The Lasting Influences of Ancient Roman and Greek Architecture
The architectural styles of ancient Greece and Rome were the most important contributions in the history of architecture. Elements of classical design are seen in most succeeding generations of architectural styles. Some of the most famous buildings of the world were influenced by Roman and Greek architecture as well. These ancient civilizations have also introduced some fascinating techniques for precise lines and perfect proportions, thus revolutionizing the world of construction. It is safe to say that the classical ideas contributed by ancient Greece and Rome have provided the basis for architectural design throughout history.
The Golden Age of Greece began around 460 BCE during the reign of Pericles, who spent his time rebuilding the center of Athens. A democracy and set of rules had been established, and the captivating buildings of the Acropolis were built. Athenian buildings mostly followed simplistic principles of design, symmetry, proportion, equality and consistency, resulting in a clean, beautiful city. Not only were the parallel lines and strong right angles pleasing to the eye, but they added to the strength and durability of the buildings Jonathan Glancey described the buildings of ancient Greece as “Highly refined frames for a distinct and very much warm-blooded culture” (Glancey Story 89).
The Greeks followed what is known as the classical orders, which were three different types of columns invented by an architect named Marcus Vitruvius. These three
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orders were known as the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. The order that was first invented is the Doric order. This is the most massive, does not have a base, and does not have any ornamentation on its capital, which is the top-most part of the column. This is the order used for Greece’s most famous building, the Parthenon. The Ionic order is constructed more lightly, intending to depict a more elegant building. It has a...