The Ionians, besides the base which they appropriated to this order, sometimes used the Attic base also, as in the temple of Bacchus at Teos. This base seems not only to have been the most favourite one among the ancients, but is likewise so among the moderns. It is not so heavy in the upper part as that denominated Ionic; its contour is pleasing, and its general appearance elegant.
The shaft, is fluted' as in the Doric, from which, however, it differs in this, that the number of flutes is increased to 24, and their junctions are not formed by sharp arrises, but by fillets. The channels being thus multiplied, and set apart from each other, are consequently much narrower than those of the Doric order, and are much deeper in proportion to their breadth ; and their extremities terminate in the semi circle, or semi-ellipse.
The architrave of the temple by the llissus consists of one broad thcia, and its crowning cymatium ; the parts of the cornice, as seen in front, are the corona, including its eymatium and sima. The capital or cymatium of the frieze, is wrought under the cornice, and consists of a sima-reverse. and bead below it. The height of the architrave is about two-fifths of the entablature ; and by dividing the upper three-fifths again into five parts, the plain part of the frieze will occupy three parts, and the cornice two parts.
In the Ionic order of the temple of Erechtheus, and of the temple of Minerva Polias, the architrave consists of three facia.: and cymatium; the cymatium of the frieze is mostly wrought under the corona. If the height of the entablature from the bottom of the lower facia to the top of the cymatium of the corona he divided into nineteen parts, the architrave and the part of the frieze that is seen, will each be eight parts ; and the corona, including the larmier and cymatium, the other three parts. The volutes of the capitals of these orders, both for singularity and beauty, exceed every other remain of antiquity.
The Asiatic orders differ greatly from the Attic. In most of the remains of this order, as represented in the Jeaiun Antiquities, the friezes are all wanting—except in one example. and consequently the whole height of the entabla tures of those without the friezes cannot be ascertained, though the architraves and cornices belonging to each other have been accurately measured. The one which has the entire entablature belongs to the great theatre at Laodieea ; the frieze is pul vitiated, and is something less in height than one-fifth of that of the entablature. The architraves of the
temple of Bacchus at Teos, and the temple of Minerva Polias at Prieneo re each divided into three facile below the o•matium. In all the Asiatic. examples, the crowning moulding is con stantly a sima-recta of a less projection than it has height : the dentils are never omitted, and their height is nearly a mean proportion between the height of the sima-recta and that of the larmier, corona, or drip, being always greater than the height of the corona, and less than that of the sitna-recta. The cytnatiuna of the dentieulated band is wrought almost entirely out of the soffit of the corona, or recessed upwards, and consequently its elevation is almost concealed. The height of the cornice from the top of the sima to the lower edge of the dentils is equal, or very nearly so, to that of the architrave. The altitude of the frieze without its cymatium, or upper mouldings, may be supposed to be about a fiturth part of the whole entablature ; for if higher than this, the entablature would be too great a portion of the columns for any analogy we are acquainted with. In point of beautiful proportions and elegant decorations, the entablatures of these two last examples exceed every other remain ; and though their proportions are very different from those remaining at Athens, they are still pleasing.
In all the Grecian examples of the Ionic order, there seems to be a constant ratio between the upper part of the cornice from the lower edge of the corona upwards, and the height of the entablature ; this is nearly as 2 to 9. If these members were regulated in any other manner, their breadths would be so variable as sometimes to be so diminutive that their forms could not be perceived, and at other times so enlarged as to overcharge the whole when viewed from a proper station. Indeed the great recess of the mouldings under the corona, makes this a very distinct division, and on this account the cornice never appears too clumsy, though the whole dentieu lated band and cymatium of the frieze are introduced below it, which seems to be the reason of so great an apparent difference between the Asiatic and Attic species. This order, as found in the Ionian territory, is complete; but those at Athens are deficient, from their want of the dentil band, though beautiful in many other respects.