Yale University Press Origins of Classical Architecture: Temples, Orders, and Gifts to the Gods in Ancient Greece

Greek temples captivate anyone with an interest in antiquity, and the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columnar orders that clad them launched the classical architectural tradition down to modern times. The Origins of Classical Architecture proposes groundbreaking new theories in both areas as it elucidates the nature and function of Greek architecture. While contextualizing past debate and prevailing, frequently evolutionary assumptions, Mark Wilson Jones explains how the orders emerged over a relatively short period in response to cultural developments, human agency, and artistic inspiration. Temples were houses for the gods while also considered as offerings to them, and thus made appropriately from enduring materials and grandly scaled. These structures, furthermore, sheltered votive offerings of great artistic quality, the design of which influenced that of the temples and the creation of the new architectural forms. Temples and their orders thereby symbolized the dedication of effort and artistry to the cause of religious expression and collective identity.