The Doric Order

The Doric Order, the oldest and simplest of the three main architectural styles of ancient Greece, first emerged among the Dorian people from the islands of the southern Aegean Sea in 7th century B.C. It was the pre-eminent form in Greece by the 5th century B.C., as exemplified at the Parthenon in Athens (447 to 442 B.C.) and the Temple of Hera at Olympia (590 B.C.). The style features stout, fluted columns with smooth round capitals and no base. It gradually faded from prominence and was mostly gone by the 2nd century A.D. Modern interpretations include the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Click on the highlighted sections for information on the individual components of the Doric Order.