Greek Temple Types

Why This Matters

When you encounter Greek temple architecture on an exam, you're not just being tested on whether you can identify a Doric column versus an Ionic one—you're being asked to demonstrate understanding of how architectural vocabulary communicated cultural values, religious hierarchy, and civic identity in ancient cities. The Greeks developed a sophisticated system where every design choice, from column proportions to building footprints, carried meaning about power, piety, wealth, and aesthetic philosophy.

These temple types also reveal how architecture shaped urban space itself. A massive peripteral temple dominated its surroundings differently than an intimate tholos; a Corinthian order signaled different aspirations than austere Doric. Understanding these distinctions helps you analyze how Greek and Roman cities used religious architecture to organize public life, display civic pride, and create hierarchies of sacred space. Don't just memorize column styles—know what each choice says about the society that built it.

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The Three Classical Orders: Column Styles as Cultural Language

The classical orders aren't just decorative preferences—they're a visual vocabulary that ancient builders used to communicate specific messages about a building's character, regional identity, and intended atmosphere.

Doric

• Oldest and most austere order—sturdy columns rise directly from the stylobate without a base, conveying strength and simplicity
• Distinctive frieze pattern alternates between triglyphs (panels with three vertical grooves) and metopes (spaces for sculptural decoration)
• Associated with mainland Greece and masculine qualities; the Parthenon and Temple of Hera at Olympia exemplify its monumental dignity

Ionic

• Elegant volute capitals—the scroll-like ornaments distinguish this order instantly and suggest refinement over raw power
• Continuous frieze allows for extended narrative relief sculpture, unlike the interrupted Doric arrangement
• Eastern Greek origins and associations with feminine grace; the Erechtheion and Temple of Athena Nike showcase its sophisticated character

Corinthian

• Most ornate capital features deeply carved acanthus leaves and scrolls, demanding skilled craftsmanship and significant expense
• Favored for monumental projects—its elaboration signaled wealth, ambition, and imperial grandeur
• Adopted enthusiastically by Romans; the Temple of Olympian Zeus (Athens) and Pantheon (Rome) demonstrate its cross-cultural prestige

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Temple Footprints: How Column Arrangement Shapes Sacred Space

Beyond column style, the arrangement of columns around a temple's cella (inner chamber) determined how worshippers experienced the building and how it dominated its urban setting. These plans range from minimal columned porches to fully surrounded colonnades.

Prostyle

• Columns only at the front entrance—creates a dramatic façade while leaving sides and rear as plain walls
• Emphasizes the approach and directs attention to the temple's primary axis and entrance
• Economical yet impressive; the Temple of Apollo at Delphi used this design to focus visual impact where it mattered most

Amphiprostyle

• Matching colonnades front and back—creates symmetrical views from both ends while sides remain uncolumned
• Balanced aesthetic suited smaller temples or shrines where both approaches held significance
• Example at Assos demonstrates how this plan provided elegance without the expense of full surrounding columns

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Surrounded Temples: Colonnades and Monumentality

The most prestigious temples featured columns on all sides, creating the iconic image of Greek sacred architecture. The difference between single and double colonnades marked a significant leap in scale, expense, and civic ambition.

Peripteral

• Single row of columns surrounds the entire building—the defining feature of major Greek temples
• Creates a colonnade (pteron) that frames the cella while allowing light and air circulation
• The Parthenon exemplifies this type—its surrounding columns transformed a simple rectangular building into an iconic monument

Dipteral

• Double row of columns on all sides dramatically increases the temple's footprint and visual mass
• Reserved for the most significant sanctuaries—the expense and engineering required signaled extraordinary religious importance
• Temple of Apollo at Didyma used this plan to create vast processional spaces and overwhelming architectural presence

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Breaking the Rectangle: Circular Temple Design

Not all sacred architecture followed the rectangular plan. Circular temples served specialized functions and created distinctly different spatial experiences.

Tholos

• Circular plan with surrounding colonnade—breaks from the dominant rectangular tradition for specific ritual purposes
• Often associated with chthonic worship or commemorative functions, including hero cults and oracular sites
• Tholos at Delphi and Epidaurus demonstrate how this form marked spaces as ritually distinct from standard temple worship

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Quick Reference Table

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Self-Check Questions

1. Which two column orders originated in different regions of the Greek world, and how did their aesthetics reflect those regional identities?

2. A temple has columns at both the front and back but plain walls on the sides. What type is it, and how does it differ from a prostyle design?

3. Compare peripteral and dipteral temples: what structural feature distinguishes them, and what does choosing dipteral construction suggest about a sanctuary's importance?

4. If an FRQ asks you to explain how the Romans adapted Greek architectural vocabulary, which classical order would be your strongest example and why?

5. How does a tholos differ from standard Greek temple design in both form and typical function? Name one specific example you could use on an exam.