Ancient Roman architecture
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Ancient Roman architecture
Ancient Roman architecture adopted certain aspects
of Ancient Greek architecture, creating a new
architectural style. The Romans were indebted to their
Etruscan neighbors and forefathers who supplied them
with a wealth of knowledge essential for future
architectural solutions, such as hydraulics and in the
construction of arches. Later they absorbed Greek and
Phoenician influence, apparent in many aspects closely
related to architecture; for example, this can be seen in
the introduction and use of the Triclinium in Roman
villas as a place and manner of dining.
The Colosseum in Rome, Italy
Roman architecture flourished throughout the Empire
during the Pax Romana.
Context
Social elements such as wealth and high population
densities in cities forced the ancient Romans to
discover new (architectural) solutions of their own. The
use of vaults and arches, together with a sound
knowledge of building materials, enabled them to
achieve unprecedented successes in the construction of
imposing structures for public use.
The Aqueduct of Segovia, Spain
Examples include the aqueducts of Rome, the Baths of
Diocletian and the Baths of Caracalla, the basilicas and
Colosseum. They were reproduced at smaller scale in
most important towns and cities in the Empire. Some
surviving structures are almost complete, such as the
town walls of Lugo in Hispania Tarraconensis, or
northern Spain.
The Pont du Gard, an aqueduct bridge in southern
The Ancient Romans intended that public buildings
France
should be made to impress, as well as perform a public
function. The Romans did not feel restricted by Greek
aesthetic axioms alone in order to achieve these objectives. The Pantheon is a supreme example of this, particularly
in the version rebuilt by Hadrian, which remains perfectly preserved, and which over the centuries has served,
particularly in the Western Hemisphere, as the inspiration for countless public buildings. The same emperor left his
mark on the landscape of northern Britain when he built a wall to mark the limits of the empire, and after further
conquests in Scotland, the Antonine wall was built to replace Hadrian's Wall.
Ancient Roman architecture
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Arch and the Dome
The Roman use of the arch and their improvements in the use of
concrete and bricks facilitated the building of the many aqueducts
throughout the empire, such as the magnificent Aqueduct of Segovia
and the eleven aqueducts in Rome itself, such as Aqua Claudia and
Anio Novus. The same idea produced numerous bridges, such as the
still used bridge at Mérida.
The dome permitted construction of vaulted ceilings and provided
large covered public space such as the public baths and basilicas. The
Romans based much of their architecture on the dome, such as
Hadrian's Pantheon in the city of Rome, the Baths of Diocletian and the
Baths of Caracalla.
Dome of the Pantheon, inner view
Art historians such as Gottfried Richter in the 1920s identified the Roman architectural innovation as being the
Triumphal Arch and it is poignant to see how this symbol of power on earth was transformed and utilised within the
Christian basilicas when the Roman Empire of the West was on its last legs: The arch was set before the altar to
symbolize the triumph of Christ and the after life. It is in their impressive aqueducts that we see the arch triumphant,
especially in the many surviving examples, such as the Pont du Gard, the aqueduct at Segovia and the remains of the
Aqueducts of Rome itself. Their survival is testimony to the durability of their materials and design.
The Romans first adopted the arch from the Greeks, and implemented it in their own building. An arch is a very
strong shape as no single spot holds all the weight and is still used in architecture today.
Interior of Pantheon
Housing
Although less visible level to the modern observer, ancient Romans
developments in housing and public hygiene are impressive, especially
given their day and age. Clear examples are public and private baths
and latrines, and under-floor heating in the form of the hypocaust,
double glazing (examples in Ostia Antica), and piped water (examples
in Pompeii).
Possibly most impressive from an urban planning point of view are the
multi-story apartment blocks called insulae that catered to a wide range
of residential situations. These buildings, solely intended for large
Insula in Ostia Antica
Ancient Roman architecture
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scale accommodation, could reach several floors in height. Insulae were often dangerous, unhealthy, and prone to
fires. There are examples in cities like the Roman port town of Ostia, that date back to the reign of Trajan and show
how Roman architects met residential needs in a variety of situations.
As an example, consider the housing on Via della Focette: a large-scale real estate development that catered to
up-and-coming middle class entrepreneurs. Rather like modern semi-detached housing, these residences had
repeated floor plans intended for easy, economical, and repetitive construction. Internal spaces were designed to be
relatively low-cost, yet functional and with decorative elements reminiscent of the detached houses and villas to
which the buyers might aspire later in their lives.
Each apartment had its own terrace and private entrance. External walls were in "Opus Reticulatum" and interiors in
"Opus Incertum", which would then be plastered and sometimes painted. Some existing examples show that a
popular choice of interior decor was to paint panels in alternating red and rainbow.
Common buildings
Many lighthouses were built around the
Mediterranean and around the shores of
their expanding empire, including the Tower
of Hercules at A Coruña in northern Spain, a
structure which still survives to this day. A
smaller lighthouse at Dover, England also
still exists as a ruin about half the height of
the original. The light would have been
provided by a fire at the top of the structure.
The Tower of Hercules, A Coruña.
Materials
Tile covered concrete quickly supplanted marble as the primary
building material and more daring buildings soon followed, with great
pillars supporting broad arches and domes rather than dense lines of
columns suspending flat architraves. The freedom of concrete also
inspired the colonnade screen, a row of purely decorative columns in
front of a load-bearing wall. In smaller-scale architecture, concrete's
strength freed the floor plan from rectangular cells to a more
free-flowing environment. Most of these developments are ably
described by Vitruvius writing in the first century AD in his work De
Architectura.
Frigidarium of Baths of Diocletian, today Santa
Maria degli Angeli
Roman architects invented Roman concrete and used it in buildings where it could stand on its own and support a
great deal of weight. The first use of concrete by the Romans was in the town of Cosa sometime after 273 BC.
Ancient Roman concrete was a mixture of lime mortar, sand with stone rubble, pozzolana, water, and stones, and
stronger than previously-used concrete. The ancient builders placed these ingredients in wooden frames where it
hardened and bonded to a facing of stones or (more frequently) bricks.
Ancient Roman architecture
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When the framework was removed, the new wall was very strong with a rough surface of bricks or stones. This
surface could be smoothed and faced with an attractive stucco or thin panels of marble or other coloured stones
called revetment. Concrete construction proved to be more flexible and less costly than building solid stone
buildings. The materials were readily available and not difficult to transport. The wooden frames could be used more
than once, allowing builders to work quickly and efficiently.
On return from campaigns in Greece, the general Sulla returned with what is probably the most well-known element
of the early imperial period: the mosaic, a decoration of colourful chips of stone inset into cement. This tiling method
took the empire by storm in the late first century and the second century and in the Roman home joined the well
known mural in decorating floors, walls, and grottoes in geometric and pictorial designs.
Though most would consider concrete the Roman contribution most relevant to the modern world, the Empire's style
of architecture can still be seen throughout Europe and North America in the arches and domes of many
governmental and religious buildings.
Modern influence
Today, Roman influence can be seen among countless buildings such as banks, government buildings, houses,
business buildings, etc. Roman culture resonates among modern building styles because of the structural mastering
of the dome and the arch. When a building has substantial weight bearing down on lower levels, columns can easily
support the weight when it is distributed through an arch, reducing the stress significantly. The arch, for this reason,
is the most famous and most modernly used aspect of Roman architecture and can be seen nearly anywhere.
The Dome is not used as frequently among modern buildings, but it is widely used to show prominence and
elegance. In Washington, D.C., domes are a common theme among the government buildings, originally meant to
imitate the grandeur of ancient Rome. Modern use of Ancient Roman Architecture is most commonly used as an
allusion to Ancient Rome itself, people recall the Roman Empire as a colossal, dominant, and extremely influential
nation. To allude to Ancient Rome is to project the image of greatness and influence.
Gallery
Roman brick Aula Palatina next
to 17th century residence of the
bishop of Trier, Germany.
Maison Carrée in Nîmes, France.
A mosaic in Conímbriga,
Portugal.
The Roman Bridge of Chaves.
Ancient Roman architecture
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List of buildings, features and types of buildings
Public architecture
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Amphitheatre
Basilica
Circus (building)
Forum (Roman)
Insulae
Temple (Roman)
Roman theatre
Thermae
Triumphal arch
Public buildings
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List of Roman amphitheatres
Baths of Trajan
Baths of Diocletian
Baths of Caracalla
Colosseum
Trajan's Column, in Rome
Circus Maximus, in Rome
Curia Hostilia (Senate House), in Rome
Domus Aurea (former building)
Roman Forum
Pantheon
Tower of Hercules
Tropaeum Traiani
Hadrian's Villa
Private architecture
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Roman gardens
Alyscamps, a necropolis in Arles, France
Domus
Catacombs of Rome
Roman villa
Civil engineering
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Roman engineering
Roman aqueduct
Roman bridge
Roman lighthouse
Roman road
Roman watermill
Military engineering
• Antonine Wall, in Scotland
• Hadrian's Wall
• Limes Germanicus
Architectural elements
Northern aisle of the Basilica of Maxentius in Rome
Ancient Roman architecture
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Hypocaust
Mosaics
Roman brick
Roman roofs
Roman spiral stairs
Further reading
• Adam, Jean-Pierre, Roman Building: Materials and Techniques, Indiana University Press, 1994
• Fletcher, Banister; Cruickshank, Dan, Sir Banister Fletcher's a History of Architecture [1], Architectural Press,
20th edition, 1996 (first published 1896). ISBN 0750622679. Cf. Part Two, Chapter 10.
• Lancaster, Lynne C., Concrete Vaulted Construction in Imperial Rome, Cambridge University Press, 2005
• MacDonald, William L., The Architecture of the Roman Empire I: An Introductory Study, Yale University Press,
1982
• MacDonald, William L., The Architecture of the Roman Empire II: An Urban Appraisal, Yale University Press,
1986
• Rowland, Ingrid D.; Howe, Thomas Noble, Vitruvius: Ten Books on Architecture, Cambridge University Press,
1999
• Sear, Frank, Roman Architecture, Cornell University Press, 1989
• Wilson-Jones, Mark, Principles of Roman Architecture, Yale University Press, 2000
External links
• Traianus [2] - Technical investigation of Roman public works
• Housing and apartments in Rome [3] - A look at various aspects of housing in ancient Rome, apartments and
villas.
• Rome Reborn − A Video Tour through Ancient Rome based on a digital model [4]
References
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=Gt1jTpXAThwC& printsec=frontcover
http:/ / traianus. rediris. es/
http:/ / www. mariamilani. com/ ancient_rome/ ancient_roman_homes. htm
http:/ / www. romereborn. virginia. edu/ gallery-current. php#videos_2_1
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