The Ancient Roman Architectural Style

Lord Byron once stated, “While stands the Colosseum, Rome shall stand;/ When falls the Colosseum, Rome shall fall;/ And when Rome falls- the World.” The Colosseum not only depicted the incredible architectural skill of the Romans, but also their superiority to others across the globe. Influencing most of the culture and traditions that has been integrated into our modern society, the Roman Empire is a stimulating model of how a single cultural group could shift the architectural world forever. Although inspired by the Greeks, the Roman style is entirely independent and distinct from all others; the Colosseum is only one of many of their historical masterpieces.

The Romans constructed the first ostentatious stadia. These colossal structures were architecturally unique due to the Romans’ inimitable engineering technique. The Romans used a skill different than that of the Greeks; instead of carving large masses of stone, the Romans had successfully implemented pouring concrete for their designs. One of the most world-renowned structures and most visited attractions in Italy is the Colosseum, attracting an astounding four and a half million tourists a year. Standing at a height of approximately 45 meters, with respected dimensions of 189 meters by 156 meters, the name is only fitting for this enormous structure (Claridge 1998). Vespasian; the Roman emperor ruling at the time, had commenced its construction in approximately 69 AD near the lake of Nero’s Domus Aurea which took approximately ten years to complete (Claridge 1998). This was a remarkably rapid construction, considering the limited technology that the Romans had access to. The name of the architect remains unknown; however, by vigilant analysis of other structural projects f...

... middle of paper ...

...slaves. No matter which social class one descended from, the Roman amphitheater was a tradition that brought people together and reinforced a sense of community.

Roman culture had a significant influence on the traditions and ways of people in western society today. Entertainment was a significant part of Roman society, and much of it was provided by colossal structures known as amphitheaters. They did more than provide entertainment to the people; they brought a sense of community to Rome. The Colosseum represented the height of Roman engineering and architecture, and still stands today as a reminder of the pride the Romans took in themselves. The rich and poor were separated in the theatre, but they were brought together at the same time, in one place, where Romans were free to be themselves and take pride in their powerful society and truly influential culture.