The Architecture of Classical civilizations

Classical civilization is the period of history in which architecture evolved and developed during the Greek and Roman periods of classical antiquity. It is a style of architecture in which initially the Greek and later the Greek and the Roman elements fused together to produce buildings such as the Parthenon at Athens, Temple of Hephaestos,the temple of Aphaia at Greece and the Colosseum in Rome, aqueducts in Spain, the Roman temples in France and Roman theaters in Greece.

During the period of the Greek civilization Greek architects constructed some of the finest and most striking buildings and some of their buildings such as temples and theatres became a feature of Greek towns and cities. The Greek concern with simplicity, perspective and harmony in architecture provided the influence for the later Roman architecture. Classical Greek architecture consists of five orders-Doric, Corinthian, Ionic, Tuscan and composite. The Greek architects created the first three and used a combination of latter two to create certain style of column eventually replacing the wooden pillars into the Doric influences. It was a vertical fluted column shaft which was thinner at its top with no base and a simple capital below a square abacus.

The Corinthian order which was invented in Athens in the 5^th century BCE is similar to the Ionic but topped by decorative capital of stylized symbols .The Ionic order with its origins in mid-6^th century BCE in Asia Minor added a base and volute to a straighter, slimmer column. The initial building material was wood which was later replaced by marble. In the Greek temple architecture stone and marble came to be used and certain decorative features of stone and decorative elements have been used displaying the skills of the architects.

The Parthenon of Athens is famous for its Doric and Ionic temples and it was built in the 5^th century BCE at Acropolis to house the statue of Greek goddess Athena and to display the glory of Athens to the world. Other examples of Greek architecture are the gigantic temple of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion and the temple of Artemis at Ephesus. The temples display the sophisticated craftsmanship and use of elaborate symbolisms in their construction.

Another important achievement was the Greek amphitheatre with large courts used for the purpose of religious processions and bull fighting sports. It was an open air and semi-circular arrangement of rows with monumental arches. Theatres were widely used for games and musical competitions.

After the conquest of Greece by the Romans they carried the legacy of the Greeks in their architecture, but they also adopted new architectural techniques and constructed buildings such as the Aqueducts, Roman baths, amphitheatre, granary and basilica. The famous examples of Roman architecture are the Pantheon at Rome, the aqueducts in Spain, the baths of Caracalla in Rome, the Roman amphitheatre at Verona and the Roman temples in France.

In architecture the Romans preferred monolithic columns rather than the Greek method of using several columns stacked on top of each other. Columns also were made to form a part of the wall and function as decorative elements. The best example of this is the Roman Colosseum in Rome. Greek influence is also visible in Roman buildings and especially in the beginning of the Roman republic the Greek style of architecture was favoured.The use of marble and mortar was the primary building material in the Roman buildings. Concrete rubble was also used as a filler material. The roofs of Roman buildings were made of columns of bricks and stucco was also used for the ornamentation and decorative elements in buildings. The Roman aqueducts and bridges were massive structures which were used as a means of conveyance to carry fresh water to the Roman cities. The best example of a Roman aqueduct is at Taracco in Spain. It is constructed of a flat wooden superstructure and it still survives today.

The Roman baths are the finest example of Roman architecture and there is considerable use of arches, domes, buttresses and vaults. These baths were built symmetrically and consisted of cold and hot rooms, fountains and underfloor heating. The exterior of these baths was plain but internally they were magnificent with the lavish use of mosaics, columns and marble statues. The best example of a Roman bath is the baths of Caracalla in Rome.The Romans also built amphitheatres and theatres and their construction is characterised by semi-circular arrangement of rows. The Colosseum is the largest of all Roman amphitheatres. Apart from this the Romans also constructed military structures like the Antonine and Hadrian’s wall. The width of Roman walls varied tremendously from 18cm thinness to 6m thickness.

It can be said that the Greek and the Roman architecture has stood the passage of time and they were magnificent builders. By using a wide range of materials like brick, mortar, marble and stone they mastered architecture and turned it in to an art. The displayed their power and wealth to the world by building such edifices. The amphitheatre and basilica constructed by the Greeks and Romans provided an inspiration for the later Western architecture in the Middle Ages.