Ancient Greek Architecture
In the Classical period, there are more temples, bigger and with new design ideas: the Athenians built the Parthenon in the 440s BC. People begin to build in the Ionic style. Democracy prevents the Greeks from building palaces or big tombs, because politically all men are supposed to be equal, and so it would look bad to have a big palace even if you could afford it. Instead, the Greeks build public buildings: gymnasia, and stoas, where men can meet and talk.
By the 300s BC, in the Hellenistic
period, there are some new architectural types. Less time is spent on temples.
The new form is the theater, and people build many theaters
all over the Greek world. Also, there is new interest in town
planning at this time: people begin to lay out streets in straight lines, instead
of just developing naturally.
With the conquests of Alexander the Great, architecture becomes an important
way to spread Greek culture and show who is in charge in the conquered countries.
Why did people want to punch Socrates?
Where did Egyptians bury your liver?
How old are the Rocky Mountains?
What does a half-timbered house look like?
How do you spin wool?
(a project)
On the other hand, once the Romans conquer Greece, around 200 -100 BC, they too use architecture to show that they are in charge, and suddenly there is a lot of building in the Roman style. Corinthian architecture became more popular. About 400 AD, the Greeks convert to Christianity, and begin to build churches and monasteries. They turned many old temples into churches.
During the Middle Ages, parts of Greece were taken over by the Normans, who built castles, and other parts were still controlled by the Byzantine Empire, and built in a more West Asian style. Finally, in 1453 AD, the Turks took over the Byzantine Empire, and people began to build Islamic mosques in Greece.
To find out more about Greek architecture, check out these books at Amazon.com or in your library:
Make This Model Greek Temple (Usborne Cut-Out Models Series), by Iain Ashman (1998).
An Ancient Greek Temple, by John Malam, Mark Bergin (2001).
Ancient Greek Homes (People in the Past Series-Greece), by Haydn Middleton (2002).
Greek Art and Archaeology (3rd Edition), by John G. Pedley (2002) This is NOT a children's book, but it has a lot of good information and is pretty readable. Plus, the author is really an expert in this field.
Greek Architecture (Yale University Press Pelican History of Art 1996), by A. W. Lawrence, R. A. Tomlinson. A standard college textbook.
Here's a link to a Greek
Architecture crossword puzzle.
First page about Greek architecture
Doric order
Ionic order
Corinthian order
The Parthenon
Main Greeks page
Main architecture page
