Corinthian

    The Corinthian order was not used as widely as the Doric of Ionic. The reason being, is that the Corinthian order was fancier than the others, and had a lot more details. Thus, information dealing with this order is very limited, and some is not worth putting up. This type of style is usually the one that most modern people like best. In addition, the Corinthian style also uses entasis to make the shafts look straight. The capitals have flowers and leaves below a small scroll. Furthermore, the shafts have flutes and the base is like that of the Ionian. Finally, unlike the Doric and Ionian cornices   which are at a slant, the Corinthian are flat.

    The most basic order for their temples would be the Doric order. Doric architecture was used by the Spartans. It all started with some wood shafts, which latter was replaced by stone. On the top of the shaft were circular pads with a square block of wood over it. The vertical columns were used to support the beams called architraves. In order to form the ceiling, other beams were laid across the building with their ends on these architraves. On the end of these beams, they could be channeled to make a triglyph. On the top of a triglyph, there would be another beam which would be placed for the overhanging rafters. These type of beams were referred as to a mutules. The finishing touches for the roof had to have a flat gables called pediments. The gutter ran along the top of the pediments and ended at a lion's mouth. This acted like a drain. The materials that were used for the roofs were thatch and the terra-cotta and marble. They had no base and had approximately 20 sides. This style works well horizontally on buildings which is why it was so good with the long rectangular buildings of the Greek. Doric temples were similar to those of the Ionic order in lay out and design.

    The final order would be the Ionic order. Their columns were more slender and taller than those of the Doric order. Their height were eight to nine meters high, instead of four to five. The columns had a molded base which was placed under them and then sculpted figures on the lower part of the shaft were added. At the top of these shafts were rectangular blocks of stone. The stones  were carved in the shape of hair or other wave and line shapes. The special feature of this column was the entasis which is a little bulge in the column which renders the column appeared to be straight even from a distance. As for the bases, they were large and looked like a set of stacked rings. The Ionic capitals consisted of scrolls on top of the shaft. Finally, the Ionic style is a little more decorative than that of the Doric order.

2. Scranton, Robert L., Greek Architecture,  George Braziller Publishing