stoa, plural Stoae, in Greek architecture, a freestanding colonnade or covered walkway; also, a long open building, its roof supported by one or more rows of columns parallel to the rear wall. The Stoa of Attalus

Is a stoa a civic building?

The stoa was thus an integral architectural building block of the Greek agora and sanctuary, central to Greek civic and religious life.

What are the buildings in ancient Greece called?

Greek temples were grand buildings with a fairly simple design. The outside was surrounded by a row of columns. Above the columns was a decorative panel of sculpture called the frieze. Above the frieze was a triangle shaped area with more sculptures called the pediment.

What was stoa used for?

Open at the front with a façade of columns, a stoa provided an open, but protected, space. In addition to providing a place for the activities of civil magistrates, shopkeepers, and others, stoas often served as galleries for art and public monuments, were used for religious purposes, and delineated public space.

What building is the best example of Greek architecture?

Ancient Greek architecture is best known from its temples, many of which are found throughout the region, with the Parthenon regarded, now as in ancient times, as the prime example. Most remains are very incomplete ruins, but a number survive substantially intact, mostly outside modern Greece.

What does a pediment look like?

Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. They are found in ancient Greek architecture as early as 600 BC (e.g. the archaic Temple of Artemis). … Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns.

Is a stoa a civic or religious building?

Stoas were not commonly used for religious purposes, but were typically built for promenades and meetings. It is different from others in that it was a stoa rather than a temple (the common building used for religious purposes). Scholars believe the building also served other civic purposes due to its central location.

What is a tholos in architecture?

tholos, plural tholoi, Latin tholus, plural tholi, also called beehive tomb, in ancient Greek architecture, a circular building with a conical or vaulted roof and with or without a peristyle, or surrounding colonnade.

How was the Stoa built?

The Stoa of Attalos was built using marble that was quarried from the Penteli mountains and limestone. Interestingly, the Stoa combined several Greek architectural styles. On the ground floor, the exterior colonnade was Doric and the interior columns were Ionic.

When was the Stoa built?

The Stoa of Attalos was originally built by King Attalos II of Pergamon (159–138 B.C.), as a gift to the Athenians in appreciation of the time he spent in Athens studying under the philosopher Karneades.

Article first time published on

What is the Stoa in Greek architecture?

stoa, plural Stoae, in Greek architecture, a freestanding colonnade or covered walkway; also, a long open building, its roof supported by one or more rows of columns parallel to the rear wall. The Stoa of Attalus at Athens is a prime example. Stoa of Attalus.

What are the three types of Greek architecture?

At the start of what is now known as the Classical period of architecture, ancient Greek architecture developed into three distinct orders: the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders.

What type of construction is this an example of why might this type of construction be chosen?

Why might this type of construction be chosen? This is an example of a vault, specifically a barrel vault. This type of construction is very stable because of its weight bearing capacity. Therefore the structure is likely to be long-lasting.

What famous building or buildings in the US copy the Greek style of architecture?

The United States Capitol, home of the U.S. Congress, and the seat of the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government stands tall on Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall. With its columns and main gable, it is a building in the characteristic ancient Greek style.

What buildings can you name that have been influenced by Greek architecture?

• Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens.
• Parthenon, Acropolis.
• Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Acropolis.
• Temple of Hera, Olympia.
• Temple of Artemis, Corfu.
• The Great Theater of Epidaurus.
• Temple of Apollo, Delphi.
• Stoa of Attalos, Agora.

What did architects in ancient Greece use in the construction of their buildings?

Materials. The Greeks certainly had a preference for marble, at least for their public buildings. Initially, though, wood would have been used for not only such basic architectural elements as columns but the entire buildings themselves.

Is Stoa a Scrabble word?

Yes, stoa is in the scrabble dictionary.

Which was a building technique introduced by the Romans?

The most notable building technique introduced by the Romans was the use of concrete.

Was the Parthenon a temple?

Parthenon, temple that dominates the hill of the Acropolis at Athens. It was built in the mid-5th century bce and dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena Parthenos (“Athena the Virgin”).

What is a pediment on a house?

pediment, in architecture, triangular gable forming the end of the roof slope over a portico (the area, with a roof supported by columns, leading to the entrance of a building); or a similar form used decoratively over a doorway or window. The pediment was the crowning feature of the Greek temple front.

What is a cupola in architecture?

cupola, in architecture, small dome, often resembling an overturned cup, placed on a circular, polygonal, or square base or on small pillars or a glassed-in lantern. It is used to crown a turret, roof, or larger dome.

Who has named pediment?

1The landforms known as pediments were so called by Gilbert (1890, p. 183; see also McGee, 1897, p. 92) as a metaphor for features typical of classical Greek architecture.

Who built the Stoa?

The Stoa of Attalos (also spelled Attalus) was a stoa (covered walkway or portico) in the Agora of Athens, Greece. It was built by and named after King Attalos II of Pergamon, who ruled between 159 BC and 138 BC.

Why is stoicism named for Stoa?

Stoicism originated as a Hellenistic philosophy, founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium (modern day Cyprus), c. … The name comes from the Stoa Poikile, or painted porch, an open market in Athens where the original Stoics used to meet and teach philosophy.

What was important about the Erechtheion location?

For many years, the accepted scholarly opinion has been that the Erechtheion fulfilled a triplicate purpose in its interior design: to “replace the Old Temple [of Athena], to house the old image, and to unite in an organized building several shrines and places of religious significance.”

What is a Triglyph in architecture?

Triglyph is an architectural term for the vertically channeled tablets of the Doric frieze in classical architecture, so called because of the angular channels in them.

Is the Pantheon a Tholos?

The upper part of the US Capitol is a tholos. … The Panthéon in Paris is also topped by a tholos.

Where was the mask of Agamemnon found?

The “Mask of Agamemnon” is one of the most famous gold artifacts from the Greek Bronze Age. Found at Mycenae in 1876 by the distinguished archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, it was one of several gold funeral masks found laid over the faces of the dead buried in the shaft graves of a royal cemetery.

Why is the Stoa of Attalos important?

The Stoa of Attalos served as a modern shopping center, with 21 shops along the two floors. In fact, it was the first and largest shopping center of the antiquity and became the main meeting point of the Athenians that period.

Did the Romans despise Greek culture?

The Romans got to know Greek culture early in their history, as is shown by the vases and mural paintings with Greek athletes in Etruscan tombs. During the Republican period, however, the Romans were reticent about Greek culture, because they associated the gymnasion with effeminacy and immorality.

Why did King Eumenes II of Pergamon dedicate a Stoa in Athens?

In 170 BC Eumenes II of Pergamon built the homonymous stoa. The Stoa of Eumenes offered protection to the spectators of the Dionysus Theatre from bad weather. It was a two-storey Doric building.