Architecture according to Encarta 99 is "the art or science of designing and constructing buildings." There are many different types of architecture, but they all eventually trace back to the Greeks and Romans. The Greek's roots lie in the Aegean civilization; nevertheless its particular characteristics have made it one of the most established influences in Western architecture. One of the most important and famous examples of Greek architecture is the Parthenon located on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

Greek architecture is usually broken up into four different periods: the Geometric and Orientalizing periods (c. 1100 BC to 650 BC), the Archaic period (c. 660 BC to 475 BC), the Classical period (c. 475 BC to 323 BC) and the Hellenistic period (c. 323 BC to 31 BC).

Architecture of the Geometric and Orientalizing periods had more of a simple structure customarily made of mud brick and rubble. The plan of temples during this period was similar to that of the houses which evolved from circular to horseshoe like shapes and eventually rectangular. They were generally built on an east-west axis with an entrance and a columned porch at one end. In rectangular temples, the two side walls p

rojected beyond the front wall to form a porch. In the rooms, a single row of wooden columns along the main axis supported the wooden beams of the gable roof. This style was later replaced with two rows of columns because it shadowed the image of divinity.

The Classical period consists of three parts, the earlier period, the middle period and the late period.

The Parthenon was constructed between 447 BC and 432 BC by the architects Ictinus and Callicrates on the site of two earlier temples, the old Temple of Athena and the older Parthenon which was started in 488 BC and burned by the Persians in 480 BC. The Parthenon was meant to symbolize the power of the Athenian Empire and in particular that of Perikles, a politician who promoted its construction. It functioned as a place of worship for almost 2000 years until 1687 AD when the temple was exploded during the Turk and Venetian war. The Greek temples were thought to have an economic function as a "bank" which guarded to treasures for the gods. It was also used as a place for sacrificial purposes, which on the whole took place outside of the temples. The outside of Greek temples was generally considered to be more important than the inside therefore the exterior of the structure consisted of many sculptures. The temples had a large amount of space and were made of colonnades, which are rows of columns. The colonnades, located around the inner chamber had a strong contrast of light and dark color. The temple could be approached from all sides due to this structure.

The Middle Classical period emerged during the 5th century BC. Architects began refining their work in order to counteract the obvious distortions of perspective. The temple terrace was now curved upwards in the center, the taper of the columns were made convex, the axes of columns were inclined inward and vertical lines were tilted either inward or outward. The P

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