One of the many things Rome is best known for is its architecture. Roman architecture influenced other nations and it brought many new ideas, such as the arch and baked brick. It also brought the idea of using concrete and cement for building. Roman architecture was a continuation of the legacy which was left by the earlier Greek architects. They made many innovations to the Greek projects, which were a response to changing the practical needs of the Roman civilization. They also made sure that these edifices would last for long so that people can study them in present days. Concrete served Rome in many of their constructions and was used it to its fullest possibilities. They mixed the material with lime mortar and called the new building …show more content…
The Colosseum is a large ellipsoid arena built in the first century B.C. under the emperors of the Flavian dynasty. This arena was used to watch entertaining shows like gladiator fights or wild animal hunts. The Colosseum had three levels of different columns. The first level contained Doric columns, the second Ionic, and the third level carried Corinthian columns. The construction had no fewer than eighty entrances; one of them was for the dead people who lost the battle, another for the ones who carried victory; and one was reserved for the Emperor's use. The total capacity for the Colosseum was approximately 45,000 seated and there was space for 5,000 standing …show more content…
They were made for transportation of water throughout different places. The oldest and simplest aqueducts were made of sections of inverted clay tiles or, sometimes, pipes which directed water through short distances. The earliest civilization to invent aqueducts was the Minoans who built them on Crete. They built the Aqua Appia, which was built in 312 B.C. and was the first aqueduct to serve Rome. A great innovation which helped the aqueducts cross valleys in Rome was the siphon. The Romans were great engineers and architects, which later mastered all types of ways to build aqueducts on rough terrain. Now these structures are a common sight throughout most of
Rome’s most famous landmark, Colosseum is a large Amphitheatre that could hold up to 50,000 people seated, which is located in Rome, Italy. The Colosseum was used as a royal treat, entertainment where gladiators would fight with wild beast in front of people, animal hunt, theatre performances and public executions for public entertainment and also the King himself. Most of the public event was held at Colosseum. The Roman Colosseum was built between 69 to 79 CE by the Vespasian emperor.
“Many European cities still bear reminders of the power of ancient Rome, and throughout the western world the influence of Roman power is still manifest.” “As the Roman Empire expanded Roman architects struggled to achieve two overriding aims: to demonstrate the grandeur and power of Rome, while also improving the life of their fellow citizens.” They held the Greeks in high regard for both their sculpture and architecture, learned stonework and pyramid architecture from the Egyptians, and absorbed important techniques from the Etruscans. To that end, the Romans perfected three architectural elements: concrete, the arch, and the vault. These three elements helped lighten the load carried by Roman structures while maintaining overall durability.
Ancient Roman Architecture The ancient Romans are famous for many things. One thing is their adaptation and development of architecture. From the Etruscans and early tribes the Romans found most of their basic architectural skills. From the Greeks some components of Roman architecture were adapted.
When discussing the historical and cultural aspects it is important to take into consideration the culture, religion, political, social, economic and artistic aspects of the time period.The construction of the Colosseum occurred during the Flavian Dynasty, between 69 CE to 96 CE. The construction of this massive amphitheater began in 70 CE under the reign of emperor Vespasian and ended sometime around 80 CE under the reign of his son Titus (Vespasian, 2013). During this time period Vespasian was greatly known for his reorganization of the army and the expansion of the membership of the senate, which ultimately dealt with the political, economic and military aspect of the Roman history and culture.
A prime example that conveys the idea of buildings being used to express a sense of national identity lies within the Roman Empire and its consequent architecture. In order for the Romans to maintain control of their vast Empire, they required the building of both formal architecture, like temples and basilicas, as well as effective infrastructure, such as bridges, roads and aqueducts. The construction of roads and bridges allowed for communication between all the different provinces. Aqueducts allowed the Romans to supply the cities with water, whilst fortifications and city walls helped to protect them. Roman cities consisted of a network of administrative centers and the buildings within them acted as visual symbols of power throughout the Empire.
Most of time Romans would use waterproof materials, so when the weather got bad their work did not get ruined. Most techniques were inherited by early civilizations, Egypt and Greek. When the Romans were building, one of the buildings they built was the famous Colosseum. The Romans made roads to connect to other places, such as other cities, towns, and states. Romans made their own baked brick and cement.
Many people consider the achievements of the Romans in engineering to be the greatest legacy of the Roman Empire. Engineering flourished during this time because the Romans created tools and techniques that helped them be successful builders. They built thousands of miles of roads that included tunnels and bridges. Roman engineers developed tools for leveling, measuring, and aligning. Most importantly, they created concrete which allowed them to build massive arches, vaults, and domes. With these engineering skills, they were able to build large scale structures such as bridges and aqueducts. One of the legacies of Roman engineering is the aqueduct, which has been used throughout history to provide for the growth of civilizations by providing fresh drinking water and water for agriculture.
The Romans discovered many things that would aid the construction of their great civilization. The Romans discovered that a particular mixture of volcanic rock rubble and water could be used to create very strong structures; their concrete mixture could even be used in underwater applications. The Romans used concrete to make foundations for large buildings as well as bridges. They also used concrete as mortar to hold together the stones that made up roads, walls, and bridges. The Romans discovery of concrete allowed them to build very large structures that have survived many centuries.
One of a important achievement was the invention of concrete. They built numerous concrete structures, including the Pantheon in Rome, one of the finest examples of Roman architecture that survives to this day, which has a 42-meter-diameter dome made of poured concrete. The name concrete comes from the Latin "concretus", which means to grow together. This is a good name for this material, as the chemical hydration process, which mainly occurs over the time scale of hours and days, causes the material to grow together from a viscoelastic, moldable liquid
The Romans also excelled in the highly practical art, architecture. The Romans were the first people in antiquity to use concrete on a massive scale. By using concrete in their new architectural designs, the Romans were able to construct huge buildings, bigger than the Greeks ever could have dreamed of.
The primary characteristics of Roman Architecture are typically the Columns and the Arches. The Romans moreover initiated constructing using concrete and cement to substitute for rocks. Prior to the Romans the most widely employed construction technique was post and lintel. The Romans pilfered from the Greeks and Etruscans and in addition developed an architectural model which was exclusively their own.
Opus caementicium or Roman concrete is a synthetic construction substance that’s composed of an aggregate, a binding agent, and water. In Rome’s case, as discovered by UC Berkley with the extensive analysis of a sample of Roman concrete taken from a breakwater in Italy’s Pozzuoli Bay it was developed by using lime and volcanic rock which formed a mortar, the mortar and volcanic rock were then packed into wooden forms and when seawater was added a chemical reaction occurred, bonding everything together to create concrete (History, 2013). It is uncertain when Roman concrete was developed, but it was clearly in widespread and customary use from about 150 BC; some scholars believe it was developed a century before that.
A Roman aqueduct was created using various tools and resources. The materials used were stone tiles and blocks, bricks, opus signinum (mortar that is used to waterproof the channels inside aqueducts) and a combination of lime and crushed ceramic. A roman aqueduct also required surveying equipment to map the landscape out and plan to create the straightest route to the distribution center. This included the groma and dioptra which both were the precursors to the modern theodolite. Chorobates were
Construction was very expensive. Just the external wall of the Colosseum would cost about $50 million dollars, today. About the size of a professional football stadium, the Colosseum could hold over 50,000 spectators. Upon entering, the audience climbed sloping ramps to their seats. These seats were separated according to gender and social class. The women and the poor sat at the top of the Colosseum, on wooden benches.
...ovements on the arch and the dome. Also, they built roads, bridges, harbors, and aqueducts, which they were most famous for. Aqueducts were a revolutionary invention that carried water from the hills to the cities. Even today, the principal of the aqueducts enables many urban areas to have water. The lasting contributions of the Roman Empire have helped to shape modern living.