Historians tend to divide classical architecture into three
periods, with a great deal of overlap between these periods. The
first is Greek architecture, spanning the period from around
700BCE to 400CE. Following this period came Hellenistic
architecture, architecture characteristic of the Hellenistic
period which lasted from the time of the death of Alexander the
Great to the collapse of the Roman empire. Finally, Roman
architecture from around the same time period drew heavily upon
the styles of these two eras, but innovations were introduced,
making the architecture uniquely Roman. Some well known examples
of classical architecture include the Parthenon in Athens and
the Coliseum in Rome. One of the more distinctive themes of
classical architecture is the simple, yet beautiful style with
clean lines and subtle accents in the form of metal decorations
or carvings. Classical architecture was also often built on a
grand scale, with imposing columns and large arches to
demonstrate the skills of the builders. A