CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



architectural parts are well arranged. The lines 

 of the buildings have all been the subject of the 

 deepest study, for the purpose of allowing for all 

 optical aberrations. The result is that there is 

 scarcely a single straight line in a Doric temple. 

 Mr Penrose has shewn, in the case of the Parthe- 

 non, that all the lines which appear to be straight 

 are. in fact, delicate curves, so designed as to give 

 the true effect in their various positions. Every 

 harsh angle is softened, and every disagreeable 

 combination of lines avoided. The columns have 

 an entasis (or slight swelling) ; the architrave of 

 the front is curved upwards, to correct the illusion 

 arising from the sloping lines of the pediment ; and 

 the columns are sloped inwards, so as to give the 

 greater appearance of solidity. 



The Parthenon is built entirely of white marble, 

 and the whole masonry of this and other Doric ! 

 works of importance is put together with the most 

 perfect workmanship. 



There seems to be no doubt that this and other 

 Greek temples were adorned externally with colour. 

 To what extent this decoration was carried, is not 

 clearly ascertained ; but it is probable that the 

 exterior walls were covered with historical pic- 

 tures, which were sheltered from the weather by 

 the portico. The sculpture was also relieved by a 

 flat colour on the background, and the mouldings 

 decorated with painted or gilded ornaments. 



Ionic Order. This style took its rise about 

 500 B.C., and as Doric was imported from Egypt, 

 so the Ionic seems to have been originated by 

 the influence of Assyrian art. The volutes of the 

 capitals are particularly indicative of eastern ori- 

 gin. The finest examples of this style remaining 

 in Greece are the temples of the Wingless Victory 

 and the Erechtheum at Athens (450-420 B.C.). In 

 the Ionian and other colonies of Asia Minor also, 

 many fine examples of this style were erected. The 

 celebrated Temple of Diana at Ephesus was of the 

 Ionic order. It was the largest temple we know 

 of up to that time, being 425 feet long and 220 

 feet wide. Traces of the ruins of this temple have 

 been found within the last few months. The 

 Ionic is a graceful style, and trusts much to carved 

 ornament for effect. This love of ornament is 

 another indication of an eastern origin. 



Corinthian Order. This style was the latest 

 introduced, and combines to some extent the 

 characteristics of both the preceding. It unites 

 and blends together the Egyptian and Assyrian 

 elements, the -capital being probably derived from 

 the bell-shaped capitals of the former country, 

 ornamented with the carved leaves and spirals of 

 the East. This order was first used about the 

 time of Alexander the Great, the earliest example 

 extant being the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates 

 (335 B.C.). There are also the Temple of the 

 Winds and that of Jupiter Olympius at Athens, 

 the latter being one of the largest and finest 

 examples of the style. 



This style, from its richness and splendour, 

 became afterwards the greatest favourite with the 

 Romans, in whose hands Greek art was spread 

 over the whole empire. 



Besides the above three styles, which constitute 

 the Greek orders of classic writers, the Greeks 

 also used caryatides, or female figures, in place of 

 columns, as in the Erechtheum ; and telemones, 

 or giants, as at Agrigentum. 



Greek temples are technically classed and 



470 



Fig. 17. 



designated by the mode in which the columns of 

 the porticoes are arranged. The cell, or temple 

 proper, is a square chamber contained within four 

 walls, the simplest form of portico, called distyle 

 in antis (fig. 17) having the two side- 

 walls continued past the end-wall, 

 and terminated with antasor pilasters, 

 with two columns between. When 

 the portico has four columns between 

 the antse it is called tetrastyle. The 

 temples have generally the same ar- 

 rangement of portico at both ends. 

 In front of both ends of the plan 

 distyle in antis there is frequently 

 placed a range of six columns, and from the 

 flank columns a row is continued along both 

 sides (fig. 1 8). Such an arrange- 

 ment is called peripteral, and the 

 temple is designated ' hexastyle 

 and peripteral.' 



The Parthenon is an exception 

 to the general rule, having a hexa- 

 style portico, at each end of the 

 cell, in front of which is placed an 

 octastyle portico and seventeen 

 columns along each side. 



Considerable doubt has existed 

 as to the mode adopted for lighting 

 the interior of these temples. That 

 suggested by Mr Fergusson seems 

 the most probable, as being anal- 

 ogous to that adopted by the 

 Egyptians and Assyrians. The interior had gene- 

 rally a double row of columns, with a smaller set 

 above them, as still exists at Paestum. Mr Fergus- 

 son supposes that the light was introduced by 

 counter-sinking a portion of the roof, so as to 

 admit the light between the pillars of the upper 



Fig. 18. 



Fig. 19- 



range, thus forming a kind of clerestory, as shewn 

 in the annexed section of the Parthenon (fig. 19). 



The theatres of the Greeks formed another very 

 important class of architectural works. These 

 consisted of semicircular rows of seats cut in 

 the rock, or partly built. Remains of these struc- 

 tures are found in all countries inhabited by the 

 Greeks, and were frequently of great size, that at 

 Dramyssus being 443 feet across. 



The proscenia were the parts on which archi- 

 tectural design was chiefly displayed, but these 

 have unfortunately all perished. 



None of the palaces or domestic edifices of the 

 Greeks remain. We are thus deprived of what 

 would undoubtedly be a very interesting chapter 

 in the history of domestic architecture, for it is 

 highly probable that the streets and houses of the 



