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mix of the two materials. Some scholars have argued that certain decora-
tive features of stone column capitals and elements of the entablature
evolved from the skills of the carpenter displayed in more ancient, wooden
architectural elements.

The stone of choice was either limestone protected by a layer of mar-
ble dust stucco or even better, pure white marble. Also, carved stone was
often polished with chamois to provide resistance to water and give a

bright finish. The best marble came from Naxos, Paros, and Mt. Pentelicon
near Athens.
The ancient Greeks are rightly famous for their magnificent Doric and
Ionic temples, and the example par excellence is undoubtedly

the Parthenon of Athens. Built in the mid 5th century BCE in order to
house the gigantic statue of Athena and to advertise to the world the glory
of Athens, it still stands majestically on the city’s acropolis. Other cele-

brated examples are the massive Temple of Zeus at Olympia (completed c.
460 BCE), the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (completed c. 430 BCE),
which was considered one of the wonders of the ancient world, and the

evocative Temple of Poseidon at Sounion (444-440 BCE), perched on the
cliffs overlooking the Aegean. The latter is illustrative of the Greek desire
that such public buildings should not just fulfill their typical function of

housing a statue of a Greek deity, and not only should they be admired
from close-up or from the inside, but also that they should be admired
from afar. A great deal of effort was made to build temples in prominent
positions and, using sophisticated geometry, architects included optical

‘tricks’ such as thickening the lower parts of columns, thickening corner
columns, and having columns ever so slightly lean inwards so that from a
distance the building seemed perfectly straight and in harmony. Many of

these refinements are invisible to the naked eye, and even today only so-
phisticated measuring devices can detect the minute differences in angles
and dimensions. Such refinements indicate that Greek temples were, there-
fore, not only functional structures but also that the building itself, as a

whole, was symbolic and an important element in the civic landscape.
Another lasting Greek architectural contribution to world culture was
the stadium. Stadiums were named after the distance (600 ancient feet or

around 180 metres) of the foot-race they originally hosted -
the stade or stadion. Initially constructed near natural embankments, stadia
evolved into more sophisticated structures with rows of stone or even mar-

ble steps for seating which had divisions for ease of access. Conduits ran
around the track to drain off excess rainfall and in Hellenistic times

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