Peripteros

{{short description|Type of Ancient Greek or Roman temple}}

{{Italic title}}

File:Peripteros.svg]]

In Classical architecture, a peripteros ({{langx|grc|περίπτερος}}; see {{linktext|peripterous}}) is a type of ancient Greek or Roman temple surrounded by a portico with columns. It is surrounded by a colonnade (pteron) on all four sides of the cella (naos), creating a four-sided arcade, or peristyle (peristasis).

{{cite encyclopedia

| title = Templum

| encyclopedia = A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities

| year = 1890

| editor1-first = William

| editor1-last = Smith

| editor2-first = William

| editor2-last = Wayte

| editor3-first = G. D.

| editor3-last = Marindin

| publisher = John Murray

| location = Albemarie St.

}}

By extension, it also means simply the perimeter of a building (typically a classical temple), when that perimeter is made up of columns.{{cite book|title=History of Ancient Art|first=Franz von|last=Reber|authorlink=Franz von Reber|author2=Joseph Thacher Clarke|publisher=Harper & Brothers|year=1882|accessdate=2007-11-06|location=University of Wisconsin - Madison|url=https://archive.org/details/historyancienta01clargoog

|quote=peripteros.|pages=[https://archive.org/details/historyancienta01clargoog/page/n443 419]–420}} The term is frequently used of buildings in the Doric order.