ARCHITECTURE OF THE ARCHAIC PERIOD:

Examples from Paestum, Corfu, Aegina, and Delphi  

Three orders — Doric (northern), Ionic (southern), Corinthian

This is architectural vocabulary that you must learn in order to discuss Ancient Greek architecture (the Corinthian order will become important when we study Roman architecture):

Doric Base Entablature Metope
  Ionic Shaft Architrave Pediment
Stylobate Capital Frieze Cornice
Column Volute Triglyph  

Temple Floor Plan (based on the plan of the Temple of Hera II, Paestum)

In addition, the vocabulary of the temple plan is essential and needs to be learned:

Cella or Naos — center, no windows, location of the cult statue Peristyle — external colonnade on all four sides  
Pronaos or Porch — flanked by two columns   Peripteral — 1 set of columns going all the way around 
Opisthodomos — back porch, added for symmetry   Dipteral — 2 sets of columns going all the way around 

The plan of the Greek Temple is derived from the Mycenaean Megaron. A variation in plan associated with Archaic temples is the central row of columns that divides the cella.  These were required support the roof — but it interfered with the placement of the cult statue.

Greek temples were central to Greek culture.  All cities had one or more temples which were dedicated to the gods. 

Within Greek culture, there was a tremendous continuity in style.  However, the site was more important than the particular temple.  The temples become “types” — although there variations.  These three temples, for example, were similar, but not identical. 

The Basilica, Paestum in Southern Italy, ca. 550 B.C.

  At Paestum (in Italy -- remember that the Greeks colonized areas of Italy), three temples from the Archaic period survive. 

Let's begin by describing the Temple of Hera I.   Each temple housed a specific god.  Both the god and the site were important.  This temple displays heavy and closely spaced Doric columns.  Doric columns, as you now know, do not have a base.  The shaft rests directly on the stylobate.  The capital is a simple, flaring ring at the top of the shaft.  Notice the swelling of the columns — entasis.

Note that this is a peristyle temple, in that it has columns all around.  It is peripteral in that the columns are single. 

Note that there are 18 columns on the long side and 9 columns on the short side.

Therefore, the ratio = 2:1 — this is a deliberate attempt to make a rational design.

Temple of Athena, Paestum, ca. 500 B.C.

Now let's look at the mathematics of the Temple of Athena:

Note:   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10 and 4 x 10 = 40

            1 x 2 x 3 x 4 = 24 and  4 x 24 = 96

These numbers and their relationships were interesting to the Greeks.  Four was considered to be the creative principal. 

Therefore, the dimensions of this temple were deliberate and divine.  This was, however, an early experiment.  It may have been associated with Pythagorus, who lived during this period.  Note that Pythagorus discovered several other mathematical relationships, including musical harmony.

Later, proportions were softened and fudged to get a more pleasing appearance.  

These architectural monuments were also ornamented with sculpture, as we shall now see.

Pediment of Temple of Artemis from the Island of Corfu, ca. 600

The Temple of Artemis on the Island of Corfu was one of the earliest stone temples executed by the Greeks.  It was executed in the Doric order and was embellished with sculpture in the pediments.

Originally, it appears that both side of the temple had the same pediment design.  The west side, however, is better preserved. 

In examining the decoration of the pediment, we become aware of another artist problem which Archaic Greek artists posed for themselves — how to design a sculptural arrangement for a triangular pediment. 

In the center of the pediment is Medusa.  According to Greek mythology, she was one of three terrible sisters known as the Gorgons.  Their appearance was so hideous that turned people to stone.  We see staring eyes, fangs, their tongues hanging out, and their hair consisting of snakes.  Here Medusa is looking out from the temple to ward off evil.

What is her style?  You will recognize her as an Archaic type.  The pose is called a pinwheel stance, and it signifies that she is running.  The anatomy is simplified, again looking like an assemblage of individual parts.

Beside Medusa are her two children:

When she was struck by the sword of Perseus, two children were born from her blood.  However, here we see the two children, but Medusa is still alive!  This is, therefore, not a coherent narrative.

Medusa and her children are flanked by lions.  This is a motif that we have seen over and over again (e.g. Sumerian, Assyrian (lamassu), and the Lion gate at Mycenae).  This is a motif originally from Mesopotamia.

At the far left is King Priam of Troy and perhaps a fallen Trojan soldier.

At the far right is Zeus killing a kneeling giant with a Thunderbolt.  This may have been a gigantomachy (a battle of the gods and giants).  It was a favored subject during the Archaic period and was a metaphor for the struggle of reason and order over chaos. However, some art historians think that Zeus is killing Kronos.  Kronos devoured his sons when they were born — however, when Zeus was born, the nymphs saved him and gave Kronos a stone to swallow.

Thus, the pediment is ornamented with relief sculpture with at least three different stories depicted and in all different sizes.

Greek artists had to resolve the problems of the Archaic period associated with the design of a pediment:

Temple of Aphaia, Aegina, ca. 510-490 B.C.

Many of these artistic challenge were met at the Temple of Aphaia, Aegina.   This temple is not as heavy as the Temple of Hera I at Paestum.  The columns are thinner and spaced more widely apart. There are 6 columns on the front and 12 columns on the side.  They also worked on the problem of the pedimental sculpture.  

As you can see, the sculpture was removed from the site and is now at the Glyptothek in Munich.  The series of photos below are older, and it appears that the current-day museum installation is slightly different.  Still, you can see more details in these images than the one in Gardner's.

Pediment sculpture, Temple of Aphaia, Aegina, ca. 490 B.C. -- West Side

Pediment sculpture, Temple of Aphaia, Aegina, ca. 480 B.C. -- East Side

The subject of the pedimental sculpture was the Sack of Troy; Athena stood at center. 

All of the statues of the warriors are approximately the same size.  These were carved in three-dimensions and mounted in the temple pediment.  They created figures of different postures to fill the awkward space of the triangular pediment.   

Note the two wounded soldier that are illustrated in your textbook.  The twisting torso not perfect, plus we see the Archaic spirit.  Even as the soldiers are dying, they are smiling.

Delphi, Siphnian Treasury, ca. 530 B.C.

 

The Treasuries were small buildings erected by a single Greek city in order to house offering and to glorify the place that erected it.  There were many Treasuries erected in Delphi and Olympia.  There were like a miniature temple with one gabled room entered through a small porch.

The Siphnian Treasury was set up at Delphi by the Islanders of Siphnos.  Originally, this was a very poor island.  Then, they became wealthy when gold and silver mines were discovered on their island in 540 B.C.  They built their treasury around 530 B.C. to celebrate their wealth.  Later, their mines flooded and their wealth was lost. 

This is an example of an Ionic structure because of the entablature consists of an architrave and a frieze. The caryatids were not standard features of the Ionic order, but they do appear in other examples (they recall the kore or votive figures).  

This was erected at the Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi and the imagery is site-specific.  The pediment filled with sculpture. Apollo and Herakles are engaged in a difficult struggle over the tripod of Delphi.  The myth is that Herakles takes the tripod away, but then returns it. 

Gigantomachy, Delphi, Siphnian Treasury, ca. 530 B.C.  

 

Your textbook presents a larger portion of the frieze.  The subject is a Gigantomachy, a battle of the gods and giants. It is in a Late Archaic style with higher relief together with overlapping armor and horses. No longer do we see a fractional representation.