Ancient Greek and Roman architecture can be broken down into three main chronological groupings, from oldest to youngest: the Doric, the Ionic, and the Corinthian. As a building of the Roman Empire, the Pantheon, built between 27 BCE and 126 CE, is emblematic of the Corinthian order, especially its ornate columns lining its portico.

The three "classical orders" applied to columns in Ancient Greek architecture are Doric, Ionian, and Corinthian, going from least to most ornate. The Ionic column is most easily distinguished by its capital, or the top of the column. On every Ionic column, a scroll-shaped ornamentation is placed at the top portion of the column.

Often found in Ancient Greek architecture, female figures used as part of or in place of plainer columns are known as caryatids.

Columns in the Doric order sit directly on the stylobate without a base. The other two Classical Greek orders, Ionic and Corinthian, both employ bases.

Tuscan columns are the standard type of Etruscan column. They closely resemble Doric columns, but are usually made of wood, have a base and are not fluted along the shaft.

The "cella" is the central room or chamber of an ancient temple; often this is where the cult statue of the god or goddess would be set up.

In Greek and Roman architecture, a circular building is called a tholos. The tholos (plu. tholoi) is more common in Greek architecture than in Roman architecture; normally they were used for circular temples or shrines. In the Mycenaean tradition, the term "tholos" refers to a kind of circular, beehive-shaped tomb.

A frieze is a sculpted decoration near the ceiling of a temple or other structure from classical architecture. The rest are all other architectural terms: an entablature is the upper section of a building's facade supported by columns; a cornice is the top part of the entablature; an architrave is the lower part of the entablature; and an arcade is a series of columns with arches spanning the distance between them.

The triangular gable over a major architectural element is called a pediment. In Classical and especially Greek temples, the pediment is decorated with a sculpture that tells a story or a myth. The pediment is the defining architectural feature of the Classical temple, and it also shows up a lot in Greek Revival architecture in Europe and the United States.

The use of different architectural orders on each level of a building is called the progression of orders. In Classical architecture, each "order" refers to a particular style, identifiable mostly by the profile and proportions of the columns. The progression of orders takes these structural elements and uses them as decorative elements, especially in Roman and Neoclassical architecture.