The meanings of Roman column capital styles

There are many Roman column capital styles. Do you know the meanings of the different patterns? In fact, the prototype of Rome column was from ancient Greece. The philosophy and architecture of ancient Greek were quite developed. After the Roman conquered, joined the Roman culture. Because of the war, affected other European countries. Because of the different culture of each region, the Roman column capital styles formed unique features. Let’s find out the meanings.

Symbols of Roman column

In the five styles of the Roman column, the most obvious one is Corinthian order. It combined the spiritual cultures of ancient Greek and Roman. It is also a symbol of the Roman civilization and victory of the military.

Acanthus of Roman column capital

The acanthus of Corinthian order is the upward curve. On the other hand, the acanthus of Ionic order is the inward scroll.

Corinthian order

Acanthus was a common herb of the Mediterranean Coast at that time. Local artists applied the acanthus pattern to architecture and art. It is a symbol of rebirth, vitality, and rich harvest. Nowadays, it is still a classical pattern in European decorative arts.

Ionic order

The scroll looks like the goat horn and nautilus. The structure of Ionic order reflects the natural beauty.

The column shaft and capital have their own meanings. The column shaft symbolizes the concept of the life tree. The scroll column capital symbolizes the gate or passage to another spiritual world.

As a result, these are the meanings of Roman column capital. Since ancient Greece to the present, European column art has deeply influenced by each culture. Each period has its own symbols and patterns.