LESSONS IN ARCHITECTURE. 



l.KSSONS IN ABCIMTKCTUKE. XT. 



ARCADES CUPOLAS DOMES CHURCHES BASILICAS 

 ROMANESQUE STYLE ARABIC ABCH, ETC. 



THE Byzantines, the successors to the arts of the Romans, in 

 consequence of the transference of the seat of the empire from 

 Borne to Byzantium (afterwards called Constantinople), fol- 



Bomanfl, was very common at the period above mentioned. Tb 

 pendentircfl, or portions of the vaults suspended ont of the per- 

 pendicular of the wall* that is, the portion* between the arches 

 and the dome were of Byzantine invention, and formed a new 

 and bold application of the arch in building, of which they soon 

 began to make an improper use In the erection of towerm, bel- 

 fries, spires, and steeples of erery description. An example of 



I 



THE CATHOLICON AT ATHENS. 



lowed their arched system of architecture, and even extended 

 it to such a degree in their edifices that the architrave, which 

 their predecessors had hitherto preserved in the construction of 

 their temples, was at last almost entirely abandoned. The 

 Byzantine architects not only used the arcado as tho connecting 1 

 link from column to column in their erections, but they sur- 

 mounted their churches with cupolas or domes of an immense 

 size. This kind of vault, which hod been seldom used by tho 



67 N.B. 



this application of the arch and vault will be seen in the an. 

 nexed illustration of the Catholicon at Athens. The first Chris- 

 tians of the West, in their adoption of tho stylo of architecture 

 which we have called tho Latin style, substituted the arcade 

 for the architrave ; but possessing less skill as builders than 

 those of the East, their innovations terminated at this point. 

 Tho great basilicas that is, the palatial or royal churches of the 

 West were edifices covered with plain woodwork, and had only 



