| Acropolis: |
A
large group of buildings situated above the normal city (as if on top a
large hill) - literally translated into, "city above."
The Parthenon is part of an acropolis. |
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| Amphora: |
A type of jar used by the
Greeks to store various provisions such as corn, wine, oil, honey, etc…
The opening is usually large enough to admit a ladle, and typically was
covered with a lid. Amphora literally means, “to carry on both sides”,
referring to the large handles placed to both sides of the neck. |
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| Barbarian: |
The etymology or origin
of the word "barbarian" is derived from the sound of the language that
the so-called barbarians' of ancient Europe spoke. The Persians were
typically referred to as barbarians, given this name because their speech
was interpreted by the Greeks as: "bar"-"bar." |
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| Canon: |
Used in Canon
of Proportions: an idealized mathematical system for depictions of the
human body. |
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| Centaur: |
A Greek mythical creature
with the head and torso of a human, and the body of a horse. |
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| Contrapposto: |
The appearance of weight
shift in sculpture by the depiction of counter-positioning, in which the
body relaxes on one side as the other side takes on the weight of the body
and tenses up. |
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| Cornice: |
This is part of the Parthenon,
and for that matter all Temple architecture, is essentially the
roof like structure that holds tops the temple. It consists of two
angled pieces (roughly 10 degrees from the horizontal) and a flat or base
piece. Typically on the west and east ends of temple Pedimental
sculpture would be onto the base cornice piece such that the two angled
pieces shelter the sculptural works. |
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| Doric: |
The earliest order in Greek
architecture, generally massive in appearance, with undecorated columns. |
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| Frieze: |
Band of horizontal space
located between the capital above the columns of a building, and the cornice,
usually used for some form of decoration. It is also common for any
structures immediately within a temple (like the inner-cella in the Parthenon)
to contain a frieze lining part or all of the same type of space
above the columns. |
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| In
Situ: |
A term referring to artifacts
being uncovered in the precise location where they originally were used. |
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| Metope: |
This is part of a temple,
like the Parthenon, that is located above the frieze bordered of
its right and left sides by two triglyphs, and typically continue
in such an alternating series around the entire temple exterior.
This just about square space is usually filled with relief sculpture
that, in most cases, follows a specific theme on each of the separate sides
of the temple (ie north, east, south, west). |
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| Pediment: |
In Classical architecture,
the triangular space formed by the ends of the roof and the cornice, usually
used for decoration. |
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| Relief: |
Sculpture consisting of
figures that are attached to the background, generally a flat surface. |
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| Temple: |
Building used for religious
purposes; in Greek civilization, generally used to house a cult statue
depicting certain gods or goddesses. |
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| Triglyph: |
This is part of a temple
that is located directly above the outer frieze, and on the sides of a
each metope. A triglyph has three vertical bar like
dividers that originate from more primitive forms of wooden and reed architecture. |
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| Weight
Shift: |
See Contrapposto.
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