Callicrates

{{Short description|5th-century BC Greek architect}}

{{About|the ancient Greek architect|other uses|Callicrates (disambiguation)}}

Callicrates or Kallikrates ({{IPAc-en|k|ə|ˈ|l|ɪ|k|r|ə|ˌ|t|iː|z}}; {{langx|el|Καλλικράτης}} {{IPA|el|Kaliˈkratis|}}) was an ancient Greek architect active in the middle of the fifth century BC. He and Ictinus were architects of the Parthenon (Plutarch, Pericles, 13).{{cite book | first=Leland M. | last=Roth | year=1993 | title=Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History and Meaning | edition=First | publisher=Westview Press | location=Boulder, CO | isbn=0-06-430158-3 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/understandingarc00roth/page/203 203] | url=https://archive.org/details/understandingarc00roth/page/203 }} An inscription identifies him as the architect of "the Temple of Nike" on the Acropolis of Athens (IG I³ 35). The temple in question is either the amphiprostyle Temple of Athena Nike now visible on the site{{cite book | first=Leland M. | last=Roth | year=1993 | title=Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History and Meaning | edition=First | publisher=Westview Press | location=Boulder, CO | isbn=0-06-430158-3 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/understandingarc00roth/page/200 200] | url=https://archive.org/details/understandingarc00roth/page/200 }} or a small-scale predecessor (naiskos) whose remains were found in the later temple's foundations.{{cite book | first=Ira S. | last=Mark | year=1993 | title=The Sanctuary of Athena Nike in Athens: Architectural Stages and Chronology | location=Princeton}}

An inscription identifies Callicrates as one of the architects of the Classical circuit wall of the Acropolis (IG I³ 45), and Plutarch further states (loc. cit.) that he was contracted to build the middle of three defensive walls linking Athens and Piraeus.

A crater on the planet Mercury was named in his honor.{{cite web |url = http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/976 |title = Callicrates |publisher = NASA |work = Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature |access-date = 10 March 2022}}