proportions more proportionate and less heavy. At that time, when installing the colonnade, they began to adhere to the ratio of the number of columns of the end and side facades of 6:13 or 8:17.

An example of ancient Greek architecture of the transitional period between late archaic and early classical is the temple of Athena Aphaia on the island of Aegina (about 490 BC). It had small dimensions, the ratio of the columns was 6:12. The temple was made of limestone, its walls were covered with paintings, the pediments were decorated with marble sculptures (now they are kept in the Munich Glyptothek - Münchener Glyptothek).

The temple at Selinunte in Sicily also belongs to the transitional period in ancient Greek architecture. It was still elongated in length and had a column ratio of 6:15. The columns themselves gave the impression of being massive and heavy. Typical buildings of ancient Greek architecture of the early classics are the temple of Poseidon at Paestum and the temple of Zeus at Olympia (late 5th century BC). It is mounted on a three-stage base. It has a low stylobate (the upper part of the stereobat - the stepped plinth on which the colonnade was erected), low wide steps, the ratio of massive columns with thickening in the lower third is 6:14. The temple was built taking into account the peculiarities of visual perception. From a distance he looks squat. As you approach the structure, the feeling of its power and grandeur grows. This technique of calculating the perception of an object as it moves away or approaches is characteristic of the architecture of the early classical period in ancient Greek architecture.

Temple of Poseidon in Paestum.

The Temple of Zeus in Olympia (468 and 456 BC) - the work of the architect Libo, was the largest temple in the Peloponnese (southern part of the Balkan Peninsula). The temple was built from shell rock. Column ratio 6:13. The pediments depicted the chariot race of Pelops and Oenomaus, the battle of the Greeks with the centaurs, and the elements of the frieze depicted the labors of Hercules.

Ruins of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia.

Classical period

Classical period of ancient Greek architecture (470 BC - 338 BC). During this period, the improvement of the style continued. Marble was used instead of sandstone. The buildings became lighter and more elegant. Examples of buildings from the classical stage are the Temple of Theseus in Athens, the temple at Illis (not preserved) and the Temple of Apteros at the entrance to the necropolis of Athens.

Hellenic period

The Hellenistic period (338 BC - 180 BC) in ancient Greek architecture developed under the influence of Eastern motifs. An example is the temple of Winged Athena in Tegea, the temple of Zeus in the city of Nemea. Many buildings with rich decoration were erected in Asia Minor, for example, the monument to King Mausolus, the temple of Athena in the city of Priene, the temple of Phoebus of Didyma in the city of Miletus.

Ruins of the Temple of Winged Athena in Tega.

Types of temples in ancient Greek architecture

Antae (antae) are projections of the longitudinal walls of a building on both sides of the entrance, serving as support for the cornice.

The earliest type of temple was the distil (“temple in anta”). In the plan of the temple there is a rectangular or square room - tsela, a front facade with an entrance, reminiscent of a loggia with side walls (antes). Between the antas at the front end there were two columns (hence the name: “distil”, which means “two-column”).

Diagram of the temple in anta.

Temple in Antes - Treasury of the Athenians. Athens. end of 6th - beginning of 5th century. BC.

The temple is anteroom with one portico and columns at one end (columns replace antes).

Forgive church with an extension.

The temple is amphiprostyle with two porticoes with columns at two ends.

Temple of Nike Apteros with two porticoes in the Acropolis. Athens. 449 - 420 BC Architect Callicrates.

The temple is peripteric - it is based on an amphiprostyle or prostyle structure, which stands on a high foundation and has a colonnade along the entire perimeter. An example is the Parthenon.

Parthenon. 447 - 438 BC Architects Iktin and Callicrates.

The diptheric temple has a double row of colonnade around the perimeter. An example of a diptheric structure in ancient Greek architecture is the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus in 550 BC.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.

The temple is pseudoperipteric - instead of columns, the perimeter of the building was decorated with half-columns that protruded half the diameter of the columns from the walls. The temple is pseudo-dipteric, in which behind the outer row of columns along the perimeter there were half-columns protruding from the walls. Ancient Greek columns In ancient Greek architecture, the column played an important role; it served as the defining module - in accordance with its dimensions, all the proportions of the structure and its decor were created. There are several types of columns. Doric columns had a column diameter to height ratio of approximately 6:1. The column at the top is thinner than at the bottom. Below the middle the column had a thickening. Often, Doric ancient Greek columns were covered with vertical grooves - flutes, usually there were 16-20 of them. The columns were placed directly on the floor of the structure or installed on a rectangular pedestal.

Drawing of a Doric column capital with flutes.

Volutes are curls on the capitals from the facade side. On the sides of the capital, the volutes are connected to each other by shafts - balustrades, reminiscent of a scroll. The volutes are edged with convex rims, twisting in the form of a spiral, converging in the center into an “eye” - a small hemisphere.

Ancient Greek Ionic columns were more elegant than Doric ones; they were placed on a stylobate - a wide quadrangular base, at the bottom of the columns there was a base of shafts separated by grooves. The Ionic column is covered with a large number of deep flutes (24 or more). The column capital is made in the form of two oppositely located volutes.

Ionic column.

The ancient Greek Corinthian column was particularly magnificent. The capital of a Corinthian column is a basket surrounded by two rows of acanthus leaves; obliquely standing four volutes. The architects of the Roman Empire and the architects of the Renaissance made the Corinthian column a role model.

Capital of the Corinthian order.

The variety of structures of ancient Greek architecture is united by a common constructive approach to construction, a system of proportions and elements that make it possible to determine this style at first glance.

Ancient Greek architecture is grandiose and majestic, in addition, it had a huge influence on subsequent world art. The main direction in the architectural work of that era was the construction of temples.

Famous architects of Ancient Greece

Hermogenes of Alabanda - famous architect of Ancient Greece III-II centuries BC. He is the founder of the Ionic order in ancient Greek architecture. His great creations: the temple of Artemis Leucophryne and in Teos.
Another famous ancient Greek architect and philosopher Hippodamus of Miletus, son of Euryphon , born 498 BC As a city planner, he showed his skill in drawing up the plans for the city of Thurii, as well as Piraeus and Rhodes. Participated in the reconstruction of Miletus after the Persian invasion.
Another outstanding architect of Ancient Greece - Pytheas. His most important work is the mausoleum at Helicarnassus. By order, he built the temple of Athena in Priene in 340-330 BC. Pytheas wrote scientific works on architectural theory, in which he described the advantages of the Ionic order.
Skopas originally from the island of Paros, born in 395 BC, was engaged in sculpture and architecture. A follower of the late classic style in ancient Greek art. He took part in the construction of the temple of Athena in Tegea and the mausoleum in Helicarnassus.

Architects of the Parthenon

The main Athenian temple on the Acropolis was created by several great architects over the course of 16 years. One of them - architect Iktin , who worked during the reign of Pericles. He developed a plan according to which they built

Greek temples

Starting from the early period of ancient Greek history, from the 8th century. BC e., the primary task of the art of construction became the construction of temples. All the achievements of Greek architecture of that time; constructive and decorative, associated with the construction of various religious buildings. The planning structure of the temples was based on a residential building of the Mycenaean megaron type. The layout of the temple that was formed in the early period formed the basis for the subsequent architecture of Greek temples, which is characterized by surrounding the main volume of the temple with a colonnade. Temples in the early period of ancient Greek history were usually built from adobe.

The simplest type of temple is an ant temple. It consisted of a rectangular hall - cella or naos, where stood a cult statue, illuminated by the rays of the rising sun through the entrance opening on the eastern facade and an entrance portico in two columns located between the projections of the longitudinal walls - anta. An altar for sacrifices was placed in front of the entrance. The entrance to the heroons - temples dedicated to deified heroes - was facing west - towards the “kingdom of shadows”.

Later temple buildings were simple buildings that had a longitudinal rectangular plan, with an internal space - the sanctuary (naos) and the front part (pronaos), bounded by walls and columns located:

In front of one of the facades (prostyle) there is a four-column portico extended in relation to the antas,

On two opposite facades (amphiprostyle) there are two end porticoes on opposite sides,

Or surrounding the building on all sides (peripter).

The types of temples were varied: with 4-, 6-, 8-column porticoes pushed forward on one or two opposite end facades; during the Archaic period, a peripterus was formed, with a row of columns on four sides, or two (diptera) rows of columns.

An ancient Greek temple was always built on a powerful stepped foundation and covered with a wooden flat gable roof.

Temples become centers of political, cultural, and economic relations. Thus, at the Temple of Zeus in Olympia from 766 BC. e. Olympic Games were held every four years.

The interior of the temple of later periods of ancient Greek history, considered the seat of the god, was not used for the meeting of believers; the latter gathered only in front of the temple. The interior of large temples had three aisles, with a large statue of a deity placed in the middle of them. The scale of the interior was smaller than the scale of the facade, which emphasized the size of the statue. In the depths of the large temples there was a smaller hall, a treasury. In addition to the large number of rectangular ones, round temples were sometimes built, for example round periptera.

Temples were usually grouped within a fenced area, with monumental entrance gates leading into them. The complex of these buildings was gradually supplemented with more and more sculptures and sacrificial altars. Athens, Olympia - the sanctuary of Zeus, Delphi - the sanctuary of Apollo, Priene, Selinunte, Poseidonia and all other cities had their own temple complexes, built in the archaic and classical periods.

Types of Greek temples. 1 - peripter, 2 - pseudoperipter, 3 - pseudodipter, 4 - amphiprostyle, 5 - prostyle, 6 - temple in anta, 7 - tholos, 8 - monopter, 9 - dipter.

The development of architecture began with the development of cities - during the archaic period.

The main structure in the architecture of Greek antiquity was the temple.

The temple was dedicated to the gods - the guardians of the city or deified heroes. The temple was the center of city events.

The city treasury and artistic treasures were kept in the temples. The square in front of the temple served as a meeting place and a place for celebrations.

The temple was built in the center of the city square or on the acropolis. The facade of the temple was located east towards the rising sun..

Temples - the main architectural structures of Ancient Greece

The simplest and oldest type of temple was Distill An example of such a temple is the temple in Antakh. It consisted of a small room-naos, rectangular in plan and open to the east with two columns between the antas (side walls) on the main facade. Such a temple was perceived only from the front side

The next, more advanced type of temple was Prostyle. It was similar to the distil, but in such a temple there were already four columns on the facade.

The improved prostyle was Amphiprostyle or double prostyle. Such a temple had four columns on the front and rear facades of the temple (where the entrance to the treasury was)..

The classic view of the Greek temple was Peripter (feathered). Such a temple was rectangular in plan and surrounded by a colonnade along the perimeter.

There are six columns on both facades, the side ones are determined by the formula “2p + 1”. P – number of columns on the front facade.

The development of architecture continued and new types of temples appear

Dipter- a type of temple with two rows of columns on the side facades. Pseudodipterus. Same as Dipter, only without the inner row of columns.

And finally, Round peripterus or Tholos . The sanctuary of such a temple has a cylindrical shape.

The temple is surrounded by columns along the entire perimeter.

To summarize, the figure shows the plans of ancient Greek temples.

1-distyle-temple-in-antes 2-prostyle 3-amphiprostyle 4-peripterus 5-dipterus 6-pseudodipterus 7-tholos

Basic elements in the architecture of temples of Ancient Greece

• The foundation of all Greek temples was of three or more steps, which consists of slabs laid out from flat hewn stones.
• The steps of the Doric temple are called stereobat and stylobate. The upper part of the temple was called the pediment, from the Latin frontis - forehead, the front part of the wall.
• Used in Greek architecture triangular pediment.

The main elements of the temple are simple and organically connected with the design of the building.

Landscape and architecture in Ancient Greece

An important point in ancient architecture is that in construction much attention was paid to natural conditions and how the constructed object would harmonize with the surrounding landscape

During the era of high classics is created the most remarkable ensemble of the era is the Acropolis of Athens.

The Acropolis was located on a hill overlooking Athens

A wide marble staircase leads up to the hill. Near it, on the right, an elegant small temple was erected to the goddess of victory Nike.

To get to the main square, you must pass the gate with columns - the Propylaea. Here stands the statue of the goddess of wisdom Aphrodite, the patroness of the city. Next is the Erechtheion temple, which has a unique plan. With its famous portico, where instead of columns female statues - caryatids - are used.

And of course main temple of the Acropolis, the Parthenon, which was dedicated to Athena. It was built in the Doric style and by right It is considered the most perfect structure built 2 thousand years ago. The Parthenon fell into ruins more than 300 years ago during the Venetian siege of Athens in the 17th century.