Ancient Roman architecture: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Colosseum in Rome, Italy - April 2007.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The [[Colosseum]] in [[Rome]], [[Italy]].]] |
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The '''Architecture of [[Ancient Rome]]''' adopted the external [[Greek Architecture|Greek architecture]] for their own purposes, which were so different from Greek buildings as to create a new [[architecture|architectural]] style. The two styles are often considered one body of [[classical architecture]]. This approach is considered reproductive,{{Fact|date=May 2008}} and sometimes it hinders scholars' understanding and ability to judge Roman buildings by Greek standards, particularly when relying solely on external appearances.{{Fact|date=May 2008}} |
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The Romans absorbed Greek influence 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 Romans, similarly, were indebted to their [[Etruscan civilization|Etruscan]] neighbors and forefathers who supplied them with a wealth of knowledge essential for future architectural solutions,{{Fact|date=May 2008}} such as [[hydraulics]] and in the construction of arches. |
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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, for example, helped enabled them to achieve unprecedented successes in the construction of imposing structures for public use. Examples include the [[aqueducts of Rome]], the [[Baths of Diocletian]] and the [[Baths of Caracalla]], the [[Pantheon, Rome]] (largest single span dome for well over a [[millennium]]), the [[basilica]]s and perhaps most famously of all, the [[Colosseum]]. They were reproduced at smaller scale in most important towns and cities in the Empire. Some survivals are almost complete, such as the [[town wall]]s of [[Lugo]] in [[Hispania Tarraconensis]], or northern [[Spain]]. |
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Political [[propaganda]] demanded that these buildings should be made to impress as well as perform a public function.{{Fact|date=May 2008}} The Romans didn't feel restricted by [[Culture of Greece|Greek]] [[aesthetic]] [[axioms]] alone in order to achieve these objectives.{{Fact|date=May 2008}} The [[Pantheon, Rome|Pantheon]] is a supreme example of this, particularly in the version rebuilt by [[Hadrian]] and which still stands in its celestial glory as a prototype of several other great buildings of Western architecture. The same emperor left his mark on the landscape of northern [[Great Britain|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]]. |
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==The Arch and the Dome== |
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[[Image:Segovia Aqueduct.JPG|thumb|250px|Aqueduct of Segovia]] |
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[[Image:El puente romano y la alcazaba.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Roman bridge and Moorish [[alcazaba]] at [[Mérida, Spain]]]] |
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The Roman use of the [[arch]] and their improvements in the use of [[concrete]] facilitated the building of the many [[aqueducts]] throughout the [[Roman Empire| 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 [[Merida]]. |
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The [[dome]] permitted construction of [[vaulted ceiling]]s and provided large covered public spaces such as the [[public baths]] and [[basilicas]]. The Romans based much of their [[architecture]] on the [[dome]], such as Hadrian's [[Pantheon, Rome|Pantheon]] in the city of Rome, the [[Baths of Diocletian]] and the [[Baths of Caracalla]]. |
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[[Image:Baths of Diocletian-Etienne Du Pérac mid 16th century.jpg|thumb|250px|Remains of the baths of Diocletian, Rome. Etching made by Etienne_Du_Pérac in the 16th century.]] |
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Art historians such as [[Gottfried Richter]] in the 20's 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. |
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===Housing=== |
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[[Image:Campitelli - Insula romana 1907.JPG|thumb|left|Remains of the top floors of an ''[[insula]]'' near the [[Capitolium]] and the [[Aracoeli]] in Rome.]] |
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On a less visible level for the modern observer, ancient Roman developments in housing and public hygiene are impressive, especially given their day and age. Clear examples are baths and latrines which could be either public or private, not to mention developments in under-floor heating, in the form of the [[hypocaust]], double glazing (examples in [[Ostia Antica]]) and piped water (examples in [[Pompeii]]). |
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Possibly most impressive from an urban planning point of view were the multi-story apartment blocks called [[insulae]] built to cater for a wide range of situations. These buildings solely intended as large scale accommodation could reach several floors in height. Although they were often dangerous, unhealthy and prone to fires there are examples in cities such as the Roman port town of [[Ostia]] which date back to the reign of [[Trajan]] and point to solutions which catered for a variety of needs and markets. |
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As an example of this we have the housing on [[Via della Foce]]: large scale real estate development made to cater for up-and-coming middle class entrepreneurs. Rather like modern semi-detached housing these had repeated floor plans intended to be easily and economically built in a repetitive fashion. 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 in their later years. Each apartment had its own terrace and private entrance. External walls were in "Opus Reticulatum" whilst interiors in "Opus Incertum" which would then be plastered and possibly painted. Some existing examples show alternate red and yellow painted panels to have been a relatively popular choice of interior decor. |
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===Public buildings=== |
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[[Image:arlesarena.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Roman arena at Arles, inside view.]] |
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Roman architecture was sometimes determined based upon the requirements of [[Roman religion]]. For example the [[Pantheon, Rome|Pantheon]] was an amazing [[engineering]] feat created for religious purposes, and its design (the large dome and open spaces) were made to fit the requirements of the religious services. |
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Some of the most impressive public buildings are the [[amphitheatre]]s, over 220 being known and many of which are well preserved, such as that at [[Arles]], as well as the progenitor, the [[Coliseum]] in [[Rome]]. They were used for [[gladiator]]ial contests, public displays, public meetings and [[bullfight]]s, the last of which survives in [[Spain]]. They are among the most impressive remains of the [[Roman empire]] at its height, and many of them still used for public displays and performances. |
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===Lighthouses=== |
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[[Image:A coruna torre de hercules sunset edit.jpg|200px|thumb|[[Tower of Hercules]]]] |
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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. The most spectacular example was the [[Pharos]] or [[Lighthouse of Alexandria]], one of the [[Seven wonders of the World]], which collapsed during an [[earthquake]] many centuries after construction. It was originally built by the Greeks in the 3rd century BC, and served as a model for later Roman examples. 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. |
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==Materials== |
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Innovation started in the [[1st century BC|first century BC]], with the invention of [[concrete]], a strong and readily available substitute for [[Rock (geology)|stone]]. 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 [[column]]s suspending flat [[architrave]]s. 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 [[Rectangle|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]]. |
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[[Image:pantheon-panini.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The interior of the Pantheon in the 18th century, showing the concrete dome]] |
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Although concrete had been used on a minor scale in [[Mesopotamia]], Roman architects perfected it 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 (''opus cementicium'') was a mixture of [[lime mortar]], [[sand]], [[water]], and [[stones]]. The ancient builders placed these ingredients in wooden frames where it hardened and bonded to a facing of stones or (more frequently) bricks. 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. |
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[[Image:Dom dramaturga.jpg|thumb|''Cave canem'' mosaics ('Beware of the Dog') were a popular motif for the threshold of [[Roman Empire|Roman]] villas.]] |
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On return from campaigns in Greece, the general [[Lucius Cornelius Sulla|Sulla]] returned with what is probably the most well-known element of the early [[Roman Empire|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 [[2nd century|second century]] and in the Roman home joined the well known [[mural]] in decorating floors, walls, and [[grotto]]es in [[geometry|geometric]] and [[image|pictorial]] designs. |
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Though most would consider [[concrete]] the Roman contribution most relevant to the modern world, the Empire's style of architecture, though no longer used with any great frequency, can still be seen throughout [[Europe]] and [[North America]] in the arches and domes of many [[government]]al and [[religion|religious]] buildings. |
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==List of buildings, features and types of buildings== |
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* [[Alyscamps]], a [[necropolis]] in [[Arles]], [[France]] |
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* [[Amphitheatre]] - ([[List of Roman amphitheatres]]) |
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* [[Antonine Wall]], in [[Scotland]] |
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* [[Aqueduct (Roman)|Aqueduct]] |
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* [[Basilica]] |
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* [[Baths of Trajan]] |
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* [[Baths of Diocletian]] |
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* [[Baths of Caracalla]] |
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* [[Catacombs of Rome]] |
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* [[Colosseum]] |
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* [[Circus Maximus]], in [[Rome]], [[Italy]] - ([[Circus (building)]]) |
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* [[Curia Hostilia]] (Senate House), in Rome |
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* [[Domus]] |
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* [[Domus Aurea]] (former building) |
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* [[Forum (Roman)|Forum]] |
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* [[Hadrian's Wall]] |
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* [[Hypocaust]] |
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* [[Insulae]] |
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* [[Maison Carrée]], in [[Nimes]], France |
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* [[mosaics]] |
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* [[Pantheon, Rome|Pantheon]] |
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* [[Roman aqueducts]] |
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* [[Roman bridge]] |
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* [[Roman engineering]] |
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* [[Roman lighthouse]] |
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* [[Roman road]] |
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* [[Roman theatre (structure)|Roman theatre]] |
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* [[Roman villa]] |
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* [[Temple (Roman)]] |
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* [[Thermae]] |
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* [[Tower of Hercules]] |
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* [[Trajan's Column]], in Rome |
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* [[Triumphal arch]] |
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* [[Tropaeum Traiani]] |
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* [[Hadrian's Villa]] |
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==See also== |
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* [[Architectural history]] |
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* [[Architectural style]] |
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* [[Frontinus]] |
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* [[Impluvium]] |
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* [[Naturalis Historia]] |
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* [[Opus]] |
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* [[Pliny the Elder]] |
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* [[Roman brick]] |
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* [[Roman culture]] |
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* [[Roman engineering]] |
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* [[Romanesque architecture]] |
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* [[Vitruvius]] |
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== External links == |
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{{Commonscat|Ancient Roman architecture}} |
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* [http://traianus.rediris.es/ Traianus] - Technical investigation of Roman public works |
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* [http://www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/ancient_roman_homes.htm/ Housing and apartments in Rome] - A look at various aspects of housing in ancient Rome, apartments and villas. |
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{{Ancient Rome topics}} |
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{{Archhistory}} |
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[[Category:Ancient Roman architecture| *]] |
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[[Category:Italian architecture]] |
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[[Category:Architectural history]] |
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[[Category:Architectural styles]] |
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{{Link FA|eu}} |
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[[bs:Rimska arhitektura]] |
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[[da:Romersk arkitektur]] |
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[[de:Römische Architektur]] |
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[[el:Ρωμαϊκή αρχιτεκτονική]] |
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[[es:Arquitectura de la Antigua Roma]] |
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[[eu:Arkitektura erromatar]] |
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[[fr:Architecture romaine]] |
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[[gl:Arquitectura romana]] |
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[[it:Architettura romana]] |
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[[he:אדריכלות רומית]] |
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[[nl:Romeinse architectuur]] |
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[[ja:ローマ建築]] |
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[[no:Romersk arkitektur]] |
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[[pl:Architektura starożytnego Rzymu]] |
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[[pt:Arquitectura da Roma Antiga]] |
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[[ru:Римская архитектура]] |
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[[sl:Rimska arhitektura]] |
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[[sv:Romersk arkitektur]] |
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[[th:ศิลปะยุคโรมัน]] |
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Revision as of 09:34, 16 July 2008
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