ARCHITECTUREHELLENISTIC CITIZENSThe mother of all Doric structures is the 5th-century-BC Parthenon,
the ultimate in architectural bling: a gleaming, solid marble crown. To
this day, it’s probably the most obsessively photographed jewel in all of
Greece.
In the meantime, the Greek colonies of the Asia Minor coast were
creating their own Ionic order, designing a column base in several tiers
and adding more fl utes. This more graceful order’s capital (the head)
received an ornamented necking, and Iktinos fused elements of its
design in the Parthenon. This order is used on the Acropolis’ Te mple
of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion, where the famous Caryatids
regally stand.
Towards the tail end of the classical period, the Corinthian col-
umn was in limited vogue. Featuring a single or double row of or-
nate leafy scrolls (usually the very sculptural acanthus), the order was
subsequently adopted by the Romans and used only on Corinthian
temples in Athens. The Temple of Olympian Zeus, completed during
Emperor Hadrian’s reign, is a grand, imposing structure. Another
temple design, the graceful, circular templetholos (dome) style, was
used for the great Sanctuary of Athena Pronea at Delphi.
The Greek theatre design is a hallmark of the classical period (an
example is the 4th-century BC theatre at Epidavros) and had a round
stage, radiating a semicircle of steeply banked stone benches that
seated many thousands. Cleverly engineered acoustics meant every
spectator could monitor every syllable uttered on the stage below.
Most ancient Greek theatres are still used for summer festivals, music
concerts and plays.
Hellenistic Citizens
In the twilightyears of the classical age (from about the late 4th cen-
tury BC), cosmopolitan folks started to weary of temples, casting their
gaze towards a more decadent urban style. The Hellenistic architect
was in hot demand for private homes and palace makeovers as wealthy
citizens, dignitaries and political heavyweights lavishly remodelled
their abodes in marble, and striking mosaics were displayed as status
symbols (read more bling). The best Hellenistic ancient home displays
are the grand houses at Delos.
Byzantine Zeal
Church-building was particularly expressive during Byzantium in
Greece (from around AD 700). The original Greek Byzantine model
features a distinctive cross-shape; essentially a central dome sup-
ported by four arches on piers and fl anked by vaults, with smaller
domes at the four corners and three apses to the east. Theologian
architects opted for spectacular devotional mosaics and frescoes
instead of carvings for the stylistic religious interiors. In Athens, the
very appealing 12th-century Church of Agios Eleftherios incorpo-
rates fragments of a classical frieze in Pentelic marble; the charming
11th-century Church of Kapnikarea sits stranded, smack bang in
the middle of downtown Athens – its interior fl ooring is of coloured
marble and the external brickwork, which alternates with stone, is
set in patterns. Thessaloniki’s 8th-century Church of Agia Sofi a, with
her 30m-high dome, is a humble version of her sister namesake in
İstanbul. There are numerous Byzantine chapels in Mystras, many of
which were originally private chapels attached to enchanting 17th- and
18th-century arhontika (mansions once owned by arhons, wealthy
bourgeoisie merchants).
Several Byzantine monastic sites have made it to the Unesco
World Heritage register, including the katholikon (main churches) of
The distinctive
blue-and-white
Cycladic-style
architecture most
associated with
the Greek islands
was pragmatic
and functional.
The cuboid flat-
roofed houses,
huddled together
along labyrinthine
alleys, were
designed to
guard against the
elements: stong
winds and pirates.