Roman Architecture A Huge Role

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Roman architecture played a huge role in ancient society. The remains seen today allow for a clearer understanding of the complexity of their work and the impact it had on the culture at the time. "Even today, we still marvel at what incredible builders the Romans were, and at the sheer scale and integrity of many of their projects. It is hard to argue that today’s architecture will maintain the same lasting grandeur as that which the Romans built. If we can still respect and admire the grandeur of Rome as it was in its day, one can only imagine how much of an influence people of the time felt, due to the incredible innovations that the Romans brought to the new regions of their empire." (Colin Szasz, 1) A few of the most important, and well known examples of Ancient Roman architecture which have been examined in this essay include the Pantheon, Coliseum, and of course, the Roman aqueducts. Each architectural feat is a unique example of the capabilities the Romans had at the time and their ingenuity is clearly reflected in their work. Ancient Roman architecture played an important role in the urbanisation of Rome and its impact on later century’s architectural designs and building techniques. By dissecting each of these three monuments we are able to understand how they attributed to both urbanisation and worldly influence.

The Roman Pantheon is one of the most preserved and influential buildings of ancient Rome. It contains a multitude of architectural accomplishments. These include the oculus, and the dome itself. This incredible contribution to Roman society lead to their urbanisation, its influence on cultures is prevalent even to this day and is a world renowned monument. The Pantheon in Rome was the greatest and most perfect of the circular temples. Unlike the majority of Roman temples, the Pantheon is dedicated to all of the Roman gods. Emperor Hadrian (A.D 117-138) constructed the Pantheon in order to replace Augustus’ Commander Marcus Agrippa’s Pantheon which burnt to the ground in 80 A.D. The word pantheon, meaning ‘all gods’, indicates the purpose of the building, which differed from the majority of temples being dedicated to seven gods. In A.D. 608 it was presented by Emperor Phocas to the Pope, when it was rededicated as a Christian church, and has been used for this purpose ever since.

The materials used in the creation of this masterpiece were lighter and newer. There was extraordinary detail in the main building, including the dome and oculus. The use of the dome on top was extremely advanced in that time period and had never been seen before. The Romans ingenuity is evident in the overall construction of the Pantheon. All of the walls were covered with brick in areas closer to the ground for extra stability and strength. In the construction of the Pantheon, the walls were brick faced concrete; in the lower levels, where strength and stability was needed. The concrete contained alternate layers of lumps of travertine and tufa, and as they rose and needed lightening the travertine was replaced by broken brick. The structure of the Pantheon itself is comprised of a series of arches. By using arches in the construction of the building, it demonstrates the Romans understanding of weight distribution and its importance in building materials. So, they used lighter materials when moving towards the top of the dome (i.e. travertine, tufa, etc.). This use of lighter materials on top helped to alleviate the immense weight of the dome. The Roman Pantheon was also said to have been constructed by the use of a setup of wooden scaffolding. "Timber scaffolding was set up to provide ramps for the workers and the Roman architect, Vitruvius, first century B.C., described a wooden crane that was in use." (Helen and Richard Leacroft, 17) The dimensions of the Pantheon are perfect. If someone was to turn the dome upside down it would be a perfect fit inside the rotunda. The small entry room would have been entered by climbing a staircase that is now entirely under modern ground level. The statues of Augustus and Agrippa stood at the end of the side aisles of the entrance. The interior design of the Roman Pantheon is a synthesis of tradition and innovation. The dimensions of the diameter and height of the domes interior are the same. This was done on purpose because it was supposed to demonstrate the harmony the building possessed. The Roman Pantheon as it stands today allows the world to examine one of the most perfect and inspirational pieces of Roman architecture. The impressive dome would have been gilded in order to represent the heaven of all of the gods. The oculus was an engineering feat of the Roman world. No other oculus at the time had ever come close to the size of the Pantheons oculus. It is still covered with the original bronze and acts as the main source of light for the entire building. The oculus was never covered and if it does rain, then it falls directly into the convex floor of the interior and runs off to the ancient Roman drainpipes below. The Pantheon, since its creation has been able to effectively inspire artists of not only the Renaissance, but the twenty-first century as well.

The architects from the renaissance, even to the nineteenth century were influenced by the Roman Pantheon. This unbelievable creation represents an architectural revolution. The Pantheon represents the culmination of the Roman architectural revolution through the adoption of higher quality building materials. As the Pantheon is in fact one of the best preserved monuments of Roman Architecture, it was as a result, enormously influential on worldly architects from the Renaissance and even to this day. Universities, libraries and many other buildings with a great importance all display hints of the dome and portico structure. A few examples of some more well-known buildings which were influenced by the Roman Pantheon include Thomas Jefferson's Rotunda (University of Virginia) and even the State Library of Victoria (Melbourne, Australia). The influence of the Pantheon is easily traced through many buildings from the later Roman period and from the beginning of the Renaissance into the twentieth century.

The Roman Pantheon is a clear example of urbanisation in Rome and its effect on society was continued throughout the Roman period and into the twenty-first century. It allows us a glimpse into the marvelous and stunning world of Roman architecture. It continues to inspire artists and cultures around the world to this day.

The Coliseum was initially started by Vespasian and finally completed by Domitian. The enormous stadium is located between the Esquiline and Caelian Hills and was the first permanent amphitheater ever built in Rome. Its size and grandeur as well as its practical and efficient organization for producing spectacles and controlling the large crowds make it one of the great architectural monuments achieved by the ancient Romans.

The Roman Coliseum is the greatest work of architectural engineering left to us by the Roman antiquity. The amphitheater is a large ellipse with tiers of seating for 50, 000 spectators around the central elliptical arena. There is a complex set of chambers and passages below the wooden arena floor. It is composed of tiers of arches, superimposed orders in the form of half columns, and crowning range of plasters. There are eighty walls off of the arena and they support the vaults, stairways and even the tiers of seating. At the outer edges, arcades connect all the different levels and the stairways between. The tiers of arcades are covered in Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns. The construction of the Coliseum issued the use of a careful combination of different concrete. The Coliseum was built of blocks of travertine stone extracted from the quarries of Albulae near Tivoli and brought to Rome by a wide road specially constructed for the purpose. The broad paved circular piazza that surrounded the amphitheater allowed easy access to every part of the façade. There were 80 different entrance arches and of these, four were forbidden to the public and not numbered. The major entrances allowed for direct access to the arena.

The ancient Roman Coliseum has continued to influence modern day stadiums throughout the Western world. Its architecture allowed for a prime view in all areas of the stadium and modern day locker and change rooms are mimics of the intricate tunnel and chamber system displayed underneath the Coliseum. Even to this day it is possible to find its architecture in many different forms. "One of today's structures which seem to closely resemble it is the modern football stadia. Like the Roman Coliseum, many are built in a large oval form. The oval shaped stadiums also have the advantage of fitting in a slightly larger crowd, due to the curved sections at each end." (Colin Szasz, 1) Even the seating in modern day stadiums of all kinds echoes that of the Roman Coliseum. They were designed to accommodate thousands of spectators. Both the modern football stadiums and the Coliseum were also built with fireproof building materials .The use of fireproof materials was and is very important with the consistency of large crowds pouring in through the doors, or arches.

The Roman Coliseum is an ingenious creation by the Ancient Romans. Its use is portrayed through many examples of modern day stadiums and also became a pattern for Renaissance architecture. The Romans were able to incorporate a variety of complex methods in the building, allowing for a never before seen creation. It played an important role in Roman culture as a social gathering where anyone could participate from every walk of life.

The third advanced piece of Roman architecture to look at is the aqueducts, one of the greatest achievements in the ancient world. "A good water supply was as much a necessity in ancient times as it is today. To bring water to the cities from the mountain springs, the Romans used their skill as engineers and built aqueducts." (Helen and Richard Leacroft, 22) The incredible and ingenious system was not surpassed until very modern times.

The aqueducts were built from a variety of brock, volcanic rock and stone. Majority of the Roman waterway system ran below ground. The Channels went through rock, or below the surface, carrying water where it was convenient and possible. There was approximately 260 miles of the aqueduct system running through the ancient world, of that only 30 miles were visible. The aqueducts were built only to carry the flow of water in areas where digging and burrowing, etc. were an issue. The system relied upon different gradients and gravity in order to maintain a continuous flow of water. When water would reach Rome, it flowed into enormous cisterns (castella) which were held on the highest ground. The large reservoirs held the water supply for the city and were connected to a network of lead pipes. Everything from public fountains and baths could tap into the network, (sometimes a fee was paid). The water system was as politically motivated as any other public project. Maintenance of the water system was a continuous task, and paid slaves and laborers all contributed in building certain parts of the aqueducts. The Curator Aquarum maintained the aqueducts of Rome, while similar people oversaw those in the provinces. The first aqueduct built was the Aqua Appia in 312 BC. The Aqua Novus however spanned approximately 59 miles away from the city. Nearly 200 cities within the Roman Empire were eventually supplied by aqueducts, surpassing the capability of any civilization before or afterwards. The last Roman aqueduct which was built in 226 AD was called the Aqua Alexandrina.

Rome already had an extensive system of aqueducts to supply the city with clean and accessible water, and they ended up using the same system in other regions to civilize the tribes they had just subdued. The Romans were a very sanitary and hygienic people where fresh water was very important. Romans were able to bring fresh water to the towns from far away by utilizing the aqueducts. This water was then able to be used for public use, such as the communal baths and not just drinking water. Due to the fact that the water was intended for public use and not specifically reserved for those with special privileges, pleased the people in Rome’s new colonies and as a result, made them much more tolerant of the Roman control. The actual aqueducts were perhaps even more influential at the time and today. That the Romans would build such monumental structures for the purpose of supplying water to its colonies was overwhelming to those benefiting from it.

The ancient Roman aqueducts were an engineering feat. The idea that the Romans would build such monumental structures for the purpose of supplying water to its colonies was overwhelming to those benefiting from it. "They brought fresh clean water to the towns and cities they conquered using the aqueducts which are still inspiring and influential monuments today. We can only imagine the significance they held 2000 years ago. As Frontius said of the aqueducts, they are ‘…a signal testimony to the greatness of the Roman Empire.’" (Colin Szasz, 1) The Romans were able to create an incredible architectural design which greatly benefitted their society and are still in constant use to this day.

In conclusion, these three Ancient Roman architectural phenomenon’s have played an extremely important role in Rome’s urbanisation and their contribution to later century’s architecture. Each individual monument contributed too greatly to the creation of Ancient Rome’s history and introduced new and improved building techniques and designs to both ancient and modern worlds. "The greatness of the Roman Empire as it was is a direct result of the fact that they were such superior engineers and architects." (Colin Szasz, 1) When looking back at how the ancient Romans were able to achieve such a vast influence, one of the main contributing factors is most definitely their architectural and engineering accomplishments of the time.

Classical Civilizations

Independent Study Unit

Research Essay: Works Cited Page

Emma Stephenson

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Research Essay: Bibliography

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