The Ten Books on Architecture, 4.1.3

Vitruvius  Parallel editions

‹‹‹ Vitr. 4.1.2 | Table of Contents | Vitr. 4.1.4 ›››

Gwilt translation

3Thus, from the two orders, by the interposition of a capital, a third order arises. The three sorts of columns, different in form, have received the appellations of Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian, of which the first is of the greatest antiquity. For Dorus, the son of Hellen, and the Nymph Orseïs, reigned over the whole of Achaia and Peloponnesus, and built at Argos, an ancient city, on a spot sacred to Juno, a temple, which happened to be of this order. After this, many temples similar to it, sprung up in the other parts of Achaia, though the proportions which should be preserved in it, were not as yet settled.

Morgan translation

3Thus a third architectural order, distinguished by its capital, was produced out of the two other orders. To the forms of their columns are due the names of the three orders, Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian, of which the Doric was the first to arise, and in early times. For Dorus, the son of Hellen and the nymph Phthia, was king of Achaea and all the Peloponnesus, and he built a fane, which chanced to be of this order, in the precinct of Juno at Argolis, a very ancient city, and subsequently others of the same order in the other cities of Achaea, although the rules of symmetry were not yet in existence.