The Origins of Greek Temple Architecture

by: Pierattini, A.

In this book, Alessandro Pierattini offers a comprehensive study of the evolution of pre-archaic Greek temple architecture from the eleventh to mid-seventh century BCE. Demystifying the formative stages of Greek architecture, he traces how temples were transformed from unassuming shrines made of perishable materials into large stone and terracotta monuments. Grounded in archaeological evidence, the volume analyzes the design, function, construction, and aesthetic of the Greek temple. While the book's primary focus is architectural, it also draws on non-architectural material culture, ancient cult practice, and social history, which also defined the context that fostered the Greek temple's initial development. In reconstituting this early history, Pierattini also draws attention to new developments as well as legacies from previous eras. Ultimately, he reveals why the temple's pre-Archaic development is not only of interest in itself, but also a key to the origins of the Greek monumental architecture of the Archaic period.

This book presents the first comprehensive analysis of pre-Archaic Greek temple architecture, showing readers that the Greek temple existed long before it acquired its well-known Archaic and Classical features
Examines early Greek temple architecture holistically and with an interdisciplinary approach, providing readers with with a complete picture of the function, design, technology, and aesthetics of pre-Archaic Greek temple architecture, as well as the material culture and social context from which it emerged
The book aims to make the early history of the Greek temple accessible to a multi-disciplinary scholarly readership, as well as to a broader audience of students

Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Origins and legacies. Early Iron Age temples and the question of function
2. The rise of monumental temples (eighth to mid-seventh centuries BC)
3. Technological innovation and permanence (first half of the seventh century)
4. Conclusion
Appendices: Appendix 1: wind force for destabilizing a mud brick wall
Appendix 2: labor for manufacturing a monolithic sarcophagus
Appendix 3: labor for stonework at Isthmia.

The Origins of Greek Temple Architecture

by: Pierattini, A.

• ISBN-13: 9781108499477 / 978-1-108-49947-7
• ISBN-03: 1108499473 / 1-108-49947-3
• Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2022