Engineers and architects have the potential to considerably affect communities and very possibly the entire world. Through combining ideas, designs, and materials, they innovate and create structures and systems for people to utilize. Apollodorus of Damascus was a prominent master of architecture and engineering, as well as sculpture, during the 2nd century AD. He worked mostly during the reign of Roman Emperor Trajan, and lived up to Vitruvius’s standards regarding how architects should be highly skillful in all the arts. His work and designs have embodied the very foundations of the ascendancy of the Roman Empire, and they have set the basis from which following generations will synthesize.
Originally a Greek, Apollodorus was born in the cosmopolitan city of Damascus sometime in the 1st century. At the time, Damascus was known to be the crossroads of trades and nations. As Hellenistic Greek art was blending with more eastern creative elements, he already had much more access to the distinct and exotic arts. Later on he moved to Rome, where he started designing a comprehensive range of battle machinery and weapons for the Roman army. He kept on climbing the ranks until his ingenuity drew the attention of the newly appointed Emperor Trajan, which is when he was enlisted to be the Emperor’s chief engineer for new campaigns.
Eventually, Apollodorus became the civic architect and engineer of Rome, and erected a significant number of temples and structures across many regions, such as the Baalbek Hexagonal Court in modern-day Lebanon. After Trajan died of natural causes in 117 CE, his prosperous career was coming to an abrupt end, as an amateur architect named Hadrian became the new emperor. Jealousy took over the new leader whils...
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...of the highest architectural excellence”.
Studying Apollodorus and his work is fundamental for all engineers and architects who want to innovate. It is very valuable to trace the development of both fields in the 2nd century, even back to their origins, since it is regarded as a time of immense prosperity and architectural opulence. Just looking at the overview of endeavors and triumphs of this century shows the potential of engineering and architectural developments. Although Apollodorus did not have as much resources, assets, or technologies as we have in the 21st century, he reached a new unrivaled level of expansion.
In conclusion, all this potential could lie within architects and engineers, depending on their commitment to their communities. Exploiting this potential could lead to great accomplishments that can never be achieved with most other professions.
The ancient Greek civilization has left a rich cultural footprint on modern Western civilization. Especially during the ancient Classical and Hellenistic eras of Greece, ancient Greeks have left behind a plethora of ideas and concepts that have played a crucial role in forming the foundations to Western civilization. Although the Classical era was a time of war and conflict, it was the Golden Age of Greece that was the home to many achievements in art, philosophy, architecture, politics, and literature such as the birth of democracy. The Hellenistic era was a period of social and economic prosperity that was defined by the spread of Greek culture across the entire eastern Mediterranean and Southwest Asia. During this era, countless of advancements
“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.
...r architecture foundation such as theater's, skyscrapers and other buildings that showed art in a different formation which we copied from Roman's and they had got the idea from Greeks.
Architecture is one important aspect of Byzantine culture. One of the most famous Byzantine architectural achievements is the Hagia Sophia, which is located in modern-day Istanbul. The basic design of the cathedral has a dome over a square base, which required a new innovation. At the time, it was kn...
One of the great things about America is the fact that it echoes previous centuries in ways that not many people would expect. Due to its diversity, it is thought of as a melting pot because it is filled with all kinds of culture and people from all over the world. But instead of this stereotypical metaphor, America can be thought of as the place where world architecture has not died, but instead has continued to thrive in a way that makes it suitable towards modern expectations. Greek architecture has been one of the most commonly used within this context. Although it emerged almost 3,000 years ago, the application of their architecture is still widely used today in places that aren’t Europe. We can see evidence of this through America’s government and financial buildings such as the Georgia’s Chamber of Commerce, the Capitol and even more commonly known, the White House. The White House is a major symbol of the United States and when bystanders observe its white walls, they not only a building of high status among the American people, but they also catch a glimpse into the past of centuries worth of influential architecture.
The success of architects is defined not so much by the problems they face as the act of their creative and practical responses.
A civilization's legacy is based on what they leave behind for future generations. One of the greatest civilizations, Rome, left behind a great deal. They gave future generations everything from government, to art and architecture. Art and architecture are especially important because they allow us to see how the people lived. They give us insight on both the people's lifestyle and changes in their society. Roman art and architecture signaled shifts in leadership, society, and governmental style, through works like those of Augustus, the Colosseum, and the various imperial fora.
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 Egyptians made their complex heirachy of Gods, and their strange religion. In the service of that religion they made their architecture" (Romer: 75,1982).
Cartwright , Mark. "Roman Architecture ." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., 5 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. .
Boëthius, A., Ling, R., & Rasmussen, T. (1978). Etruscan and early Roman architecture. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Like all engineers, architectural engineers apply the theories and principles of science and mathematics to research and develop economical solutions to technical problems. Their work is the link between scientific discoveries and commercial applications. Engineers design products, machinery to build those products, factories in which those products are made, and the systems that ensure the quality of the product and efficiency of the workforce and manufacturing process. Engineers design, plan, and supervise the construction of buildings, highways, and transit systems. They develop new materials that both improve the performance of products and help implement advances in technology. Engineering knowledge is applied to improving many things, including the quality of health care, the safety of food products, and the efficient operation of financial systems.
The role of the architect is a question that evokes a spectrum of answers from Norman Foster’s definition; ‘Architect is an expression of values… the way we build is a reflection of the way we live.’ [Foster, cited in Tholl, 2014: Online] This debate of who and what an architect should be and do is not a recent one to emerge but has lead many architects and designers as far back as Vitruvius [15BC] to produce documentation on what they believed to be the make-up of an architect. In Vitruvius’ ‘The Ten Books On Architecture’ he quickly establishes two fragments that make an architect, the manual skill and the theory and scholarship.
Every person with a job, no matter what occupation, makes an impact on society in some way, shape, or form. Some people leave their legacy by defending people in court, some saving lives in a hospital, and others planning and building works of construction. These planners have a large-scale effect on everybody in society and have an eye for detail, as well as enjoy using mathematics to ensure proper construction. That is why I have chosen architecture to be my career. An architect is a person who designs buildings and supervises their construction. A broader view of an architect is a person who is responsible for inventing or realizing a particular idea or project. Architecture varies from the pillars of the Greek Parthenon, to peoples’ homes. I often find myself marveling over the design of large-scale building projects such as the skyscrapers of New York City. Most of these buildings belong to a myriad of well-known companies such as Chase and Toshiba. That is why I have particularly chosen to become a commercial architect.
In today's society we can't imagine our infrastructures without the help of civil engineers. It all started with the ancient civilizations. It started off with the Egyptians and the Mayans. In this essay I will discuss the history of civil engineering ,famous engineers and the prospects of engineering in the future years.