pronaos

Pronaos, prō-nā′os, n. the open porch in front of a temple.

There was in large temples a porch of approach, the pronaos, and another behind, the opisthodomos.

The temple consisted of a central cella with a pronaos and opisthodomos, and was surrounded by a Doric colonnade, having six columns at the ends and fifteen columns at the sides.

The pronaos and opisthodomos were each bounded by two Doric columns between antae, surmounted by metopes.

Fragment of the capital of one of the Doric columns of the pronaos or opisthodomos, including the lower part of the echinus, and the upper part of the flutings.