Ancient Roman Civilization: Architecture and Engineering

1. Ancient Roman Civilization: Architecture and Engineering City of Rome

2. Architecture and Engineering • What type of innovations came from the Ancient Roman Civilization? • What influences can we see in our society today? • Can you give two examples?

3. Roman Cities • The typical Roman city of the later Republic and empire had a rectangular plan and resembled a Roman military camp with two main streets—the cardo (north-south) and the decumanus (east-west)—a grid of smaller streets dividing the town into blocks, and a wall circuit with gates. • Older cities, such as Rome itself, founded before the adoption of regularized city planning, could, however, consist of a maze of crooked streets. The focal point of the city was its forum, usually situated at the center of the city at the intersection of the cardo and the decumanus.

4. Plan of the City of Rome By the time of Augustus, Rome had grown from a tiny settlement on the Tiber River to a metropolis at the center of an expanding empire. Under the republic Rome became the political capital of the Mediterranean and a symbol of Roman power and wealth.

5. All Roads Lead to Rome Why do you think a system of roads was important to the survival of the Empire?

6. Appian Way An expanding network of roads helped to link Rome's distant territories. One of the most important paved military roads was the Appian Way, commissioned by the Roman official Appius Claudius Caecus. It became the major route from Rome to Greece. Although these large lava blocks may not be the original material, the route itself has remained unchanged and in use since it was first paved more than 2200 years ago.

7. Aqueducts and Roads • Among the other great public building projects of the Romans, the most noteworthy are the network of bridges and roads throughout the empire that helped facilitate the swift movement of Roman troops throughout the land and the aqueducts that brought water to the towns from mountain sources. These two items are what the Roman engineers are most famous for.

8. The Roman aqueduct at Pont du Gard near Nîmes, France, was built between the late 1st century BC and the early 1st century AD. The Romans built extensive systems of aqueducts to carry water to their residential areas from distant sources; mainly the mountains.

9. Forums • The forum, an open area in the center of the city and functioned as the chief meeting place of the town. It was the site of the city's primary religious buildings (temples) and government buildings, such as the Senate house and many different types of shops.

10. When archaeologists began excavating the city of Pompeii, which had been covered with ash and mud by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, they found the remains of people, ancient buildings, and other artifacts preserved in the volcanic debris. Among the structures uncovered was The Forum of Pompeii, pictured, a group of temples, government buildings and shops that served as the city’s center.

11. Roman Temples • The chief temple of a Roman city was generally located at one end of the Forum. These were the buildings where Romans would gather to pray to their gods. These temples often had an ‘oculus’ or open hole on the roof.

12. The Pantheon in Rome is one of the most famous buildings in the world. It was commissioned by Hadrian in 118 AD and completed in 128 AD. At one time it had a colonnaded court leading to the portico. The dome of the rotunda behind the portico is 43.2 m (142 ft) in diameter. The oculus (a round opening) at the top is 8.5 m (28 ft) in diameter and provides the only source of light for the interior.

13. The Pantheon’s interior was designed to be one single immense space illuminated by a single round opening, called an oculus, at the highest point in the dome. The interior is decorated with colored marble, and lined with pairs of columns and carved figures set into niches in the wall.

14. Roman Theaters • Roman theaters were semi-circular in design and consisted of a tall stage in front of a semi-circular seating area called the ‘cavea.’ Roman theaters were usually constructed close to the Forum so all people had access to them. Plays, speeches, and concerts were held in these buildings, so their main function was for entertainment.

15. Amphitheater • Amphitheaters (which literally means ‘double theaters’) were circular in design with a central arena, where actors, gladiators, or animal combats took place. The earliest known amphitheater (75 BC) is at Pompeii, and the grandest, Rome's Colosseum (70-80 AD) held approximately 50,000 spectators; roughly the capacity of today's large sports stadiums.

16. The Colosseum in Rome (70-82 AD) is best known for its multilevel system of vaults made of concrete. It is called the Colesseum for a colossal statue of Nero that once stood nearby, but it is an Amphitheater. It was used for staged battles between lions and Christians, among other spectacles, and is one of the most famous pieces of architecture in the world.

17. The Senate The Senate was the main law body in Rome. In the Senate House, the most important men of the Roman empire met to discuss government business. The Senate House was always located in the Forum, or center of the city.

18. The Roman Circus Chariot races were held at huge tracks called the Circus. The citizens bet on the winning horses. The drivers and their horses raced around the track seven times and the winning driver was given a purse of gold and treated like a hero. The turning ends of the track were the most dangerous. If the chariot crashed, or a wheel came off, or the horse stumbled, the driver would have to pull out his dagger to cut the reins or he might be dragged and severely injured.

19. Roman Baths were places where the Romans could go to socialize, conduct business, relax, and get clean. They cost very little and some were free. Only the very rich had baths in their own homes. There were cold baths, warm baths, and hot baths, along with changing rooms. Slaves kept the water heated by stoking the fires beneath the tanks of water underground.

20. Barracks • Barracks were houses and training facilities outside of the city walls, for Roman legionnaires or soldiers. During times of war many would be left empty, but during times of peace they were lived in as the soldiers constructed the many thousands of miles of roads throughout the empire --- which all lead to Rome.

21. Review • What type of innovations came from the Ancient Roman Civilization? • What influences can we see in our society today? • Can you give two examples?

22. Vocabulary1 • Amphitheater: circular building,a round or oval building without a roof that has a central open space surrounded by tiers of seats, especially one used by the ancient Romans for public entertainment • Aqueduct: A complex system of channels built to carry water from one place to another. • Basilica: a type of ancient Roman building that had a central nave with an aisle on each side formed by two rows of columns, and typically a terminal semicircular apse. It was used as a court of justice, an assembly hall, or an exchange.

23. Vocabulary 2 • Forum: a public square or marketplace in ancient Roman cities where business was conducted and the law courts were situated • Oculus: an architectural feature that is round or eye-shaped, for example, a round window, a round opening at the top of a dome, or the central boss of a volute.

24. Where to Get More Information • Ancient RomeWhat Life Was Like: When Rome Ruled the World: The Roman Empire 100 bc to ad 200. Time-Life, 1997.  • Adkins, Lesley, and Roy A. Adkins.Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome. Facts on File, Reprint, Oxford University Press, 1997. 1998. A comprehensive reference covering more than 1,200 years of the Roman Empire; includes 150 illustrations. • Amery, Heather, and Patricia Vanags.Rome and Romans. Educational Development Center, 1998. A volume in the popular Time-Traveler series. • Connolly, Peter, and Hazel Dodge.The Ancient City: Life in Classical Athens and Rome. Oxford University Press, 1998. Details what it was like to live in the capital cities of the classical world.