Roman Arches

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Recommended: The development of both concrete and the arch in Rome and the results of their use

The Romans basically invented concrete, which came to be known as Roman concrete (opus caementicium). The interesting part that made Roman concrete so durable and long-lasting was that they used volcanic Italian sand, “also known as pozzolana.” (Khan, 2017) The other part that made this such a fine building material was that it could be set underwater, practically unheard of for that time. In addition, when this pozzolana was combined with other pieces such as stones and bricks, it allowed large and very strong structures to be built. (Kamm, 2017) The structures did not have to be squares or rectangles anymore because of the introduction of Roman concrete, which could be poured into molds, and any shape wanted could be created. An article in …show more content…

Arches throughout history have been known and used for their strength in structures; this strength, combined with the added strength of the pozzolana, made for Roman structures that withstood the test of …show more content…

Roman arches were also used to construct the famous Roman Colosseum where many gladiators and Roman events were held to entertain citizens.” (Empire, 2017)

Amazingly, the Romans, with their heavy use of arches, did not invent them. They were brought to Roman architecture by the influence of the Etruscans. The Romans used some features of Greek architecture as well in beautifying the arches. Some of these features included “columns, capitals, architraves, and pediments.” (Empire, 2017) The Colosseum in Rome is one of the most famous examples of Roman arches and contained 80 massive ones which worked as entryways.

The arches were important in other ways besides beauty; they supported waterways. Arches became a part of the aqueduct system in Rome; there were approximately 11 aqueduct systems in Rome. (Roda, 2016) “The most famous aqueduct in ancient times was the Claudian aqueduct, begun by Caligula and finished by Claudius.” (Kamm, 2017) The arches were only part of the systems in some places because they only need to be in place where there were large valleys or gullies. Of the 315 miles of Roman aqueducts, only 36 miles were supported by arches. (Roda, 2017)

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