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What made a space sacred to the Greeks and Romans, and how did temples express their religion?

The concept of sacred space (the sanctuary and altar), the form, function and location of the Greek and Roman temple, its key architectural features (columns, cella, pediment, the orders), and the religious meaning of temples such as the Parthenon.

An OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (J199) study of temples and sacred space in Myth and Religion. Covers the sanctuary and altar, the form, function and location of the Greek and Roman temple, its architectural features (columns, cella, pediment, the Doric and Ionic orders), and the religious meaning of temples such as the Parthenon, with the source and essay skills the J199/11 paper rewards.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.817 min answerUpdated 2026-06-02

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

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Quick answer

Greek and Roman worship took place in sacred space, marked off from the ordinary world. The basic unit was the sanctuary, a precinct dedicated to a god, with the altar at its heart, the place where sacrifice (the real act of worship) was carried out in the open air. The temple itself was understood as the house of the god: it sheltered the cult statue in an inner room called the cella (naos), usually surrounded by a colonnade of columns, and ordinary worshippers did not gather inside, because worship happened at the altar outside. Temples were built in recognisable styles or orders: the plainer Doric (with cushion-like capitals and no base) and the more decorative Ionic (with scroll-shaped capitals), and were richly decorated with sculpture on the pediments (the triangular gable ends) and elsewhere. Temples were often placed in commanding positions, such as a city's acropolis or a great sanctuary. The Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis is the prime example: a Doric temple to Athena, housing a colossal gold-and-ivory statue of the goddess, decorated with pediments showing her birth and her contest with Poseidon, metopes of mythical battles, and a continuous frieze showing the Panathenaic procession. Roman temples developed the same idea but often stood on a high podium with steps and a deep porch at the front, fronting onto the forum. Temples were therefore both genuine houses for the gods and statements of a city's wealth, piety and power.

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What this dot point is asking

Greek and Roman worship happened in sacred space. For Myth and Religion you must understand the idea of the sanctuary and its altar, the form, function and location of the temple, its key architectural features (columns, cella, pediment and the orders), and the religious meaning of great temples, above all the Parthenon. The paper tests precise knowledge (AO1) and the analysis of temple images plus your own argument (AO2), and it expects you to compare Greek and Roman practice.

The answer

Sacred space: the sanctuary and altar

The temple: the house of the god

The temple had a distinctive form and function:

It was understood as the house of the god, built to shelter the cult statue, not as a hall for a congregation.
The statue stood in an inner room, the cella (naos), usually surrounded by a colonnade of columns.
Worship happened outside, at the altar in front of the temple, because sacrifice needed open air for the smoke to rise; ordinary worshippers did not gather within.
Temples were richly decorated with sculpture that carried religious and civic meaning.

Architectural features and the orders

The Parthenon and Roman temples

Key fact

The Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis is the prime Greek example. A Doric temple to Athena, it housed a colossal gold-and-ivory statue of the goddess in its cella. Its sculpture carried meaning: the pediments showed Athena's birth and her contest with Poseidon for Athens; the metopes showed mythical battles (gods against giants, Greeks against centaurs) symbolising order over chaos; and the continuous frieze showed the Panathenaic procession, the city honouring Athena. It was both a house for the god and a statement of Athenian piety and power.

Roman temples developed the same idea with differences: they often stood on a high podium approached by steps at the front only, with a deep porch (portico) of columns at the front, and fronted onto the forum, the city centre, putting religion at the heart of civic life.

Examples in context

Analysing a temple as a source

A worked approach to "Look at the Parthenon. How does this temple reflect its religious function?"

step 1 Read the command

The question gives an image of the temple and asks you to use and analyse it, not just describe it (AO1 and AO2).

step 2 Describe the features (AO1)

State precisely what is shown: the cella that housed Athena's statue, the surrounding colonnade of Doric columns, the sculpted pediments, the metopes, and (originally) the frieze.

step 3 Interpret the meaning (AO2)

Explain what each conveys: the cella as the god's house, the external altar as the site of worship, the frieze as the city honouring Athena, the metopes as order over chaos.

step 4 Reach a judgement

Conclude that the Parthenon reflects its religious function as the house of Athena and the focus of her worship, while its scale and sculpture also proclaim Athenian civic pride, so the religious and the civic are inseparable.

A strong essay on temples would argue they were both houses for the gods and statements of civic pride, fusing the religious and the civic.

Try this

Q1. What was the cella of a Greek temple for? [Knowledge recall]

Cue. It was the inner room that housed the cult statue of the god; the temple was the god's house, and the statue stood in the cella.

Q2. Explain the difference between the Doric and Ionic orders, and how you would tell them apart in an image. [Short explanation]

Cue. Doric columns are plainer and sturdier with a simple cushion-shaped capital and no base; Ionic columns are more slender and decorative with a scroll-shaped (volute) capital and a moulded base, so the capital is the quickest way to tell them apart.

Exam-style practice questions

Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.

OCR J199/11 2019 (style)4 marksIdentify two architectural features of a Greek temple and state the purpose of each. [4]

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A short knowledge question (4 marks, AO1, 2 marks each). Reward two correct features with their purpose.

Feature one. The cella (naos), the inner room of the temple, which housed the cult statue of the god.

Feature two. The colonnade (the surrounding row of columns), which supported the roof and gave the temple its grand, ordered appearance; the columns could be in the Doric or Ionic order.

Top marks. Two correctly named features (for example cella, colonnade, pediment, altar) each with an accurate purpose.

OCR J199/11 2021 (essay, true tariff 15)15 marks'A Greek temple was built more to glorify the city than to worship the god.' How far do you agree? Justify your response. [marked here out of 15; this is the true J199/11 tariff]

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The 15-mark extended response (AO1 and AO2). The marker rewards a clear argument supported by named features and examples.

For (glorify the city). Temples like the Parthenon were vast, costly and richly decorated; their sculpture (the Parthenon frieze showing the Panathenaic procession) celebrated the city's identity and displayed its wealth and power.

Against (worship the god). The temple was understood as the house of the god, sheltering the cult statue in the cella, and stood beside the altar where sacrifice (the real act of worship) took place; the whole sanctuary was sacred space dedicated to the deity.

Judgement. The top band argues a clear line, for example that the temple did both at once: it was a genuine house for the god that also proclaimed the city's piety and power, so the religious and the civic were inseparable. Support with named features.

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Sources & how we know this

OCR GCSE (9-1) Classical Civilisation J199 specification — OCR (2017)