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This ClipArt gallery offers 198 illustrations of ancient Greek architecture.

"Grove of Academus." — Quackenbos, 1882

Academus

"Grove of Academus." — Quackenbos, 1882

The acanthus is one of the most common ornaments used to depict foliage.

Acanthus Leaf, Front and Side Views

The acanthus is one of the most common ornaments used to depict foliage.

The Acropolis at Athens.

Acropolis

The Acropolis at Athens.

"The citadel of a Grecian city, usually the site of the original settlement, and situated on an eminence commanding the surrounding country."-Whitney, 1902

Acropolis

"The citadel of a Grecian city, usually the site of the original settlement, and situated on an eminence…

"Acropolis, 'the highest point of the city.' Many of the important cities of Greece and Asia Minor were protected by strongholds, so named. The A. occupied a lofty position, commanding the city and its environs; inaccessible on all sides except one, which had, for the most part, artificial defences. It contained some of the most important public buildings, especially temples, besides affording a last refuge in case of a hostile attack." — Chambers' Encyclopedia, 1875

Acropolis

"Acropolis, 'the highest point of the city.' Many of the important cities of Greece and Asia Minor were…

"The Acropolis of Athens Restored." — Smith, 1882

Acropolis restored

"The Acropolis of Athens Restored." — Smith, 1882

"Small pedestals placed on the apex or angle of a pediment for the support of a statue or other ornament."-Whitney, 1902

Acroteria

"Small pedestals placed on the apex or angle of a pediment for the support of a statue or other ornament."-Whitney,…

On the apex and two lower angles of the pediment were introduced acroteria, sometimes ornaments of flowers and tendrils, and sometimes statues of gods or animals. These were placed on small pedestals, and offered an æsthetic contrast to the sliding effect which would otherwise have been produced by the oblique lines of the pediment.

Acroteria from the Temple of Minerva at Ægina

On the apex and two lower angles of the pediment were introduced acroteria, sometimes ornaments of flowers…

On the apex and two lower angles of the pediment were introduced acroteria, sometimes ornaments of flowers and tendrils, and sometimes statues of gods or animals. These were placed on small pedestals, and offered an æsthetic contrast to the sliding effect which would otherwise have been produced by the oblique lines of the pediment.

Acroteria, or Roof-Pedestal, from the Temple of Theseus at Athens

On the apex and two lower angles of the pediment were introduced acroteria, sometimes ornaments of flowers…

"The western pediment of the Temple of Aegina." —D'Anvers, 1895

Temple of Aegina

"The western pediment of the Temple of Aegina." —D'Anvers, 1895

"Alters were either square or round. Specimens of both kinds are here given from ancient sculptures." — Anthon, 1891

Alters

"Alters were either square or round. Specimens of both kinds are here given from ancient sculptures."…

"An amphitheatre was a place for the exhibitions of public shows of combatants and wild beasts, entirely surrounded by seats for the spectators; whereas, in those for dramatic performances, the seats were arranged in a semicircle facing he stage. Longitudinal section of the Flavian Amphitheatre." — Smith, 1873

Amphitheatrum

"An amphitheatre was a place for the exhibitions of public shows of combatants and wild beasts, entirely…

"An amphitheatre was a place for the exhibitions of public shows of combatants and wild beasts, entirely surrounded by seats for the spectators; whereas, in those for dramatic performances, the seats were arranged in a semicircle facing he stage. Elevation of one side of the preceding section." — Smith, 1873

Amphitheatrum

"An amphitheatre was a place for the exhibitions of public shows of combatants and wild beasts, entirely…

"In Greek Architecture, a capital on the corner column of a portico."-Whitney, 1902

Angle-Capital

"In Greek Architecture, a capital on the corner column of a portico."-Whitney, 1902

Anta-cap from the Erechtheion, Athens.

Anta-Cap

Anta-cap from the Erechtheion, Athens.

"Square pillars, which were commonly joined to the sidewalls of a building, being placed on each side of the door, so as to assist in forming the portico. These terms are seldom found except in the plural; because the purpose served by antae required that they should be erected corresponding to each other, and supporting the extremities of the same roof. The following is a specimen of the temple in antis." — Smith, 1873

Antae

"Square pillars, which were commonly joined to the sidewalls of a building, being placed on each side…

"Square pillars, which were commonly joined to the sidewalls of a building, being placed on each side of the door, so as to assist in forming the portico. These terms are seldom found except in the plural; because the purpose served by antae required that they should be erected corresponding to each other, and supporting the extremities of the same roof. Their position and form will be best understood from the cut, in which A A are the antae. The temple in antis was one of the simplest kind. It had in front antae attached to the walls which inclosed the calla; and in themiddle, between the antae, two columns supporting the architrave." — Smith, 1873

Antae

"Square pillars, which were commonly joined to the sidewalls of a building, being placed on each side…

Ante-fixae, the vertical blocks which terminate the covering tiles of the roof of a Roman, Etruscan, or Greek temple, as spaced they take the place of the cymatium and form a cresting along the sides of the temple. The face of the ante-fixae was richly carved with the anthemion ornament.

Ante-fixae

Ante-fixae, the vertical blocks which terminate the covering tiles of the roof of a Roman, Etruscan,…

Ante-fixae (from Latin antefigere, to fasten before), the vertical blocks which terminate the covering tiles of the roof of a Roman, Etruscan, or Greek temple; as spaced they take the place of the cymatium and form a cresting along the sides of the temple. The face of the ante-fixae was richly carved with the anthemion ornament.

Ante-fixae

Ante-fixae (from Latin antefigere, to fasten before), the vertical blocks which terminate the covering…

"Upper fixture from the Parthenon, partly restored."-Whitney, 1902

Antefix

"Upper fixture from the Parthenon, partly restored."-Whitney, 1902

"A molding or frieze ornamented with a series of anthemia, usually in graceful alternation of two forms."-Whitney, 1902

Anthemion-Molding

"A molding or frieze ornamented with a series of anthemia, usually in graceful alternation of two forms."-Whitney,…

An astragal is molding profile composed of a half round surface surrounded by two flat planes (fillets). An astragal is sometimes referred to as a miniature torus. It can be an architectural element used at the top or base of a column, but is also employed as a framing device on furniture and woodwork.

Double Twist on an Astragal

An astragal is molding profile composed of a half round surface surrounded by two flat planes (fillets).…

"The Piraeus, the Port of Athens (Restoration)" — Morey, 1903

Athens Port

"The Piraeus, the Port of Athens (Restoration)" — Morey, 1903

"Athens restored, from the Pnyx." — Smith, 1882

Athens restored

"Athens restored, from the Pnyx." — Smith, 1882

"The mosted noted of the orations of Isocrates is the Panathenaicus or Panegyric of Athens, a work on which he spent ten years, and in which he uses all the resources of his art to extol Athens and magnify the benefits she conferred o nthe whole of Greece." — The Delphian Society, 1913

Ancient athens

"The mosted noted of the orations of Isocrates is the Panathenaicus or Panegyric of Athens, a work on…

View of Athens.

Ancient Athens

View of Athens.

"The Treasury of Atreus" — Morey, 1903

Atreus

"The Treasury of Atreus" — Morey, 1903

The Treasury of Atreus or Tomb of Agamemnon is an impressive "tholos" tomb at Mycenae, Greece (on the Panagitsa Hill) constructed around 1250 BCE. The lintel stone above the doorway weighs 120 tons. The tomb was used for an unknown period of time.

Treasury of Atreus

The Treasury of Atreus or Tomb of Agamemnon is an impressive "tholos" tomb at Mycenae, Greece (on the…

The Treasury of Atreus or Tomb of Agamemnon is an impressive "tholos" tomb at Mycenae, Greece (on the Panagitsa Hill) constructed around 1250 BCE. The lintel stone above the doorway weighs 120 tons. The tomb was used for an unknown period of time.

Treasury of Atreus Doorway

The Treasury of Atreus or Tomb of Agamemnon is an impressive "tholos" tomb at Mycenae, Greece (on the…

The Tomb of Atreus also known as the Treasury of Atreus is a tomb located in Mycenae, Greece built between 1250 and 1300 B.C. The face of the tomb consists of columns and has a triangle above the doorway. The tomb has an interior that is formed of a semi-underground circular room with a beehive tomb, also known as the tholos.

Tomb of Atreus

The Tomb of Atreus also known as the Treasury of Atreus is a tomb located in Mycenae, Greece built between…

"A building which served as a court of law and an exchange, or place of meeting for merchants and men of business. The word was adopted from the Athenians, whose second archon was styled, and the tribunal where he adjudicated the substantive aula or porticus in Latin being omitted for convenience, and the distinctive epithet coverted into a substantive. The first edifice of this description at Rome was not erected until B.C. 182, it was situated in the forum adjoining the curia, and was denominated Bascilica Aemilia, from a medal of Lepidus." — Smith, 1873 This image shows the Ground Plan of a Basilica.

Basilica

"A building which served as a court of law and an exchange, or place of meeting for merchants and men…

"The Bema on the Pnyx" — Morey, 1903

Bema Pnyx

"The Bema on the Pnyx" — Morey, 1903

"Ancient bridge in Laconia." — Smith, 1882

Bridge

"Ancient bridge in Laconia." — Smith, 1882

Capital from Eleusis.

Capital

Capital from Eleusis.

Greek Corinthian volutes.

Capital

Greek Corinthian volutes.

Corinthian capital from the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, restored.

Capital

Corinthian capital from the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, restored.

The capital of the antæ and pilasters is without volutes, as is seen here. The shaft has no flutings; the base, on the other hand, is the same as in the columns, and is continued round the walls as a plinth.

Ionic Antæ Capital from the Temple of Minerva Polias at Athens

The capital of the antæ and pilasters is without volutes, as is seen here. The shaft has no flutings;…

The capital of the antæ and pilasters is without volutes, as is seen here. The shaft has no flutings; the base, on the other hand, is the same as in the columns, and is continued round the walls as a plinth.

Plan of Ionic Antæ Capital from the Temple of Minerva Polias at Athens

The capital of the antæ and pilasters is without volutes, as is seen here. The shaft has no flutings;…

The structural tendency which prevails in the capitals of all orders to change from the circular form of the shaft into the square is modified in the Ionic by the voluted nature of the capital, and in the Corinthian by representations of vegetable life.

Corinthian Capital

The structural tendency which prevails in the capitals of all orders to change from the circular form…

Capital of a Doric column.

Doric Capital

Capital of a Doric column.

An illustration of an early Greek capital. In several traditions of architecture including Classical architecture, the capital (from the Latin caput, 'head') forms the crowning member of a column or a pilaster. The capital projects on each side as it rises, in order to support the abacus and unite the form of the latter (normally square) with the circular shaft of the column.

Early Greek Capital

An illustration of an early Greek capital. In several traditions of architecture including Classical…

"The Doric Order is, in architecture, the second of the five orders, being that between the Tuscan and Ionic."—(Charles Leonard-Stuart, 1911)

Grecian Doric Capital

"The Doric Order is, in architecture, the second of the five orders, being that between the Tuscan and…

"The Doric Order is, in architecture, the second of the five orders, being that between the Tuscan and Ionic."—(Charles Leonard-Stuart, 1911)

Grecian Doric Capital

"The Doric Order is, in architecture, the second of the five orders, being that between the Tuscan and…

"The Doric Order is, in architecture, the second of the five orders, being that between the Tuscan and Ionic."—(Charles Leonard-Stuart, 1911)

Grecian Doric Capital

"The Doric Order is, in architecture, the second of the five orders, being that between the Tuscan and…

Capital of a Ionic column.

Ionic Capital

Capital of a Ionic column.

A primitively ionic column.

Proto Ionic Capital

A primitively ionic column.

"A kind of spiral scroll used in Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite capitals, of which it is a principal ornament. The number of volutes in the Ionic order is four. In the Corinthian and Composite orders they are more numerous, in the former being accompanied by smaller ones, called helices; called also voluta. <em>A,</em>volute; <em>B,</em>helix"&mdash;(Charles Leonard-Stuart, 1911)

Volute of the Corinthian Capital

"A kind of spiral scroll used in Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite capitals, of which it is a principal…

"A kind of spiral scroll used in Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite capitals, of which it is a principal ornament. The number of volutes in the Ionic order is four. In the Corinthian and Composite orders they are more numerous, in the former being accompanied by smaller ones, called helices; called also voluta. <em>A,</em>volute"&mdash;(Charles Leonard-Stuart, 1911)

Volute of the Ionic Capital

"A kind of spiral scroll used in Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite capitals, of which it is a principal…

An order of architecture wherein the entablature is supported by female figures clothed in long garments, instead of columns. The temple of Polias-Minerva at Priene, Greece.

Caryatic Order

An order of architecture wherein the entablature is supported by female figures clothed in long garments,…

Figures of women dressed in long robes, serving to support entablatures.

Caryatides

Figures of women dressed in long robes, serving to support entablatures.

"Caryae was a city in Arcadia, near the Laconian border, the inhabitants of which joined the Persians after the battle of Thermopylae. On the defeat of the Persians the allied Greeks destroyed the town, slew the men, and led the women into captivity; and Praxiteles and other Athenian artists employed female figures, representing Caryatidae, or women of Caryae, instead of columns in architecture. This account is illustrated by a bas-relief with a Greek inscription, mentioning the conquest of the Caryatae." &mdash; Smith, 1873

Caryatides

"Caryae was a city in Arcadia, near the Laconian border, the inhabitants of which joined the Persians…

Caryatides are a blending of architecture and sculpture, but they are not of frequent occurrence. These Caryatides are human figures which serve as supports instead of a column, and a similar purpose is answered by male figures, which are technically called Atlantes.

Caryatis from the Erechtheum at Athens

Caryatides are a blending of architecture and sculpture, but they are not of frequent occurrence. These…

Caryatides are a blending of architecture and sculpture, but they are not of frequent occurrence. These Caryatides are human figures which serve as supports instead of a column, and a similar purpose is answered by male figures, which are technically called Atlantes.

Profile of the Caryatis with Pedestal and Entablature

Caryatides are a blending of architecture and sculpture, but they are not of frequent occurrence. These…

Ceiling of Pleroma, Parthenon.

Ceiling Panel

Ceiling of Pleroma, Parthenon.

"Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, Athens." &mdash; Encyclopedia Britanica, 1893

Choragic Monument

"Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, Athens." — Encyclopedia Britanica, 1893

"A low column, sometimes round, but more frequently rectangular. Cippi were used for various purposes; the decrees of the senate were sometimes inscribed upon them; and with distances engraved upon them, they also served as mile-stones. They were however, more frequently employed as sepulchral monuments. It was also usual to place at one corner of the burying-ground a cippus, on which the extent of the burying-ground was marked, towards the road, and backwards to the fields." &mdash; Smith, 1873

Cippus

"A low column, sometimes round, but more frequently rectangular. Cippi were used for various purposes;…

The columns at Knossos tapered downward and bore simple heavy torus capitals.

Column

The columns at Knossos tapered downward and bore simple heavy torus capitals.

The good effect of the Ionic capital is really only produced by the front-view. It seems calculated to be introduced between pillars and ant&aelig;, and not in a disconnected peristyle with with angle columns. In angle columns, however, the volutes are sometimes constructed in such a way that they meet at both sides diagonally.

Ionic Angle Column from the Temple of Minerva Polias at Athens, Front

The good effect of the Ionic capital is really only produced by the front-view. It seems calculated…

The good effect of the Ionic capital is really only produced by the front-view. It seems calculated to be introduced between pillars and ant&aelig;, and not in a disconnected peristyle with with angle columns. In angle columns, however, the volutes are sometimes constructed in such a way that they meet at both sides diagonally.

Ionic Angle Column from the Temple of Minerva Polias at Athens, Side

The good effect of the Ionic capital is really only produced by the front-view. It seems calculated…

The Doric columns, which are short, powerful, and closely ranged together, in order to support the weight of the massive entablature, consist of the shaft and the capital, and rest immediately without base on the upper step, which serves as the ground-floor, or stereobate of the temple.

Doric Column from the Temple of Neptune at Paestum

The Doric columns, which are short, powerful, and closely ranged together, in order to support the weight…