r I V I L A R C III T E C T U R E. 



Pittk. In 11 these remains, the ittic* arc disproportions! ; 

 ' "^ tome of them being nearly one half of the height of the 

 order. The modern* make their height equal to that of 

 itablature ; and the proportion of that of the mem- 

 ber* may be rrgulatrd ai in the rase of pedr 



Nicbc*. ft- These decorations consist of recesses in a 



wall, cither for the purpose of embellishment, or for re- 

 ceiving statues or other ornaments. They may be form- 

 ed with spherical heads, and cylindrical backs, or entire- 

 ly with hemispherical backs, or with spheroidal backs, 

 baring the tranrvertc or conjugate axis of the ellipses 

 vertical, as may best comport with the character of the 

 object to br placed therein. Those with spheroidal backs 

 may have their horizontal sections in circles of different 

 diameters, and consequently, their sections through the 

 vertical axis, all equal semi-ellipses, similar to each other ; 

 or all their horizontal sections may be similar ellipses, 

 jnd the sections through the vertical axis of the niche will 

 be dissimilar ellipses of equal heights, at least for one 

 half of the niche ; but spheroidal niches with such sections 

 are difficult of execution, and more pleasing to the eye 

 than those with circular horizontal sections. Among 

 the works of the Romans, niches have either a circular 

 or rectangular plan ; the heads of those of the circular 

 kind are generally spherical. In the middle of the attic 

 of Ncrva, at Rome, a niche is seen with a rectangular 

 elevation, and a cylindrical back and head. Those upon 

 elliptic plans were not much used by the ancients ; though 

 in Wood's " Ruins of Palmyra," there are two niches 

 with elliptical heads, within the entrance portico of the 

 Temple of the Sun ; but the author has given no plan 

 of them. Most frequently, those upon rectangular plans, 

 have horizontal heads, though a few arc to be met with 

 that have cylindrical heads : those upon circular and 

 rectangular plans, are, for the sake of variety, most com- 

 monly placed alternately. 



The plans of niches with cylindrical backs, should 

 be semicircular, when the thickness of the walls will ad- 

 mit of it ; and the depth of those upon rectangular plans 

 khould be the half of their breadth, or as deep as may 

 be necessary for the statues they are to contain : their 

 heights depend upon the character of the statues, or on 

 the general form of groups introduced, yet seldom ex- 

 ceeding twice and a half their width, nor being less than 

 twice. Those for busts only, should have nearly the 

 came proportion in respect to each other. In some cases 

 their height may rather exceed the measure of their 

 breadth : they may be of any of the forms used by the 

 ancients, or of those mentioned at the beginning of thin 

 article. 



In point of decorations, niches admit of all such as are 

 applicable to windows ; and whether their heads be ho- 

 rizontal, cylindrical, or spherical, the enclosure may be 

 rectangular. In antique remains, we frequently meet 

 with tabernacles at ornaments, disposed with alternate 

 and arched pediments; the character of the- architecture 

 bhould be similar to that placed in the same range with 

 them. 



Niche* are sometimes disposed between column* and 

 pilasters, and sometimes ranged alternately, in the same 

 level with windows : in either case they may be orna- 

 mented in plain, as the space will admit, but in the lat- 

 ter, they should be of the same dimensions with the aper- 

 ture of the windows. When the intervals between the 

 columns or pilasters happen to be very narrow, niches 

 bad better be omitted, than have a disproportionate figure, 

 r be of a d-.minutive size. 



When intended for containing statues, vises, or other 

 k of sculpture, they should be contrived to exhibit 



Pricticf. 



them to the best advantage, and consequently the plainer 

 the niche, the belter will it answer the design, as every 

 species of ornament, whether of mouldings or sculpt in i , 

 has a tendency to confuse the outline. 



Having described the several parts of which the build- Remarks. 

 ings of the Greeks and Romans were chiefly composed, 

 we shall proceed to give some accoivu of the principal 

 edifices in which they were introduced, leaving the inves- 

 tigation of the other parts of practice, which relate more 

 immediately to modern works, till we come to speak of 

 the revival of Roman architecture in Europe. The edi- 

 fices now to be treated of are ancient temples and villas : 

 Their places of public exercises and amusements are re- 

 ferred to other articles in this work. 



Of Greek Templet, 



The Greek temples were all of an oblong form, with" Greek tew 

 an entrance in the middle of one or both of the shortest pl. 

 sides. The roofs were generally continued (except in 

 the hypxthral) in the direction of the longest sides, ter- 

 minating at gable ends or pediments, raised in the shape 

 of the roof upon the shortest sides or ends. One of the 

 orders of architecture was usually employed upon a part 

 or the whole of the edifice. They were distinguished 

 into different sorts, either from some parts of the general 

 form, or the number or distribution of the columns, or 

 the distance at which these were placed from each other. 



1. When a part of the inside space next the walls was Denoniai 

 covered with a roof, and the middle left uncovered, the 

 temple was named Hi/pirthral. 



2. When there were columns only at the end where 

 the entrance was, the temple was named Prostyle. 



3. When there were columns at both ends, the temple 

 was named Ampfiiprostyle. 



4. When there wete columns at both ends, and also 

 along each side, the latter being placed at a distance from 

 the outside of the walls equal to that between those at 

 the cnde, and the columns at each angle standing in aline 

 with, and being common to each row in the adjoining 

 sides, the temple was named 1'cripli-ral. 



5. When along each side there were two rows of co- 

 lumns at a distance from each other, and the inner row 

 from the walls equal to the distance between the columns 

 at the ends, all the other circumstances remaining the 

 same as in the preceding definition, the temple was named 

 Diptcrnl. 



;. When all the circumstances in the two immediately 

 preceding definitions remain the same, only the inner row 

 of columns on each side being removed, the temple is de- 

 nominated Pxeuilodijilt'ni/. 



7. When there are columns at each end, and the sides 

 have attached column?, projecting only half or a greater 

 part of their diameter, the temple is named PscurloJip- 

 tcrnl. 



8. When the side walls are continued, so as to be in R 

 line with the column at one or both ends, so as to occu- 

 py the place of the angular columns, by supporting the 

 entablature, the end of each projecting wall being termi- 

 nated by vertical rectangular prisms, having moulding* 

 in place of a capital at the top, the temple is said to be 

 in A nt is. 



Temples also receive appellations from the number of 

 columns placed at one or both ends, and in all those of 

 Grecian origin, with the exception of that at Pxstum, 

 (which has nine) the number is always even. When 

 there are 4, 6, 8, or 10, the temple is said to be Tclra- 

 ilylr, Hrxnstyle, Octoslyle, or Dccastyle. 



The temple in antis, had usually only two hitermedi- 

 ate columns. 



