anta

anta v. acanthus, anca(1)

anta Antae

The slightly thickened ends of the lateral cella walls. Columns placed between the antae, as in the pronaos or opisthodomos of a temple, are said to be in antis. The anta is thought by some to represent the petrified form of what was originally a wooden facing applied to the mudbrick ends of porch walls in primitive Greek architecture. In the Ionic order, the side returns of the antae typically lack offsets from the wall. The ancient term is probably parastas.

• Cella
• In antis
• Mud brick
• Opisthodomos
• Pronaos