Roman Architecture Research Paper

Architecture of Ancient Rome

Roman architecture, even more than the rest of Roman art, reflected the practical character, restless energy and organizational mindset of its creators. As the Roman Empire expanded to engulf not only the Mediterranean region but also large areas of Western Europe, 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. To this end, they mastered a number of important architectural techniques, including the arch, the dome and the vault, as well as the use of concrete. Using these methods, Roman engineers designed and built some of the greatest public buildings in the history of architecture, including temples,

They also learned from Egyptian pyramid architecture and stonework. Architecture is Ancient Rome's unique contribution to the history of art and to the culture of Europe. It is far more influential than the various forms of Roman sculpture, most of which were derived from the Greeks. Among the greatest buildings erected by the Romans, were: Maison Carree, Nimes, France (19 BCE); Pont Du Gard Aqueduct, Nimes, France (19 BCE); The Colosseum, Rome (72-80 CE); Arch of Titus, Rome (81 CE); Aqueduct, Segovia, Spain (100 CE); the Baths of Trajan (104-109); Trajan's Bridge, Alcantara, Spain (105 CE); Library of Celsus, Ephesus, Turkey (120 CE); Hadrian's Wall, Northern England (121 CE); The Pantheon, Rome (128 CE); Palace of Diocletian, Split (300 CE); Baths of Diocletian (306 CE); Arch of Constantine, Rome (312 CE); and the Cloaca Maxima (600-200 BCE), one of the world's earliest sewage systems, constructed in Ancient Rome in order to drain local marshes and transport the city's waste to the River Tiber. Many aspects of Roman building design were examined by the architect Marcus Vitruvius (active, late 1st century BCE) in his architectural treatise De architectura (c.27 BCE), although it appeared before the most