ABSTRACT
Beginning in the 8th century BC, large temples appeared across the Greek world. In continental regions, this large size was achieved through length, resulting in narrow, elongated ground plans. In most of the Aegean islands, the temples had a more compact aspect ratio, with broader interiors. Several scholars have associated this difference to limitations in the span of thatched roofs, which were common in continental Greece. However, the nature of these limitations has not been investigated. Using modern structural theory and wind engineering studies, this paper examines how the aspect ratio of temple ground plans related to roof construction. It concludes that excessive width made steep thatched roofs susceptible to buckling and damage due to wind force, while width did not affect the stability of the flat roofs prevalent in the Aegean islands.
