Ancient art is also known as classic, a term which, in architecture,
sculpture, painting, and music, is almost synonymous with _good_ and
_admirable_. Taken as a whole and at its best, classic art has never been
surpassed. The designs of the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, and even the
forms of their buildings, are still copied at the present day.

The horizontal line is a marked feature of classic art. It is visible in
the leading lines of their architecture, in the frequency of horizontal
borders, friezes, etc. It accords admirably with the constructive features
of classic architecture, and thus conforms to the important decorative
principle that ornament should emphasize rather than disguise construction.

1. _Egyptian Art._--The oldest of which we have any record dates from 1800
B.C. Egyptian art is symbolic, that is to say, the forms were chosen not so
much on account of their beauty as for the purpose of conveying some
meaning. The government of Egypt being almost entirely in the hands of the
priests, these symbols were generally of a religious character, signifying
power and protection. The principal ones were: The lotus, signifying
plenty, abundance; the zigzag, symbolic of the river Nile; the winged globe
or scarabæus, signifying protection and dominion, usually placed over doors
of houses; the fret, type of the Great Labyrinth, with its three thousand
chambers, which was, in its turn, symbolic of the life of a human soul.

The column originated with the Egyptians. It was at first heavy, broad
compared to its length, and was usually covered with hieroglyphics. The
architecture of Egypt, of which the principal forms are pyramids, sphinxes,
obelisks, and temples, is characterized by massiveness of material,
grandeur of proportion, and simplicity of parts--a style well suited to its
flat, sandy soil, though it would look heavy and out of place in a country