Phigalia (fi-ga'li-a). An ancient town in the Peloponnesus. Also spelt Phigalæa. Noted for its Temple of Apollo.
Pier (per). A mass of masonry, generally square in plan, used for support or to stiffen a wall. (See D, Fig. 2, and Fig. 4.) Pillar (pil'ler). A round pier carrying the arches or wall of a building. (See C, Fig. 2.) Pilaster (pi-las'ter). A rectangular column or pier, attached to a wall and projecting about one-fourth to one-sixth of its breadth from the wall sur face, corresponding in cap, base, and general proportions with the col umns of the Order with which it is used; but the shaft entasis of the column is frequently omitted from the pilaster. (See Fig. 92.) Plan (plan). A drawing on a plane surface, of the horizontal section of an ob ject, and intended to show its arrangement and disposition; generally ap plied to the horizontal projection or section of a building drawn at a small scale. (See Fig. 2.) Plane (plan). Level; an even surface without elevations or depressions. Platform (plat'form). A floor raised above the general level, for the support of objects or people.
Plinth (plinth). A member, square in plan and rectangular in elevation, forming the lowest division of the base of a column. (See Fig. 4.) The plane, projecting surface at the bottom of a wall, immediately above the ground.
Plumb (plum). Perpendicular.
Pollux (pol'lux). A Greek god, brother of Castor. (See Castor.) Polycletus (pol-i-kle'tus). A celebrated Greek sculptor and architect who lived in the last part of the fifth century B. C.
Polystyle (pol'i-stil). Having or supported by many columns, or surrounded by several rows of columns.
Pompeii (pom-pa'ye). A city in Campania founded 6th century B. C., buried 79 A. D. by an eruption of the volcano of Vesuvius.
Pompey (pom'pi). Famous Roman general; born 106 B. C.; murdered in Egypt in 48 B. C. Formed with Csar and Crassus the First Trium virate, 60 B. C.; later a political rival of Cæsar, by whom he was crushed in civil war. A theater of the Roman early period built by Pompey himself.
Porch (porch). A kind of outside vestibule or projecting structure sheltering the entrance to a building. (See Figs. 68 and 74.) Portico (por'ti-ko). The covered space or porch in front of a temple. (See Fig. 102.) Poseidon (po-si'don). God of the Sea, and said to have built the walls of Troy. Worshiped throughout Greece and Italy. Identified with the
Roman Neptune.
Posticum (pos-ti'kum). The covered space behind a temple.
Priene (pri-e'ne). An Ionian city situated in Caria, Asia Minor, north of Miletus. Noted for its Ionic Temple of Minerva Polias. (See Plate XLVI and Fig. 93.) Profile (pro'fel or -fil). The largest contour or outline of any object, especi ally when seen in silhouette. (See Fig. 5.) Projected (pro-jek'ted). Carried out; extended; continued; delineated ac cording to any system of correspondence between the points of a figure and the points of the surface on which the delineation is made. Prcne (prcn). Prostrate or lying with face down. (See Fig. 5.) Proportionate (pro-por'shon-ate). Bearing a certain harmonious relation to other members or adjoining parts.
Propylaea (prop-i-le'a), p1. of propylæum (prop-i-le'um). An important archi tectural vestibule or entrance to a sacred enclosure, as that of the Acropo lis at Athens. (See Fig. 88.) Proscenium (pru-se'ni-um). The stage of a theater; the wall separating the stage from the auditorium. In the Classic theater the wall breaks back and goes across the rear of the stage, completely enclosing the portions of the stage used by the actors, and generally contains three openings through the back or curtained wall—one in the center, and two smaller ones on each side—and one in each end or return of the wall. In the modern theater, the proscenium is that part of the house between the curtain or drop-scene and the orchestra; also, the curtain end the arch or framework that holds it.
Prostyle (prO'stil). Denoting a portico in which the columns stand out en tirely in front of the walls of the building to which it is attached; also de noting a temple or other structure having columns in front only, but across the whole front. (See Plate XXXIII.) Pseudo-dipteral (su-do-dip'te-ral). The term applied to a temple falsely or imperfectly dipteral, the inner range of columns surrounding the cella being omitted. (See Fig. 33.) Pteroma (te-rfi'ma). The space between the wall of the cella of a Classical temple or any similar columnar structure, and the pteron or the columns of the peristyle. (See Figs. 33 and 34.) Purlin (pur'lin). Small roof beams resting upon the rafters and running parallel with ridge and eaves.