Do you know your Doric from your Ionic? Or your Corinthain from your Composite?
Back in the 18th century it was the height of fashion to be up on everything Classical. The design of Classical architecture followed very strict rules. Having everything in the right place on the facade of your big house showed off your wealth by letting everybody know that you were educated, could afford to employ an architect, or even had travelled to Italy on the 'Grand Tour' to see some Classical buildings for yourself. Architecture isn’t ever strictly Classical without columns, and each type carried with its own subtle meanings for those in the know back in the day.
First up is Doric, this is from the Parthenon at the top of Acropolis in Athens. The Doric Order always has an entablature. This is pictures in a frieze carved along the top. Here there are just blank spaces as they were removed by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century. The Elgin Marbles are currently in the British Museum.
Tuscan columns on Músaem na óPíarsach, Dublin.
And Tuscan on a door in Portumna, County Galway. Tuscan are generally the simplest of columns.
The Ionic Order is decorated with volutes, or ‘rams horns’.
Which were very popular on Georgian doors in Dublin.
Corinthian are very fussy altogether, decorated with acanthus leaves and scrolls.
These ones were in the Roman Forum in Athens.
Which makes it much easier to take photographs seeing as they aren’t way up high.
The Caryatids are unique to the Acropylis, they are six female figures, supporting the temple on their heads - wow!
Here are some websites with more info.
https://www.historyforkids.net/ancient-greek-architecture.html