Structural Pillars and Written Word
ANCIENT GREECE: Architecture and Typography
Ancient Greece was known for its astonishing architecture throughout history. Symmetry was used heavily in the building of Greek Architecture and was a key concept that was carried down by many others and used for architecture in the modern-day world. The Greeks used three main principles that founded their architectural style, Symmetry, Proportion, and Harmony.
Temples were the most common type of building created by the Greeks. Most ancient Greek temples were built using their main principles, symmetry, proportion, and harmony. They were built usually on a rectangular or square foundational shape. Most structures were held up using large columns and pillars made of Limestone or Marble. The workmanship and attention to detail on these structures were stunning and the first of their nature.
The Goddesses Temple
The Parthenon was a temple built between 447-432 BCE, dedicated to the goddess Athena. It is considered one of the most magnificent buildings in the ancient world. This building represented symmetry, proportion, and harmony in its most glorious form. The structure and workmanship of the building were well designed since it has lasted for nearly 2,500 years!
The House of Athena
The Erechtheion (or Erechtheum) is an ancient greek temple built between 421-406 BCE. It was built on the Acropolis of Athens to house the ancient wooden statue of Athena. It has stood the test of time as it still remains as one of the most glorified buildings.
I think it’s safe to say the Greeks were well ahead of the modern day trends, having that “minimalist, clean aesthetic”. All greek architecture is timeless and absolutely astonishing. The workmanship and attention to detail is Crazy!
Language of trade
The invention of the Greek writing system dates back to the eighth century BCE and was acquired from the Phoenicians. It was mostly used by the Greeks for “trade, culture, and administration”. The Greek language and alphabet have been pivotal in the success of commerce and culture. The Greek Language has been the building blocks of many languages after it including “Albanian, Macedonian Slavic, and Karamanli Turkish”.
The Greek Alphabet contains around 24-26 alphabets (depending on era) and was derived from the 22 Phoenician Alphabet. The Greeks altered the Phoenician Alphabet to accurately translate spoken language into writing. The Greek Alphabet was the first to have vowels, use both vowels and constants, and accurately convey speech.
Their alphabet is used in many modern day languages today as the foundational structure. They really revolutionized language for the entire world, imagine having no vowels in the alphabet!
Greek and Roman numerals were used to record numbers in a permanent written form. Greek numerals were used in the medieval period. They used a system of alphabetic numerals, the system was set up so that every Greek alphabet has a corresponding numeral value. “Scribes wrote these numerals with a horizontal dash on top or between dots, in order to distinguish them from letters”.
Bibliography
Images
https://www.pexels.com/photo/parthenon-greece-landmark-951531/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/old-ruins-of-columns-of-medieval-temple-4388164/
Writing
Edson, Paul. “Alphabet, Greek.” Encyclopedia of World Trade: From Ancient Times to the Present, edited by Cynthia Clark Northrup, Routledge, 1st edition, 2013. Credo Reference, https://ezproxy.capilanou.ca/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/sharpewt/alphabet_greek/0?institutionId=6884. Accessed 29 Sep. 2020.
Sacks, David. “alphabet, Greek.” Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World, David Sacks, Facts On File, 3rd edition, 2015. Credo Reference, https://ezproxy.capilanou.ca/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/fofancient/alphabet_greek/0?institutionId=6884. Accessed 29 Sep. 2020.
Sacks, David. “Athena.” Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World, David Sacks, Facts On File, 3rd edition, 2015. Credo Reference, https://ezproxy.capilanou.ca/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/fofancient/athena/0?institutionId=6884. Accessed 29 Sep. 2020..
Sacks, David. “Parthenon.” Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World, David Sacks, Facts On File, 3rd edition, 2015. Credo Reference, https://ezproxy.capilanou.ca/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/fofancient/parthenon/0?institutionId=6884. Accessed 29 Sep. 2020