Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume I.djvu/691

 ARCHITECTURE 655 to the disposition of the columnar decoration, they were styled in antis, prostyle, amphipro- style, peripteral, dipteral, pseudo-peripteral, or pseudo-dipteral. The principal front of those in antis presents columns in the middle, with antro on either side, supporting the pediment ; in the prostyle, the ant are replaced by col- umns; the amphiprostyle presents a similar disposition in the rear aa well as the front; the peripteral presents columns forming a por- tico around the cella; when the lateral col- ums were engaged, instead of isolated, the temple was styled pseudo-peripteral ; the dip- teral offered a double colonnade around the cella ; in the pseudo-dipteral, one of the ranks of columns was engaged in the wall. They are termed tetrastyle, hexastyle, octastyle, ac- cording to the number of columns supporting tho pediment. The temples were generally covered; those erected in honor of superior deities were hypetheral, or open to the skies. In these latter, the cella was divided longitudi- nally into three naves by a double row of col- urns, which supported the roof covering the side aisles. In order to save room, these rows of columns were in two stories, as thereby they were enabled to attain the desired height with columns of a less diameter. The ceilings of the porticos were subdivided in caissons, often- times highly colored, as were likewise many parts of the edifices. The frieze below the ceiling, on the exterior of the cella walls, was often ornamented with bass-reliefs. The walls internally were decorated with paintings, though it is supposed that generally these lat- ter were not executed directly on the walls, but were suspended against them. The pave- ment of the cella was usually elevated above that of the portico; that of the Parthenon, however, is level throughout. Opposite the entrance door was placed the statue of the deity of the temple, which was often of colos- sal size, while others were arranged on either side of the cella, or about the principal deity. They were generally in marble or bronze; sometimes, however, they were of ivory and gold. Besides the different statues of their divinities, the cellas contained altars, tripods, thrones, arms, vases, and utensils of different sorts; all of which objects were generally in precious materials, highly wrought. The more important temples were built on sacred ground ; within the peribolus or enclosure were sacred groves, grottoes, altars, columns, statues, &c. The entranceway or propylseum, some- what similar in plan to the pronaos of their temples, was grand and imposing. Little is known of the theatres and odeons, the graded hemicycles of the former, destined for the spec- tators, being all that now remains of them. These hemicycles were excavated in the side of a hill. Of the choragic monuments, that of Lysicrates at Athens is the finest example; upon a quadrangular basement was placed a cylindrical monument with engaged Corinthian columns supporting an entablature surmounted by a dome crowned with a beautiful acro- teral motive, upon which is supposed to have been placed a tripod. The Grecian agoras, or public places of assembly, were surrounded by porticos decorated with paintings commemora- tive of glorious achievements. Within the en- closure were temples, altars, and statues dedi- cated to their heroes. We know little of the architectural arrangement of the gymnasiums, which contained the halls, porticos, and ex- edras, where the sages taught their different philosophies; or their baths, accompanied by their dependencies, about which were disposed the stadium and courts for various gymnastic exercises. It is likewise difficult to obtain any accurate idea of the architectural disposition of the domestic habitations, as no examples remain. The beauty and grace which pervade all the works of the Greeks, whether monumen- tal, mechanical, or industrial, lead us to sup- pose that, although imperfect as regards com- fort, they must yet have exhibited a certain degree of elegance. A just idea of the mould- ings and ornaments, unequalled for their pu- rity and grace, can be obtained only from per- sonal observation. The styles may be classed in systems or orders as the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. They also employed, though rare- ly, caryatides. Innumerable conjectures exist concerning the origin of these different orders. In all probability we are indebted to the Do- rians for the invention of the Doric ; although Champollion sees in an Egyptian order, which he styles the proto-Doric, the type of the Gre- cian order of that name. The oldest example extant is at Corinth. To the lonians, likewise, is attributed the honor of having first employed the Ionic order, no example of which is to be found in Greece prior to the Macedonian con- quest. Vitruvius accords to Callimachus the invention of the Corinthian capital, but foliated capitals of much greater antiquity than any .discovered in Greece are to be found in Egypt and in Asia Minor. The most perfect Grecian example of this order is employed in the cho- ragic monument of Lysicrates. Little doubt need be entertained as to the Greeks deriving the idea of their caryatic order from the Egyp- tians, who often employed human figures in- stead of columns in their structures. The Doric holds the foremost rank among the Gre- cian orders, not only on account of its being the most ancient, the most generally employed, and consequently the most perfected, but more especially because of its containing, as it were, the principle of all their architecture, as well as an exact imitation of all the parts employed in their primitive constructions, which were undoubtedly of wood. Thus we see the post represented by the column, the wall plate by the architrave, the extremities of the joists by the triglyphs; the rafters naturally produce the projection which composes the cornice; while the double pitch of the roof gives us ne- cessarily the form of the pediment. This style, typical of majesty and imposing grandeur, was