DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42497#0379
III.]
On the Details of Roman Architecture.
73
beneath, a plain space or collar bounded below by an astragal or
small half-round moulding; its frieze and architrave were plain, and
its cornice simple without ornament. The column was unfluted.
The Doric order has an Attic base, which consists of an upper
and lower torus, with a scotia (elliptical hollow) between, bounded
by fillets. The column was sometimes plain, sometimes fluted.
The capital has a square abacus, with a moulding above it, an ovolo,
beneath a collar ornamented with rosettes, and an astragal as in
the Tuscan.
The Ionic has sometimes an Attic base, and sometimes one
imitated from the Asiatic-Greek base, consisting of two scotias
separated by two small astragals and fillets, with a torus above and
another below the scotias. This elegant form of base was common to
Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite in the first century. For distinc-
tion, it may be termed the Asiatic base h. The column had twenty-
four flutes. The capital is too well known to need description. The
chief difference between the Greek and Roman Ionic capital, is
that in the latter the hollow beneath the abacus and below the ovolo
is shallow, and bounded below by a straight instead of a curved line.
The volute also is more simple, and formed of a fillet instead of
a bead. Occasionally, as in the capitals in the Lateran Museum from
the villa of Lucius Verus, there is a collar of honeysuckle ornament,
like those of the capitals of the Erectheum, at Athens, a convincing
proof that they must have been the works of a Greek artist. The
entablature has been already described.
In the Corinthian and Composite orders the base was either Attic
or Asiatic, the column generally fluted, the’ capital deeper than the
Greek, and more frequently covered with olive-leaves than with
acanthus. The entablature has been already described. In a later
period it was overloaded with ornament, scarcely any member being
left plain.
The pilasters and archivolts of the arcades which accompanied the
orders, corresponded with them in the character of the mouldings
and the amount of decoration employed on them.
The general proportion of the height of the column to the dia-
meter of the column was as follows :—in Tuscan, the column was
seven diameters high; in Doric, eight; Ionic, nine; Corinthian,
nine and a-half; Composite, ten.
The orders were applied to all buildings,—to temples, thermae,
basilicae, gymnasia, theatres and villas; but as the chief remains in
h See Note D, at the encl of this Section.
On the Details of Roman Architecture.
73
beneath, a plain space or collar bounded below by an astragal or
small half-round moulding; its frieze and architrave were plain, and
its cornice simple without ornament. The column was unfluted.
The Doric order has an Attic base, which consists of an upper
and lower torus, with a scotia (elliptical hollow) between, bounded
by fillets. The column was sometimes plain, sometimes fluted.
The capital has a square abacus, with a moulding above it, an ovolo,
beneath a collar ornamented with rosettes, and an astragal as in
the Tuscan.
The Ionic has sometimes an Attic base, and sometimes one
imitated from the Asiatic-Greek base, consisting of two scotias
separated by two small astragals and fillets, with a torus above and
another below the scotias. This elegant form of base was common to
Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite in the first century. For distinc-
tion, it may be termed the Asiatic base h. The column had twenty-
four flutes. The capital is too well known to need description. The
chief difference between the Greek and Roman Ionic capital, is
that in the latter the hollow beneath the abacus and below the ovolo
is shallow, and bounded below by a straight instead of a curved line.
The volute also is more simple, and formed of a fillet instead of
a bead. Occasionally, as in the capitals in the Lateran Museum from
the villa of Lucius Verus, there is a collar of honeysuckle ornament,
like those of the capitals of the Erectheum, at Athens, a convincing
proof that they must have been the works of a Greek artist. The
entablature has been already described.
In the Corinthian and Composite orders the base was either Attic
or Asiatic, the column generally fluted, the’ capital deeper than the
Greek, and more frequently covered with olive-leaves than with
acanthus. The entablature has been already described. In a later
period it was overloaded with ornament, scarcely any member being
left plain.
The pilasters and archivolts of the arcades which accompanied the
orders, corresponded with them in the character of the mouldings
and the amount of decoration employed on them.
The general proportion of the height of the column to the dia-
meter of the column was as follows :—in Tuscan, the column was
seven diameters high; in Doric, eight; Ionic, nine; Corinthian,
nine and a-half; Composite, ten.
The orders were applied to all buildings,—to temples, thermae,
basilicae, gymnasia, theatres and villas; but as the chief remains in
h See Note D, at the encl of this Section.