Origins of Classical Architecture: Temples, Orders, and Gifts to the Gods in Ancient Greece

Anyone who has read Mark Wilson Jones excellent "Principles of Roman Architecture" will enjoy this. Jones enjoys exploding myths and here it is an exploration of the origins of the orders in Ancient Greece which does a fine job of exploding lazy assumptions. Carefully researched and beautifully illustrated, this is an excellent introduction to the basics of Ancient Greek Architecture. A triumph.

This is a wonderful book, scholarly but accessible. It does help you if you have some basic understanding of Classical Greek architecture and a fascination with the origins of the elements of the orders. Professor Jones shows the function of the classical temple as one element among many within its sanctuary and gives us a rich variety of sources and meanings for all the parts of the orders. I highly recommend this for enthusiasts of classical architecture.