Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

COLU MNA. COLUMN.A. 325 -
tructed wais called hypacthr-al (7ra=Opos). [Tr,.M- most ancient examples of the order the columns are
PLUM.] very short in proportion to their greatest thickness.
But it was on the exterior of public buildings, In the temple at Corinth, which is supposed to be
and especially of temples, that columns were dis- the oldest of all, the height of the columns is only
played in the most beautiful combinations, either 7- modules (i. e. semi-diameters), and in the great
surrounding the building entirely, or arranged in temple at Paestumn only 8 modules; but greater
porticoes on one or more of its fronts. (For the lightness was afterwards given to the order, so
various arrangements of columns see TEMPLUma.) that, in the Parthenon, which is the best example,
Their original and proper use was, of course, to the height of the columns is 12 modules. The folsupport the roof of the building; and, amidst all lowing profile is from the temple of Apollo Epithe elaborations of architectural design, this object curius at Phigaleia, built by the same architect as
was still kept in view. The natural arrangement the Parthenon. For a comparison of the other
in such a case is obvious. A continuous beam (or chief examples, see the work of Mauch.
series of beams) would be laid on the tops of a
row of columns. On this bcamll would rest the
ends of the cross-beams; which would be tied
together by another continuous piece, parallel to -
the first; and above this, if the columns were at'
one end of the building, would rise the pitch of the b.
roof. Now in the actual parts of an architectural
order, we see the exact counterpart of these arrangements. On the summit of the row of columns
rests the architrave, i. e. chief beamn (E7rtL-rAXov, -
epistyliumz: above this is the frieze (CSWooepos,
Awo/popo, zophormus), in which. the most ancient
order, namely the Doric, shows, in its triglyphs,
what were originally the ends of the cross-beamls:
in the other orders these ends are generally concealed, and the frieze forms a flat surface, which is
frequently ornamented by figures in relief, whence
its Greek name. Above the frieze projects the
cornice (!copwoyls, coronais, or corona), forming a
handsome finish to. the entablature (for so these
three members taken together are called), and
also, on the sides of the building, serving to unite
the ends of the rafters of the roof. The triangular
gable-end of the roof, above the entablature, is
called the pediment. [FASTIGIUM.] The detailed
description of the various portions of the column
and entablature, in each of the orders, will be
best understood by reference to the following
wood-cuts, which are taken from Mauch's Griec/isclen und Ru77ischen Bae-Ordnungen.
I. The Doric Order is characterized by the
absence of a base, the thickness and rapid diminution of the shaft, and the simplicity of the capital,
which consists of a deep abacus, supported by a
very flat oval moulding, called echinus, beneath
which are from three to five steps or channels
(ciavres, anMzli). Instead of the kyposorachelizsim
(a sort of neck which unites the shaft to the
capital in the other orders) there is merely a small
portion of the shaft cut off by one or more narrow
channels. In the entablature, the architrave is in
one surface, and quite plain: the frieze is ornamented by triglyp.s (so called from the three flat The Roman architects umade considerable varibands into which they are divided by the inter- ations in the order, the details of which are shown
vening channels), one of which is found over each in the engraving on the following page, from an excolulnn, and one over each intercolumniation, ex- ample at Albano near.Ronme. In the later examples
cept that the triglyph over a corner column is of the Roman Doric, a base is given to the column.
placed, not over the centre of the column, but at II. The Ionic Order is as much distinguished
the extremity of the architrave, -a decisive proof, by simple gracefulness as the Doric by majestic
as Vitruvius remarks, that the triglyphs do not strength. The column is much more slender
represent windows. The metopes between the than the Doric, having, in the earliest known extriglyphs were ornamented with sculptures in high ample, namely, the temple of Artemis at Ephesus,
relief. The cornice is flat, and projects far, and on a height of 16 modules, which was afterwards inits under side are cut several sets of drops, called creased to 18. The shaft rests upon a base, which
mutrules (nzutuli), one over each triglyph and each was either the elaborate Ionic or the Attic [SPIRA;
metope, the surfaces of which follow the slope of ATTICURGES]. The capital either springs dithe roof, and which are said by Vitruvius to repre- rectly from the shaft, or there is a. hypotreachelium,
sent the ends of the rafters of the roof. In the } separated from the shaft by an astragal imoulding
vI