The Pelasgians appear to have been the first people settled in Greece numerous remains of whose structures are still extant. Subsequently, from the knowledge possessed by the indigenous tribes, together with that acquired from the Egyptians and the Asiatic nations, the Greeks extracted and developed a style peculiarly their own, and architectural art passed from the gigantic to the elegant and classic forms. Under the government of Pericles it flourished with meridian splendor, and some of the most superb edifices the world has ever seen were erected during this period. The Grecian monuments belonged to the states, and upon the public works the governments lavished fabulous sums. Hee-ren informs us that the Greeks placed the necessary appropriation of funds for the public works at the head of the government expenditures. The thoughts of the whole Greek nation, it would seem, were turned toward the adornment of their cities. They forbade by law any architectural display on private residences, and in fact, until after Greece became subject to Macedonia, architects were permitted to work only for the government. The Greeks loved recreation, and the government, as a political necessity, provided the populace with amusements.

Hence the Grecian cities were adorned with temples, theatres, odeons, gymnasiums, choragic monuments, and the like. - The Grecian temple consisted of a pro-naos or vestibule, and a naos or cella. These sometimes were accompanied by an opisthodo-mus, supposed to be the treasury, together with a rear portico, or postieum. According to the disposition of the columnar decoration, they were styled in antis, prostyle, amphipro-style, peripteral, dipteral, pseudo-peripteral, or pseudo-dipteral. The principal front of those in antis presents columns in the middle, with antae on either side, supporting the pediment; in the prostyle, the anta3 are replaced by columns, the amphiprostyle presents a similar disposition in the rear as well as the front; the peripteral presents columns forming a portico around the cella; when the lateral col-ums were engaged, instead of isolated, the temple was styled pseudo-peripteral; the dipteral offered a double colonnade around the cella; in the pseudo-dipteral, one of the ranks of columns was engaged in the wall. They are termed tetrastyle, hexastyle, octastyle, according to the number of columns supporting the pediment. The temples were generally covered; those erected in honor of superior deities were hypetheral, or open to the skies.

In these latter, the cella was divided longitudinally into three naves by a double row of col-ums, which supported the roof covering the side aisles. In order to save room, these rows of columns were in two stories, as thereby they were enabled to attain the desired height with columns of a less diameter. The ceilings of the porticos were subdivided in caissons, oftentimes highly colored, as were likewise many parts of the edifices. The frieze below the ceiling, on the exterior of the cella walls, was often ornamented with bass-reliefs. The walls internally were decorated with paintings, though it is supposed that generally these latter were not executed directly on the walls, but were suspended against them. The pavement of the cella was usually elevated above that of the portico; that of the Parthenon, however, is level throughout. Opposite the entrance door was placed the statue of the deity of the temple, which was often of colossal size, while others were arranged on either side of the cella, or about the principal deity. They were generally in marble or bronze; sometimes, however, they were of ivory and gold.

Besides the different statues of their divinities, the cellas contained altars, tripods, thrones, arms, vases, and utensils of different sorts; all of which objects were generally in precious materials, highly wrought. The more important temples were built on sacred ground; within the peribolus or enclosure were sacred groves, grottoes, altars, columns, statues, etc. The entranceway or propylaeum, somewhat similar in plan to the pronaos of their temples, was grand and imposing. Little is known of the theatres and odeons, the graded hemicycles of the former, destined for the spectators, being all that now remains of them. These hemicycles were excavated in the side of a hill. Of the choragic monuments, that of Lysicrates at Athens is the finest example; upon a quadrangular basement was placed a cylindrical monument with engaged Corinthian columns supporting an entablature surmounted by a dome crowned with a beautiful acro-teral motive, upon which is supposed to have been placed a tripod. The Grecian agoras, or public places of assembly, were surrounded by porticos decorated with paintings commemorative of glorious achievements. Within the enclosure were temples, altars, and statues dedicated to their heroes.

We know little of the architectural arrangement of the gymnasiums, which contained the halls, porticos, and ex-edras, where the sages taught their different philosophies; or their baths, accompanied by their dependencies, about which were disposed the stadium and courts for various gymnastic exercises. It is likewise difficult to obtain any accurate idea of the architectural disposition of the domestic habitations, as no examples remain. The beauty and grace which pervade all the works of the Greeks, whether monumental, mechanical, or industrial, lead us to suppose that, although imperfect as regards comfort, they must yet have exhibited a certain degree of elegance. A just idea of the mouldings and ornaments, unequalled for their purity and grace, can be obtained only from personal observation. The styles may be classed in systems or orders as the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. They also employed, though rarely, caryatides.. Innumerable conjectures exist concerning the origin of these different orders. In all probability we are indebted to the Dorians for the invention of the Doric; although Champollion sees in an Egyptian order, which he styles the proto-Doric, the type of the Grecian order of that name.