Greco-Roman Architecture

 Greco-Roman Architecture

Greece had no architecture until the 7th century. Pre-7th century Greek buildings were mostly made of wood or mud-brick. Most Greco-Roman architecture is rectangular or square in shape and constructed of limestone, which is abundant in Greece.

Ancient Greece may have been the birthplace of sculpture and architecture, not only in antiquity, but also up to the present day.

Greece had no architecture until the 7th century.

Because pre-7th century Greek buildings were mostly made of wood or mud-brick, there is nothing left of them, and there is little written about them.

However, in a more modern Greece, structures such as the Parthenon and the Coliseum still exist in part, providing us with beautiful architecture to study.

Most Greco-Roman architecture is rectangular or square in shape and constructed of limestone, which is abundant in Greece. Though many people believe marble was used in the construction of Greco-Roman architecture, its high cost and scarcity limited its use to sculptural decoration, with the exception of the Parthenon.

Columns and sizes abound in Greco-Roman architecture.

The majority of people are unaware that there are two types of Greco-Roman architecture: Doric and Ionic.

While Athens' famous Parthenon and Temple of Hephaestus are Doric, the Erechtheum, which is right next to the Parthenon, is Ionic. The Ionic Greco-Roman architecture is more ornamental.

The majority of surviving Roman-Greco Architecture buildings are temples. This is primarily due to the construction materials used. Limestone, on the other hand, can deteriorate and decompose over time due to natural erosion.

Because marble, which was difficult to transport from the few islands where it could be found, was used in buildings such as the temples and the Parthenon.