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Opisthodomos

Opisthodomos is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Opisthodomos rather than just read about it. In short: An opisthodomos (ὀπισθόδομος, 'back room') is either the rear room of an ancient Greek temple or to the inner shrine, also called the adyton ('not to be entered'). The confusion arises from the lack of agreement in ancient inscriptions.

Opisthodomos — main illustration
Opisthodomos — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Opisthodomos belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Opisthodomos to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Opisthodomos from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

An opisthodomos (ὀπισθόδομος, 'back room') is either the rear room of an ancient Greek temple or to the inner shrine, also called the adyton ('not to be entered'). The confusion arises from the lack of agreement in ancient inscriptions. In modern scholarship, it usually refers to the rear porch of a temple. On the Athenian Acropolis especially, the opisthodomos came to be a treasury, where the revenues and precious dedications of the temple were kept. Its use in antiquity was not standardised. In part because of the ritual secrecy of such inner spaces, it is not known exactly what took place within opisthodomoi; it can safely be assumed that practice varied widely by place, date and particular temple. Architecturally, the opisthodomos (as a back room) balances the pronaos or porch of a temple, creating a plan with diaxial symmetry. The upper portion of its outer wall could be decorated with a frieze, as on the Hephaisteion and the Parthenon. Opisthodomoi are present in the layout of:

Temples ER, A and O at Selinus Temple of Aphaea at Aegina Temple of Zeus at Olympia Hephaisteion in the Agora of Athens Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens Temple of Concordia, Agrigento Temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounion Temple of Apollo Epikourios at Bassae Temple of Athena Lindia at Lindos Temple of Dionysus at Teos Temple of Apollo at Delphi

References

Illustrations

Opisthodomos: Plan of a temple with opisthodomos highlighted.
Plan of a temple with opisthodomos highlighted.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Opisthodomos

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Opisthodomos claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Opisthodomos before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Opisthodomos ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Opisthodomos

In research
Opisthodomos appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Opisthodomos in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Opisthodomos is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Ancient Greek architecture, Architectural element stubs, Architectural elements, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Opisthodomos outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Opisthodomos in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Opisthodomos means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Opisthodomos out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Opisthodomos in simple terms?

An opisthodomos (ὀπισθόδομος, 'back room') is either the rear room of an ancient Greek temple or to the inner shrine, also called the adyton ('not to be entered'). The confusion arises from the lack of agreement in ancient inscriptions.

Why does Opisthodomos matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Opisthodomos?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Opisthodomos.

Tags

  • Ancient Greek architecture
  • Architectural element stubs
  • Architectural elements
  • Rooms

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