What order of Greek columns has simple, unadorned capitals?
Answer
Doric order
Answer
Doric order
The Greek column order known for simple, unadorned capitals is the Doric order. It is the simplest of the three canonical Greek orders and is associated with sturdy proportions, plain circular capitals, and a restrained visual character.
Doric columns traditionally stand directly on the stylobate, without a separate base. Their capitals consist of a rounded cushion-like echinus beneath a square abacus. Greek Doric shafts are commonly fluted with 20 grooves, while the entablature above features the distinctive triglyph-and-metope frieze.
The order developed in mainland and western Greece and became especially important during the Archaic and Classical periods. The Parthenon in Athens is one of its most famous examples. Later Roman, Renaissance, and Neoclassical architects adapted Doric forms, sometimes making them more ornamental or combining them with other traditions.
Tuscan columns can look even plainer, but the Tuscan order is a later Roman-derived order, not one of the three canonical Greek orders. Ionic capitals have scroll-like volutes, while Corinthian capitals are decorated with acanthus leaves.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026