The Ancient Greeks
Art and Architecture
The fragments of Ancient Greek pottery are some of the most valuable pieces of evidence that archeologists have to discover the events of this time era. The jugs, vases and pots that have been dug up were made of a durable composition that allowed them to survive all these years. Painted on these fragments were all sorts of things; from something as big as a Greek myth (like the one to the right) to as small as everyday life.
To find out more information on Ancient Greek pottery and art visit the following sites:
A detailed description of pottery in Ancient Greece.
A detailed explanation of sculptures from Ancient Greece.
As you may have already guessed, religion was a major part of Ancient Greek lifestyle. So it makes sense that the temples they built in honor of their gods and goddesses were the most beautiful and biggest buildings in Greece. Three architectural systems, or orders as the Greeks called them, each with their own design and detailing existed in Greek architecture. These three orders were called Doric, Ionic and Corinthian.
The Doric style, as you can see, is plain and simple and a very sturdy design. Not only was it used in Greece, it was also used in colonies in southern Italy and Sicily. An example in Greece where they used this order was the temple of Athena Parthenos [virgin].
The Ionic order is a lot more thinner and elegant than the Doric. It has a more scroll-like design as you can see at the top of the pillar. This order was most seen in Eastern Greece and the islands. Examples of buildings that use this order are the Temple of Apollo in Didyma and the Temple of Athena in Nike both built in about 300 BC.
The Corinthian style is the most rare of the three orders. But it was a Greek style and the Romans took this idea when they conquered. The design is very elaborate and decorated with acanthus leaves. This order did not arrive at full development until the middle of the 4th century BC.
If you want to know more information on Architecture visit this website:
This site has a detailed description of each of the three orders and links to other pages about art and pottery in Ancient Greece.
This site has a detailed description on Greek Architecture, especially the three orders.