Roman Architecture: UltraHigh Resolution version

1
Roman Architecture Ultra-High Resolution version
This presentation does not automatically run. At
anytime during this presentation you may advance
forward with the right arrow (?) or go back with
the left arrow (?). You may also navigate with
the links at the top of each page.
2
Basics Aqueducts
Baths Arches,etc.
Roman Architecture
Intro Roman architecture stands today as a
testament to the ability and grandeur of this
once great civilization that ,at one time,
covered three continents. The common style of
architecture formed a thread that helped keep the
vast Roman empire connected. Their great theaters
and amphitheaters were wonders that could seat
thousands of people and are still impressive,both
in size and volume, today. Their development of
the arch and concrete influenced architecture for
centuries to come. Basics about Roman
Architecture The Romans adopted the external
language of classical Greek architecture for
their own purposes, which were so different from
Greek buildings as to create a new architectural
style. The two styles are often considered one
body of classical architecture. Sometimes that
approach is productive, and sometimes it hinders
understanding by causing us to judge Roman
buildings by Greek standards. The architecture of
Classical Greece and Rome did not come about all
at once, but came in different stages of design
and style. There were five different types that
the Romans and Greeks used throughout classical
times, from pre 500 BC to the first century AD.
Basic Architectural Styles
Doric Style - Columns built in this style usually
had no base and consisted of a massive shaft with
20 flutes. Doric architecture predates the 5th
century BC. It was infrequently used, but
examples are seen in the Parthenon (see above)
and Colosseum in Rome. Later Roman columns differ
from the Greek version in their addition of a
base and changes in the capital profile. Ionic
Style -  More visibly complex than that of the
Doric style, being of slender proportion, and
their height being generally about nine times the
column's lower diameter the order is always used
with a base and the column shaft usually has 24
flutings. Corinthian Style - This is the most
ornate of the classical styles and is generally
much more slender than the Ionic style. The
Romans used the Corinthian order in numerous
monumental works of imperial architecture. They
gave it a special base, made carved additions to
the cornice, and created numerous capital
variations, utilizing florid leafage and
sometimes human and animal figures. The
prevailing form of Roman Corinthian is seen in
the Maison Carrée in Nimes, France (see picture
to right).  This style originated after the 5th
century BC. Tuscan Column - The Tuscan column
was the next form to be introduced and it was
introduced by the Etruscans. The Tuscan Column is
a very simple, plain column with a base and
non-fluted shaft. No major examples of this
architectural type survive today. Composite
Order - The final architectural type to come from
the classical world is the Composite order and it
was first seen in 82 AD on the arch of Titus. The
Composite form is a combination of Ionic and
Corinthian orders. This form was the most complex
due to the fact that it used the arch. Due to the
advances of the Composite style of architecture
and the skill that the Romans had with concrete,
the Romans were able to develop such
architectural marvels like the arch ,the vault
and the dome. One of the most famous domed
buildings to come from the ancient Romans was the
Pantheon built in the last century BC by Marcus
Agrippa and later refurbished by Hadrian. This
building was originally built as a temple to all
the Roman gods but was later converted into a
Christian temple. This building has the honor of
being the oldest ,and largest, free standing dome
in history.
3
Basics Aqueducts
Baths Arches,etc.
Examples of Roman Architecture Aqueducts The
Roman development of the arch also led to the
building of the great aqueducts for which were
used to transport great amounts of water over
vast miles of land. The need for aqueducts
occurred in Rome during the mid republic due to
the fact that the Tiber river had gotten too
muddy and polluted from waste dumping and other
deeds. As time went on, numerous aqueducts were
built in Rome and throughout the empire in
general. The early Roman aqueducts consisted of
plain stone slabs and earth lime mixtures. The
style and sophistication of aqueducts evolved as
time went on. Because of the Roman Aqueduct, the
public baths and water fountains were kept
operational due to the abundant access to fresh
water. The result of this was the easy access to
people of all classes to fresh water and bath
facilities which set a sanitary standard that
would not be met until the 19th century. To
transport the water over great distances, the
Roman Aqueduct worked with the principals of
gravity and they also had special basins between
the source and the destination that would help
purify the water. Once the water had reached the
destination, it was kept into a storage tank
where it would be distributed by pipes to
different locations at the city. Some lucky upper
class people had water piped directly to their
residence ,the earliest known form of a
sophisticated pipe system. By the end of the
Western Roman empire, the city of Rome had many
prominent aqueducts within her boundaries. The
most notable of these aqueducts are the Aqua
Appia ,the first Roman aqueduct, and the Aqua
Claudia, built by the emperor Claudius and would
remain one of the largest in the city.In the
empire,when times were strained,some emperors
chose to simply improve on existing aqueducts
rather than construct new ones. Though the Romans
were not the first to have a mass water system,
the Greeks had water pumps in the cities, their
system is important because it was the first time
water was available to everyone on such a mass
scale. When the western empire did fall, so fell
her complex and ingenious water system. With no
engineers or funds to maintain them, the
aqueducts ,like everything else Roman fell prey
to the barbarians of the middle ages. Perhaps the
most well preserved aqueduct is Pont du Gard near
Nimes, France (pictured left).
4
Basics Aqueducts
Baths Arches,etc.
Baths With the water system that the Aqueduct
allowed, the Roman public baths got more
sophisticated and grew in size as time went on.
By the second century AD, public baths had grown
in size and variety. In these new facilities, the
pampered could do everything from eat to exercise
and even read. Under such famous emperors as
Titus, Caracalla and Diocletion, magnificent
baths were constructed that could house thousands
of people at a single time. These later baths
were constructed in different sections. Upon
entrance into the bath house, the patron would
first enter a changing room in which they would
undress themselves before continuing into the
exercise room. After a period of exercise, the
patron would then go to the warm baths,in the
tepidarium, then to the clod baths, in the
frigidarium. After their bath, the patron could
have a massage if he/she wished so. What makes
the Roman bath houses such an architectural and
engineering wonder, other than their great size,
is the system that the Romans had for maintaining
them. In the cold and hot areas of the bath, the
water temperature was actually regulated by the
use of underground fire furnaces. Also, the dirty
water in the baths was actually drained and
replaced regularly. The bath house also had a
hookup to the complex Roman water system and so
always had an ample source of water, for both
bathing in and for drinking. The great sanitary
conditions of the bath house were major factors
that helped to make the Roman empire the cleanest
society up until the 19th century. Some of the
most famous Roman Bath's that still exist are in
Bath, England (pictured) and Baden-Baden, Germany.
5
Basics Aqueducts
Baths Arches,etc.
Arches, Ampitheaters and Monuments The grand
public structures that the Romans left are the
greatest legacy to their once great empire. Their
great amphitheaters and monuments, such as the
triumphal arch, were great structures that were a
marvel to the Romans and are still a marvel to us
today. The Roman Amphitheater, like most styles
of buildings, was influenced greatly by the Greek
civilization. These structures were generally
circular and used the arch as their style of
building but some were known to be built into a
mountain or hillside. The theaters and
amphitheaters were quite big in size and could
hold upwards of 50,000 spectators. The biggest,
and most famous, Roman amphitheater was the
Coliseum (see picture to right) which was built
by the Flavian emperors Vespasian and Titus. This
building was used for everything from mock sea
battles to to gladiatorial fights. A special fact
about the Coliseum is that it was originally
built with a huge removable canopy to protect the
spectators from the elements. The great monuments
that the Romans leave behind show a great skill
and an admiration for the accomplishments of
their leaders and the grandeur of their empire.
Most Roman monuments were constructed using the
arch and had the details carved into them. The
arch was usually very big and was a prominent
feature of the skyline of the town in which it
was located.