🇺🇸
/ˈæntiː/
🇺🇸
/ˈæntiː/
🇬🇧
/ˈæntiː/
🇬🇧
/ˈæntiː/
Plural
antae
Antae are the thickened, rectangular, vertical posts that project from the side walls of a classical Greek or Roman temple’s front porch (pronaos), framing the entrance like bookends — they’re not freestanding columns but structural extensions of the wall itself, often decorated to match the temple’s order.
The small Doric temple featured simple stone antae flanking a modest doorway.
Architects studying the Temple of Athena Nike carefully documented the proportions of its antae.
Unlike later temples with full colonnades, this early design relied on antae alone to define the entrance.
The reconstruction plan shows how the antae would have supported the entablature above the entrance.
In classical architecture, antae serve both a structural role—reinforcing wall corners—and a compositional one, creating symmetry and rhythm.
ant-
Comes from Ancient Greek 'ἀντί' (antí), meaning 'against', 'opposite', or 'in front of'. In architectural terminology, it evolved to denote projecting structural elements positioned 'in front of' or 'flanking' the entrance wall. Examples include anta, antae, antechamber, antagonist, anti- (prefix).