The classical architecture of the Greeks and Romans includes five main architectural orders Doric, Tuscan, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite. These orders are the basis for much of modern architecture and can even be seen throughout the Western world. The three most recognized orders of Greek architecture include Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. Ancient Greek architecture is characterized by columns, friezes, pediments and proportional design.  

Doric 

The Doric order was the earliest classical architecture development in the ancient world. This style originated around the middle of the seventh century B.C.E. When wood was abandoned in favor of more permanent materials like stone and brick. The Doric order is characterized by a plain, unadorned column capital and a column that rests directly on the stylobate of the temple without a base. The temple of the goddess Athena is thought to be one of the most outstanding exemplifications of the Doric style. Several architects and sculptors contributed to the area, including Iktinos, Kallikrates, and Pheidias. Founded on the coast of Southern Italy around 600 B.C., The ancient city of Paestum or Poseidonia is home to quite a few well-preserved Doric temples, including the Temple of Hera, the Temple of Athena, and a second Temple of Hera. 

Ionic  

The Ionic order comes second to Doric chronologically, around the mid-sixth century B.C.E. Structures built in the Ionic style originated in Ionia, a coastal region of central Anatolia modern part of Turkey. The Ionic order was defined by many unique characteristics, Volutes, Capitals, Fluted shafts with curved indentations, stacked disks located at the base of many structures and much more. The Erechtheum and the Temple of Athena are both beautiful examples of the Ionic order, located on the Athens Acropolis.  

Corinthian  

Of all classical architectural orders, the Corinthian order is both the newest and most elaborate. The Corinthian order, similar to the Ionic Order, is classified by slender proportions and has a column height of 10 diameters, while the column shaft is predominately fluted twenty-four times around with the flutes being rounded off before meeting both the capital and the base. Post-Renaissance, Corinthian columns were also seen as having no flutes. According to historians, the Temple of Olympian Zeus had more than 100 Corinthian columns. Overall, the Greek Corinthian order displays elaborate decoration that reflects a sense of lavishness and luxury.  

The Neoclassical revolution was in full swing when James “Athenian” Stuart and Nicholas Revett visited Greece from 1748 to 1755 and went on to publish The Antiquities of Athens and Other Monuments of Greece, 1762, in London. It goes without saying that the ancient Greek architectural orders have exerted a profound influence on artists and architects for thousands of years. While Greek architecture was fundamental to the inspiration of the Romans, its legacy continues well beyond the ancient world.