Who conceptualized the Corinthian capital?

• A. Callimachus
• B. Iñigo Jones
• C. Cossutius
• D. Phidias

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is who is credited with creating the Corinthian capital. Historically, the invention is attributed to Callimachus of Corinth, a Greek sculptor active in the late 5th century BCE, with Vitruvius naming him as the designer of the ornate acanthus-leaf capital that defines the Corinthian order. This attribution fits the tradition of Greek masters shaping the early forms of the classical orders. The other names belong to different contexts: Iñigo Jones is a Renaissance/early-modern architect who revived classical styles in England, Phidias was a renowned sculptor of the high Classical period but not the inventor of the capital, and Cossutius is a name that appears in later architectural lore but not as the inventor of the Corinthian capital.