Greek Vocab Flashcards
Abacus
Flat slab on top of capital
Acropolis
Ancient citadel at highest place
Acroteria
Ornament at corner or peak of roof
Adyton
Back room of Greek temple
Very private space/room
Agora
Open space in town used as central gathering place or market
Amphora
Jar used for storing oil/wine
Egg shaped body and 2 curves handles
Amphiprostyle
A building (temple) with porticoes at each end but without columns along other 2 sides
Architrave
Bottom element of entablature, beneath frieze and cornice
Astragal
Thin convex decorative molding
Black figure
Pottery technique where black figures are painted in red clay background
Capital
Top block
Caryatid
Sculpture of draped female figures as column supporting entablature
Cella
Principal interior room at center
Aka naos
Contrapposto
Used to describe twisted pose resulting from parts of body set in opposition to each other around central axis
Cornice
Uppermost section of entablature
Horizontally projecting element found on top of building
Echinus
Cushionlike circular element below abacus of Doric element
Entablature
Horizontal element above columns and capitals
Entasis
Slight swelling of shaft of column
Makes it appear straight from afar
Facade
Face or front wall of building
Fillet
Flat ridge between carved out flute of column shaft
Foreshortening
Illusion created on flat surface when figures appear to recede or project sharply into space
Frieze
Middle element of entablature
Usually decorated with sculpture
In antis
Term used to describe position of columns set between 2 walls
Kore
Archaic Greek statue of young woman
Kouros
Archaic Greek statue of young man or boy
Krater
Vessel used for mixing water and wine
Kylix
Vessel/cup used for drinking
Wide mouth and small handles near rim
Peristyle
Surrounded by columns
Pillar
Large, freestanding vertical element