Everything about Classical Architecture totally explained
The term
Classical Architecture has a specific
archaeological meaning, relating to the architecture of Classical Greece. However the term is used by
architectural historians to refer to a number of styles derived, directly or loosely, from this source.
Archaeological use
Classical architecture can be divided into:
Only Greek architecture in the time before Alexander (who died in 324 BC) carries an authentic,
ethnic designation. The ancient Greeks were notoriously dismissive of
barbaroi – those who spoke Greek non-natively or not at all. The incredible conquests of Alexander and the subsequent application of a veneer of Greek city states to a base of Egyptian, Semitic, and even Iranian populations produced an important change. Though speaking Greek remained the touchstone of whether one was a member of civilized culture or not, the ethnic diversification of the Hellenistic world is clear. The
formal elements of classical Greek architecture were applied to temples for gods never worshipped in
Greece.
The Romans can be seen as the latest Hellenistic empire. Pre-imperial architecture is more or less
Etruscan with some Greek elements. By the time the Romans conquered mainland Greece in the 2nd century BC they were importing Greek craftsmen to build major public buildings. The term
Roman Art and
Roman Architecture has no ethnic meaning relating to
Italic Romans. Most
art historians assume that it has the ethnic meaning of "Greek-speaking slave" or "Greek-speaking free laborer," in fact.
Architectural use
Most of the styles originating in post-
renaissance Europe can be described as classical architecture. This broad use of the term is employed by Sir
John Summerson in
The Classical Language of Architecture.
The "elements" of classical architecture have been applied in radically different architectural contexts than those for which they were developed. The
classical orders –
Doric,
Ionic, and
Corinthian – have meaning in the stylistic history of 5th century BC Greece, shifting to the developments in 1st century AD
Gaul, with the styles revived over and over again since then.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Classical Architecture'.
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