What is a regula?
A regula is the short, straight fillet in the classical Doric order between the guttae and the taenia, directly beneath a triglyph. It is, in effect, the strip from which the guttae hang, the small drop-shaped projections. The word is Latin for a rod or ruler; the plural is regulae.
Position in the entablature
From bottom to top, the Doric entablature consists of architrave, frieze and cornice. A narrow band called the taenia runs along the top of the architrave. In the frieze, triglyphs (blocks with vertical grooves) alternate with metopes. Below each triglyph, under the taenia, sits a regula, usually with six guttae.
The same motif recurs under the cornice. There you find the mutules, flat blocks carrying three rows of six guttae each. Regula and guttae almost always appear together, although regulae without guttae do exist. Not every Doric building has a continuous broad band beneath the triglyphs either.
Application in practice
Regulae are not confined to Greek temples. Neoclassical façades, gatehouses, funerary monuments and interior joinery use them too.
- Recognising it. If you see guttae under a frieze, you are almost certainly looking at the Doric order. The regula always lines up with the triglyph above it.
- Drawing and design. In a classically inspired design, keep the vertical axis: triglyph, regula and guttae sit exactly above one another. A regula that does not line up with a triglyph is a stylistic error that stands out immediately.
- Restoration. Guttae are small projecting features that break off easily in stone and plaster. Record the original dimensions and the number of guttae before repairing or replicating them.
Related terms
- Guttae
- Metope
- Doric
- Entablature
- Architrave
- Classical orders
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