Greek and Roman Architecture
ART/101
5/15/2013
Mary Douglass
Axia College of University of Phoenix

Art takes forms in many different ways and has been around from the beginning of creation. In fact creation itself can be considered as art. The Greek and Roman architecture began around in the 600 BC, during the archaic period, according to scholastic web site Greek art and architecture reached its distinctive style. Greek architecture influenced Roman architecture and there are similarities in their art, culture and styles, yet there are also many differences because both the Greeks and the Romans techniques have unique characteristics.

Greek architecture is featured by three distinct architectural types, which are the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian, but they hardly use the Corinthian themselves, rather in later years it became the standard order in Roman architecture. In ancient times the heavier Doric order was considered masculine and the Ionic order graceful and feminine (Sayre 2010). Greeks effectively used these architectural styles in constructing buildings, theaters and temples. The Doric style was primarily used in mainland Greece with a further spread to the Greek settlements in Italy. The Ionic style was used in Ionia and the Aegean islands. The Doric style was more rigid and formal, whereas the Ionic was more decorative and calm and the Corinthian is more organic and still (Sayre 2010). The styles are mostly reflected in the three orders of column capitals, bearing different decoration and design features. The examples of the Doric order are the Temple of Hephaestus and Parthenon Athens. Whiles, the Iconic masterpieces include the temple of Athena Nike on the Acropolis and the Erechtheum. The Ionic order gained dominance during the Hellenistic period, on the other hand was prone to a great deal of opposition by many Greek States.

As compared to Romans, in their architectural constructions and designs the Greeks used wood for roof beams, plaster for bathtubs, brick for walls, marble and limestone for walls, columns, and upper portions of public buildings and temples, terracotta for ornaments and roof tiles, and metals for decorative details to construct religious, domestic, recreational, civic and funerary buildings. The most common form of Greek public architecture was temple, with altar standing under the open sky in the sacred eminence before the temple. Temples were connected or associated with the cult of the god. Palaestra (gymnasiums) served as the social center for males, namely physical exercises and athletic contests. Council chambers in Greek cities served the functions of a meeting place for the town council and court houses. In contrast to Romans, Greeks did not use domes and arches, and so could not build constructions with gigantic interior spaces. Theaters were the specific spots in most ancient Greek towns used either for public meetings or dramatic performances. The theaters were constructed in the form of half a circle encompassing round the central performance area.

Romans conversely developed their architecture on the basis of the standards of the classical Greek architecture. Arch and Dome are viewed as the distinctive element of the Roman architecture. Roman buildings substantially contrasted from that of the Greek’s and so the new architectural style was designed. The main reason was because of high population masses and wealth in the cities, the Romans found its own architectural resolutions. Particularly, they used arches and vaults as well as building materials enabling them to reach an exceptional progress in the construction of public structures. The Coliseum, the basilicas, the Baths of Caracalla and the baths of Diocletian, the aqueducts of Rome, the Pantheon, are all concrete proofs of genuinely Roman architectural innovations (Sayre 2010). These remarkable buildings were used for important public functions. In contrast to Greek aesthetic axioms; these objectives were accomplished with a large scope of public effect. In addition Roman architecture was determined depending on the Roman religion. The Pantheon, for example, is an amazing engineering construction created to serve purely religious purposes and religious services. Many churches were constructed on Roman architectural principles.

When evaluating the purpose of buildings made by the Greeks and the Romans, there are some differences. For instance, the Greeks typically built architectural building to honor their gods. The outside of the buildings were ornamented with exquisite detail, telling a story about the life of a god. The inside was generally left bland with less designs and detail. The Romans built a lot of things for more of a convenience of pleasure, such as bath houses. They elaborately decorated the inside and out of their architecture.
Greek architecture helped open the door for the Romans to develop their own way of art. Even though there are many similarities in the materials they used, and how detailed the art was, or how the paintings and architecture was processed to completion, there are many differences as well. Many say there were more differences than there were similarities; others say it was the other way around. I believe the similarities and differences weighed the same. In either case the Greeks and the Romans contributed a great deal to the history of art.

Reference:
Greek Architecture” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 22 July 2004. Web. 10 Aug. 2004.

Ancient Greek Art and Architecture, derived from the new book of Knowledge http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3753872 Roman Architecture” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 22 July 2004. Web. 10 Aug. 2004.

Sayre, H. M. (2010). A world of art (6th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.