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What were the five orders used in Roman architecture?

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In Western architecture, the five major orders—defined by their specific column and entablature styles—are the Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Tuscan, and Composite orders.1

While the Greeks developed the Doric and Ionic orders and the Corinthian capital, the Romans adopted and modified these, eventually establishing the following five-order system:1

  • Doric: The most squat of the orders, characterized by a tapered, fluted shaft and a simple capital consisting of a necking, echinus, and abacus.1
  • Ionic: Distinguished by its scrolls, or volutes, and a base featuring two convex moldings separated by a concave one.1
  • Corinthian: Considered the most elegant order, featuring a capital decorated with two rows of stylized acanthus leaves and four scrolls.1
  • Tuscan: A Roman adaptation of the Doric order, this style is much plainer, featuring an unfluted shaft and a simple capital.1
  • Composite: A late Roman development that combines the Ionic order volutes with the Corinthian order acanthus-leaf decoration.1