THE GREEK COLUMNSDEVELOPMENT & USE

KATHRYN URSENBACHHUMANITIES 101

There are three different styles (also called Orders) of Greek architecture:

DORIC IONIC CORINTHIAN

THE DORIC COLUMN• Developed around the 6th century B.C.

• Used in Greece until about 100 BC

• No Base

• Shaft is wider at the bottom

• Shaft has 20 flutes

• Smooth, round capitals (tops)

• No carvings or other ornaments

The Doric column is oftentimes associated with strength and masculinity. 

The Parthenon Temple

THE IONIC COLUMN

• First used in the mid-6th century BC

• Stands on a base of stacked disks

• Shafts are usually fluted, but can be plain

• A pair of volutes (scroll-shaped ornaments) decorates the capital

Roman historian Vitruvius compared this delicate order to a female form, in contrast to the stockier

"male" Doric order.

The Temple of Athena Nike

in Athens, Greece

THE CORINTHIAN COLUMN• Probably invented by Callimachus, a Greek sculptor and architect who lived in the 5th century BC

• Named after Corinth, a city in Greece

• Developed in Athens, Greece

• Rarely used in Greece

• Fluted (grooved) shaft

• Capital decorated with scrolls, acanthus leaves, and flowers

• Ornaments on the capital flare outwards, suggesting a sense of height

Temple of Olympian Zeus

in Athens, Greece.

Digital image. DeviantART. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. <http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=colesseum>.

Greek Columns. Digital image. Google Images. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. <http://images.google.com>.

"Temple of Athena Nike - Athens, Greece." Sacred Sites at Sacred Destinations - Explore Sacred Sites, Religious Sites, Sacred Places. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. <http://www.sacred-destinations.com/greece/athens-temple-of-athena-nike>.

"Doric Column - Definition of Doric Column - Architecture Glossary." Architecture and House Styles and Building Design. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. <http://architecture.about.com/od/buildingparts/g/doric-column.htm>.

“Ionic Column - Definition of Ionic Column - Architecture Glossary." Architecture and House Styles and Building Design. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. <http://architecture.about.com/od/buildingparts/g/ionic-column.htm>.

“Corinthian Column - Definition of Corinthian Column - Architecture Glossary." Architecture and House Styles and Building Design. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. <http://architecture.about.com/od/buildingparts/g/corinthian-column.htm>.

•Dietsch, Deborah K. "Greek Architecture: Doric, Ionic, or Corinthian? - For Dummies." How-To Help and Videos - For Dummies. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. <http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/greek-architecture-doric-ionic-or-corinthian.html>.