/Tag: architrave

What are triglyphs and metopes?

By |2018-04-22T10:25:19-07:00July 1st, 2017|Architecture, Greeks|

Greek temple at Agrigento, Sicily Most Greek temples have a pattern under the pediment known as triglyphs and metopes. The triglyphs alternate with the metopes across the front of the temple. Triglyphs (TRY-gliffs) have three parts, and then in between the triglyphs are the metopes (MET-oh-peas). Perseus killing Medusa (in the middle) [...]

What’s the Ionic order?

By |2017-10-14T15:17:15-07:00July 1st, 2017|Architecture, Greeks, What|

Around 500 BC, Greek architectural styles changed so that instead of building temples in the old Doric style, people began to want their new temples for the gods to be built in the new Ionic style. Ionic temples are a little fancier and more delicate than Doric temples, without being as elaborate as Corinthian temples. [...]

What is the Greek Doric order?

By |2019-05-15T19:51:20-07:00July 1st, 2017|Architecture, Greeks|

Doric temple at Agrigento, in Sicily. The plain square capitals with triglyphs and metopes over them show this is in the Doric order. When did the Doric style get started? The earliest Greek temples were built of wood, but as soon as the Greek began to build in stone, about 510 BC, they [...]

Greek architraves and columns

By |2019-02-01T06:46:36-07:00June 30th, 2017|Architecture, Greeks|

A Greek architrave: the stones running along the tops of the columns. This is the Temple of Hera - Agrigento, Sicily (ca. 450 BC) Greek temples on platforms Greek architects wanted to make the temples look more impressive. They started to build temples on top of small stone platforms with steps going up [...]