anta

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anta

plan of the Treasury of the Athenians at Delphi, Greece (Academy Artworks)

n., pl., -tae (-tē).
A pilaster forming the end of a projecting lateral wall, as in some Greek temples, and constituting one boundary of the portico.

[From Latin antae, pilasters.]

pl. antae

1. Square or rectangular pier formed by the thickening of the end of a wall, e.g. in Greek temples, where the side-walls or pteromata terminate. When porticoes were formed by carrying the side-walls out beyond the front wall of the naos and placing columns in a line between the antae, the columns, portico, and temple are described as in antis. Greek antae can have capitals and bases differing from those of the Order proper, unlike Roman pilasters, which are usually identical to the columns save for having rectangular plans. Furthermore, antae have either very slight or no entasis, and therefore have parallel sides.

2. Another term for an antepagmentum.

[Co]

The end of a wall of a building if it projects and is architecturally treated.

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