Roman Architecture

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Roman Architecture
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.
Click to go on.
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The basics of Roman Architecture

• ? Doric Columns
• ?Ionic Columns
• ?Corinthian Columns
• ?Tuscan Columns
• ?Composite Order

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Roman Columns
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.
? Doric Columns 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 and
Coliseum in Rome. Later Roman columns differ
from the Greek version in their addition of a
base and changes in the capital profile.
Parthenon
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Another example of Doric Columns
The Coliseum
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?Ionic Columns
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. The example (at left) is from the
Temple of Portunus.
?Corinthian Columns
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.
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?Tuscan Column
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.
Arch of Titus
?Composite
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 (above). 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..
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Ready for a QUIZ?
Which column is the most ornate of the classical
styles and generally much more slender than the
Ionic style?
Click your answer
Doric Column
Corinthian Column
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Try again!
The Doric column usually had no base and
consisted of a massive shaft, like the Parthenon.
(not very ornate!)
Click to go back.
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RIGHT!
Corinthian columns are the most ornate of the
classical styles and are generally much more
slender than the Ionic style, like this temple in
France.
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Heres another question
Which column is a combination of Ionic and
Corinthian orders?
Click your answer
Composite Order
Tuscan Column
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Try Again!
Remember, the Tuscan column is a very simple,
plain column with a base and non-fluted shaft.
No examples of this style survive today.
Click to go back
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You got it!
Composite order is a combination of Ionic and
Corinthian orders. This form was the most complex
due to the fact that it used the arch. The
Pantheon is a great example.
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Aqueducts
The Roman development of the arch also led to
the building of the great aqueducts, used to
transport large 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.
Perhaps the most well preserved aqueduct is Pont
du Gard near Nimes, France (right).
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How did Aqueducts work?
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 in 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.
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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. Some of the most famous Roman
Baths that still exist are in Bath, England
(pictured here) and Baden-Baden, Germany.
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So, the baths were really health clubs!
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 cold baths, in the
frigidarium. After their bath, the patron could
have a massage if he/she wished so.
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Engineering Wonders!
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.
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Arches and Amphitheaters
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 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.
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Monuments
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.
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So, how about those Romans!?
The grand public structures that the Romans left
are the greatest legacy to their once powerful
empire. Their amphitheaters and monuments, such
as the triumphal arch, were impressive structures
that were amazing to the Romans, and are still a
marvel to us today.
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