How Did Greek Architecture Influence Ancient Cities

Both the Greeks and the Romans made a number of contributions to western culture in the field of architecture, many of which can still be seen to this very day. Architecture played a pivotal role in both the religion and daily life of ancient Greek society. The Greeks produced some of the world’s most enduring architectural monuments, many of which are still standing today. These include the Parthenon, the Temple of Zeus, and the Temple of Poseidon. Perhaps one of the largest contributions of the ancient Greeks to western civilization in regards to architecture was their development of the three fundamental architectural systems of design, the Doric, Iconic, and Corinthian orders. The following excerpt from an article

One clear way that Greek architecture is portrayed in today’s culture is how important people are honored. Take a temple for instance. “Many of these temples were built on a large hill known as an acropolis, and it generally included

The agora and Temple of Hephaestus were known to represent the isonomy and democracy within Athens. The agora served as a common place for the people of Athens to come together for government and social occasions. The temple of Hephaestus was purposefully located higher up so that it faced the agora. Hephaestus was the god of the everyday people, therefore, his temple looked over them. Because the landscape is the most important area of a holy place and is the connection to god, it emphasizes how significant Hephaestus was to the Athenians. This temple helped invision an idea of what most of the temples looked like originally, because it was one of the few that was still well preserved and we could stand in close proximity of it.

Ancient Greek architecture was very intricately made and well thought out. The Greeks used different methods and reasonings behind their architecture because they made sure that their pieces were exquisitely made to represent the things they thought were important. They valued their Gods and their worship of the Gods. It was important for them to always represent or have symbolic meaning behind all of their architectural designs. There are many hidden symbols that are involved in Greek architecture like trees, trophies, leaves, hair, and sacrifices to name a few. Greek architecture includes these hidden symbols to worship Gods, and to represent culture in their pieces.

The Greeks used architecture and sculpture to demonstrate their care for the gods as well as an outlet to demonstrate the value of beauty. In the specific area of architecture and sculpture there was no visible dispute or disagreement about the

Greek creators used precise mathematical calculations to establish height, width, and length of their creations. The Greeks put their hard work and effort into creating majestic public buildings as a place for men to meet and discuss politics. Pictured in Document 1 is the Parthenon, “Architecture was very important to the ancient Greeks. One of the most famous examples of Greek architecture is the Parthenon...Modern architecture is often modeled after Greek architecture.” (Document 1) Greek Architecture has influenced modern day architecture in the use of columns, statues inside of buildings, detail to symmetry and geometric proportion. “If two straight lines cut one another the vertical, or opposite, angles shall be equal.” (Document 4) Today all over the United States, you see can find buildings that are modeled after the Ancient Greek architecture. Some examples are seen in capitals of states/countries, colleges/universities, government buildings, and even some houses namely The White

Modern day architecture in America is greatly influenced by ancient Greek architectural styles, which include columns and decorative elements such as

Classical Architecture spans over a vast amount of time, although the main period Classical Architecture is said to have started is during the Archaic Period in Ancient Greece. Greece during these times wasn’t a unified nation, but many independently governed city states. They all varied in power, forces, defenses, economy, etc. Even though these city states remained separated throughout Ancient Greece there was a unifying force. Greek mythology was an ideology that had been supported all throughout Ancient Greece. A polytheistic religion that had various gods, as well as many forms of the same god specific to certain areas. The King of the Gods was Zeus, and the next two most influential Gods were Hera, and Athena. The importance of

Temple architecture in the archaic period slowly but steadily changed over time, there was a change in the materials used and their ground plan, elevation, and decoration. As the changes in temple architecture were the considered the past features while adding new detail that expanded the abilities of style. Two main systems of design were the Doric and Ionic orders. They both had the same basic principles for foundation and ground plan. They were both rectangular in shape, consisted of a levelling course, three steps on top of the levelling course, and the stylobate on top of the steps marking the floor of the temple. The temple consisted on cult rooms surrounded by the colonnade. There were a few differences in column forms and entablature.

Ancient Greece believed that art is a depiction of the one's culture and individualism. Ancient Greece helped shaped the world of today. We have many similarities with ancient Greece today. Ancient Greece had three different column styles the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian as a substitute wood for building temples. These three different styles are still been used today in various mode like the Greeks.

The ancient Greek civilization contributed many great new ideas and aspects to everyday life that shaped and inspired the modern day society. The Greeks are well known for their construction of temples, acropolis’ and other grand architectural structures. Among these structures stood one of the most famous, the Parthenon. The Parthenon was a symbol of Greek society and culture as it stood as one of Greece’s most important architectural buildings.

The ancient Greeks have made many contributions to Western civilization in the areas of architecture, art, and dramas. For example the ancient Greeks believed delicate curves and columns add dignity and grace to buildings. This idea is still used today and is seen in many buildings such as the White House. Ancient Greek

Architecture played a role in both the religion and daily life of ancient Greek society. The Greeks produced some of the world’s strongest architectural monuments, many of which are still standing today. These include the Temple of Zeus, and the Temple of Poseidon. Probably one of the largest contributions of the ancient Greeks to western civilization in regard to architecture was their development of the three fundamental architectural systems of design, the Doric, Iconic, and Corinthian orders. The following excerpt from an article published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art describes the lasting influences of these three orders of Greek architecture, “Ancient Greek architects strove for the precision and excellence of workmanship that are the hallmarks of Greek art in general. The formulas they invented as early as the sixth century B.C. have influenced the architecture of the past two millennia” (Hemingway). All of these three ancient Greek orders of architecture can still be seen today in famous national monuments such as the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, and Monticello. The Romans also made many contributions to western civilization in architecture. Some of the Romans most important developments in the field of architecture include the development of the arch, the vault, and concrete. The most notable of these was concrete because that revolutionized building. The following excerpt from an article published by

Temples were based off the post and lintel system. They were made out stone and marble and consisted of tall, defined columns which were lined up around the entire temple. Temples were originally painted and usually carved with leaves, flowers, scenes of battles, mythological creatures, and narratives. They served as homes for gods and goddesses who protected and sustained the community. There was typically a statue of a god or goddess standing or sitting in the center of the temple. Greek designers sought perfection; the temples had to be ideal aesthetically and they had to appeal to the gods and goddesses. Only priests were usually allowed in the temple to contribute to the upkeep and perform rituals on behalf of the community. Public participation was limited to taking part in religious festivals and

In Greek the city center called Agora located in Athens, while in Roman was Forum. The Agora was, like the forum, the most important public space in the city, where people would meet to talk about important side of their society . the Roman forum was similar to the Greek agora in several ways such as; commercial disposition and adding religious and civic activities. Although there are differences between the buildings in the forum and the agora, even though the Greek influence is obvious in the Roman buildings. Nevertheless, while the Athenians sited the temple of Hephaestus on a platform which could be accessed from each side, as usual in Greek temples, in the Roman there was only a forward access during a staircase, leading to the temple sited on a much higher and more prominent base