Greek vs. Roman Architecture

Greek and Roman Architecture were similar in that both utilized Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns in their structures. Greek architecture was primarily centered around constructing buildings to serve as “temples to the gods.” These buildings were much like works of art, very decorative on the outside and rather plain inside. While Greek architecture certainly influenced Roman architecture, the Romans designed their buildings to be beautiful on the inside as well as the outside.

Their structures were used as gathering places for the masses and places to hold meetings for the public. It appears as though the Romans were more skilled in engineering techniques than were the Greeks. Greek architecture tended to be plain and simple while the Romans were much more elaborate with their ornamentation.

The Romans were adept at making vast improvements in construction methods employed by the Greeks. The “arch,” while not developed by the Romans, was used with great skill and revolutionized architecture as it was known in early times. The Colosseum and many of the bridges they constructed in ancient times reflect this.

As an another example of some of the differences between Greek and Roman architecture, a look at the variation in columns will show how the Romans added a base to the Doric column used by the Greeks (for example in the Parthenon) and then added ornamentation as well. Additionally, the Romans invented a style of column all their own by combining different styles of columns like the Corinthian column with a portion of the Ionic Greek style column.