The approximate height of the capital is a little less than one diameter.
The next principal feature of this Order, and the one that renders the column distinctive in itself, is that the capital has two. separate faces—one in plane with the frieze above, showing the volute; while the other, at right angles to this, shows the end of the capital or roll of the volute, as may be seen in Figs. 60 and 61.
As we have said, the capital of the Ionic column has two prin cipal faces and two lateral or subordinate ones. The principal faces show the winding-up of the two volutes, or the eyes formed by the band laid over the mould ed capital, which suggests in front elevation a cushion with two rolls or volutes, one at each side, while at the end a single roll alone is seen. This band or cushion comes between the turned or rounded column and the upper member of the capital, which is always square in plan (Fig. 61), and it is of the shape of the echinus moulding in perpendicular section, the latter being sometimes plain but more generally carved or decorated. The side showing the volute, which we have already called the "face," is always in the same plane as the architrave and frieze of the building, and facing out toward the spectator; the opposite face is precisely like it.
Arrangement of Volutes at Corners of Buildings. This arrange ment is perfectly adaptable to a long colonnade; but when we reach the corner of the building, a difficulty at once presents itself. On one side or the other this capital must show a roll, which would not agree with the capitals beside it. The volute which distinguishes the Ionic capital almost prevents its use at the angles of a building, inasmuch as the principal face is always shown in plane with the architrave above, and, in turning the corner at right angles, some change is nec essary in order to bring the two principal faces at right angles to each other. The Greeks invented two methods of overcoming this diffi culty. In Fig. 62 are shown two plans of Ionic capitals for use on the corners of buildings. The first—an exceptional one—is taken from the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Phigalia, where all four sides are alike, and the volutes coming to gether on the angle are, in plan, bowed out on each corner so as to be almost back to back at the ex treme angle. This capital is shown
in elevation in Fig. 64. The other and more usual method was to place the two principal faces of the ordi nary capital at right angles to each other, the volutes on the outer corner following the same method in that one angle as on the four angles of the capital just described, and the two volutes at the other ends being kept in plane with the architrave above. This also brings the two rolls or lateral faces at right angles to each other, and requires a certain dislocation of their elements, which may be better seen in Fig. 63, where two capitals from the Temple on the Ilissus at Athens are shown side by side, one of these being that on the corner, and the other the ordinary capital of the colonnade. The Greeks themselves seemed to favor this latter solution, and in most instances employed this scheme on the capitals at the angles of their buildings. Perhaps this was partly because it allowed them the use of the decorated Ionic form, to which they were especially partial.
The Plain Ionic Capital. There are two kinds of capital used with the Athenian Greek Ionic Orders, one known as the plain and the other as the decorated or mented capital. The type of the plain capital is shown in Plate XLII, at a large size and with the necessary constructive measure ments. This example was taken from the four-columned porch of the Temple of Nike Apteros, or the Wingless Victory, on the Acropolis at Athens, and has been slightly changed from the original in one particular, by drawing in the volute eye of the capital toward the center of the column from each side, thus doing away with a certain awkwardness in the extreme projection (when seen from the front) of the volutes in the original. This varia tion is only of three parts, but it better fits the capital for more general use. The variety of the Attic base used in this example, is shown on the same plate. The roll or end of the volute, as shown in this plate, is extremely simple, even for this plain type of capital; and it is often decorated or carved with some simple leaf ornament, as is shown in Plate XLVI and Figs. 65 and 66.