The Greek Temples Decoration

Question 1

What are the two areas that were decorated in Greek temples ?

Answer 1

The pediments and friezes

Question 2

What could the decorations be related to ?

Answer 2

The city in which the temple was built or they could relate to Greek civilization

Question 3

What was a pediment ? What could it contain

Answer 3

A triangular space at either end of a temple and could contain sculpture or be left blank

Question 4

What are the two styles of frieze and how are they different

Answer 4

Ionic frieze- unbroken/ continues strip
Doric- a continued strip that is broken into smaller squares

Question 5

What is an ionic frieze ? Why might a sculpture use the ionic style over the Doric ?

Answer 5

1. A continuous strip of stone or marble that runs around a temple
2. If the sculpture wanted to tell a continuous story or use many characters ( such as seen at the Parthenon)

Question 6

What is a Doric frieze? Why might a sculpture use this style ?

Answer 6

1. A continuous strip of stone or marble divided into square spaces
2. Good to use if the sculptor wanted to tell several stories or scenes from a story. Prime example is Temple of Zeus at Olympus with the twelves labours