IONIC ORDER. One of the three orders of Creek architecture, so called because it was first and principally used in the Greek cities of Asia Alinor. It is not a development of the Doric order, as was formerly supposed, but was co existent with it. It is of a more elaborate char acter than the Doric. The base of the column consists of a plain. square plinth, two trochili, with moldings, and a torus fluted horizontally. The shaft is more slender than the Doric, the height varying from eight to ten times the lower diameter of the shaft, and the entasis is slight. It contains twenty-four semicircular flutes, deeper than in the Doric shaft. The capita] is composed of an ovolo, enriched with egg-and-dart molding. and of a spiral roll, resembling a cushion, the ends of which are called volutes. Above this roll is a very low abacus, connecting the capita] with the architrave. The latter usually consists of three bands, crowned by a cor nice enriched with mold ings. The frieze is an un interrupted surface, often decorated with sculpture in relief, and the cornice has two divisions: a pro jecting block, divided into cogs and dentils, above which still farther projects the corona, capped with moldings.
In the buildings of At tica a special variety of the Tonic order, called the Attic-Tonic. was used. In this the base consists of two tori and only one trochilus—a debasement of which form was adopted by Roman architects. and
is now generally used. The Attic cornice is without (lentils. A very beautiful hut unique example of the Attic - Ionic order. widely imitated at present, is that of the Erechtheum (q.v.) at Athens. In this the upper part or necking of the shaft is enriched by an exquisite band of floral ornaments, and the channel of the spiral roll of the capital is double, while between the roll and the ovolo there is a torus of braided pattern.
The Ionic order was generally used in the Greek cities of Asia for peripteral temples (as at Ephesus, Pricne. etc.), but in Greece proper its use was confined to small prostyle and amphi prostyle buildings (Temple of Wingless Victory, Athens). for eireular buildings (Philippeum at Olympia), and in the interior of Doric temples (Bassa-, Tegca). There was, however. a general increasing tendency to use it in Greek architec ture. The principal change in its form was in that portion of the spiral roll which connects the volutes. In the best period this was curved, hut later it became a straight line—a degradation which was adopted by Roman architects, and is 'till generally used, :see COLUMN, and the special articles on tbc technical terms, mentioned.