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The history of Roman architecture
The history of Roman architecture
Ancient Roman city planning
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Cities are built in different ways and one Question I have always wanted to know is what is the design of roman cities. This paper will tell you the answer to this question in form of three other questions. How did they build their cities? Why did they build them this way? and Do we still build cities this way?
When the Romans built their cities they always added aqueducts. They also made almost everything out of concrete and started using over 2100 years ago. They built lots of fountains all around the city in different sizes, shapes, and designs. They also had amphitheatres which were very big and they mostly only had one amphitheatres per city near the edge of the city. (“10 Innovations That Built Ancient Rome”, 2013)
More things they did when they built their cities were. They built walls around their major cities. The markets were in the middle of the city selling various items. Also they put two main roads in their cities. One heading north-south and the other heading east-west intersecting at the middle of the city called the forum. (“Roman Cities”, 2013)
The reason They built their cities this way was for function, protection, looks, and entertainment. here are some specific reasons for the certain things. They put aqueducts in their cities so they could have running water and be able to have public bathrooms and public baths. Their public baths had four stages. The first is the room where they get undressed, the second is where they stretched and put on oil ( they didn’t use soap), the third where they got in a super hot bath, and the last where they got in a super cold bath to cool down from the super hot one. ("Roman Technology.", 2013)
They used concrete in the building of their buildings because it was super durable and lasted for a long time. Some of their buildings have been standing for hundreds of years. The reason they built so many fountains was they all have different uses. Some of the fountains were made to honor certain gods others were for washing close in and some were for the extra water from the aqueducts. They made amphitheatres so they could give plays in them and they also had them for giving announcements to lots of people at a time. The reason they had one road heading north-south and another heading east-west is so people could travel through the city easily and could get to the center quick.
In the Roman Empire roads begin to emerge throughout the city for the military to make haste to defend its city from enemies. The roads where essential for the growth of the empire, originally for the troops they soon began to use the roads for trade goods and communicating news to its neighbors. Roman roads varied from simple roads to the better paved roads that had cuts the stone to allow water to flow though while keeping the road itself dry. Rome had so many roads at one time that it was said all roads lead to Rome.
They had built latrines and bath houses. With the Romans having latrines and bath houses this meant they could regularly take showers, which would keep them clean. Also having latrines meant that the public did not have dispose their waste never their houses or where they kept the drinking water, which meant they were hygienic. The Romans had also built aqueducts for clean water to get to different parts of the country. The rich got clean water straight to their houses through lead pipe.
In Rome the buildings were constructed under Roman Empire. The Roman Colosseum was constructed between 69 to 79 CE by the Vespasian emperor, The Circus Maximum was built in the 2nd century B.C by the high emperor, in 31 B.C the fire destroyed it that led Emperor Augustus to rebuild the Circus in 82 AD, Ludus Magnus was a gladiatorial training school in Rome and it was originally built between 81-96AD by Emperor Domitian. The emperor’s theme was large public stone buildings that would bring the people of Rome together and also the emperor was rich and they had manpower. The emperors also patron towards the workers and also to prove that they are the great leaders. The emperors had money, a lot of workers to build the buildings to the Emperor’s satisfaction. The buildings were used by the public as entertainment where they would go and watch all sorts of races & fights.
Rome had many architectural buildings that we know of today. Many Roman building ways were copied right from how the greek people use to do theirs. Though they copied Greek style, they came up with their own style. They used many arches, some arches were used to show the wealth of a person, the fancier, the wealthier. Roman people made aqueducts. Aqueducts were able to bring the city of Rome, running water. One of the most famous aqueducts would be the Pont Du Gard, it ran for thirty miles and supplies twenty thousand gallons of water to th...
In document 2, the picture shows an aqueduct, the Romans system of bringing water to the city, to make sure that they were strong, the Romans used arches and concrete, and in document 1 the text states how Augusts had built a new forum,"In addition he erected so many theaters, porticos, and other buildings...". Document 2 shows how today we use water systems to get water and plumbing, although we don't still have aqueducts, we have sewers, and pipes to transport water and waste, in document 1 it shows how we still have public squares with theaters and shops, although their isn't any laws posted in public squares, the Roman forum and today's public squares are different, they have some similarities, like business and entertainment.
The Romans also saw a need for well-planned cities. They used the same basic layout as they would for an army encampment. Water would flow into a cistern through the aqueducts to be dispersed in the cities plumbing. The cities were laid out in small sections, each section having its own fountain. The wealthy citizens would have also had hot and cold running water. The Romans also made sure that the streets could accommodate heavy traffic. By allowing for extra traffic the Roman army could move through a city more easily and it allowed for future expansion.
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.
This is because, before the significant innovation of Hydraulic cement-based concrete, clean water and sewerage were contained in nothing but a, “channel lined with stone, closed on top with … flat slabs and then covered over with earth.” At first, this system was thought to work very well and help with the health of the Roman empire. However, soon these early aqueduct structures began to collapse. Due to these aqueducts not being checked daily and no one knowing about what had happened, the Romans kept using these aqueducts. However, because these early aqueducts had collapsed, many bacteria could invade the water supply and Rome’s enemies were able to deliberately poison the water. However, on top of all this, one of the worst impacts that broken aqueducts caused was severe lead-poisoning. This was because many of the early aqueduct pipes were made from lead, and without these pipes being supported, they simply fell. Due to Rome’s water supply already being quite high in lead, the fallen lead pipes proved to be too much, causing much of Rome to become severely sick. Lead-poisoning from fallen aqueducts in Rome caused over, “30 000 residents to die each year.” However, if these early aqueducts were to have been reinforced with concrete, like all of the later
Romans were very good architects and well known in the field of artistry. Roman houses were organized by wealth. The houses were inhibited by the wealthy, like wise the flats and apartments housed by the poor. Flats were known as insulae and only contained two rooms at the most, people used them only for sleeping (Trueman, History of Ancient Rome, April 21). The flats had no running baths. Roman baths were used in day-to-day life. They were supplied by lead pipes. A visitor would use a cold bath called the frigidarium, a warm bath called the tepidarium, or a hot bath called the caldarium. People in flats also did not have safe food so people...
Lomas, K. "The Idea of a City: Elite Ideology and the Evolution of Urban Form in Italy, 200 BC - AD 100." Roman Urbanism: beyond the Consumer City. By Helen Parkins. London: Routledge, 1997. 21-41. Print.
“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.
The differences between the art of Roman and other civilizations were that every Roman arts whether were sculptures or architectures had served some purposes and played certain roles in the daily lives of Roman citizens. For example, Romans love to build small concrete building with the vaulting systems. The small building which was called the bay (Pg. 105). This unique system helps to construct much fine and greatest architecture for Romans such as the Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia, the Colosseum and the Basilica of Constantine. The Pantheon of Rome was also another striking example of fine Roman structure. These structures were often used for religion matters, public meetings and entertainment for every Roman citizen. If any Roman citizens wanted to have some fun, they would attend the Colosseum and watched the gladiatorial game or a series of chariot race. If some other citizens wanted to seek God or certain deity, they would likely to go to the Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia. In fact, architectures were significant in the lives of Roman citizens.
es being awarded land there, the vast majority of the population was still Celtic. Despite the population still being largely Celtic, Britain changed immeasurably during the four centuries of Roman rule. Iron Age tribal centres were redesigned as Roman towns, with regular street-grids, forums (market squares), basilicas (assembly rooms), temples, theatres, bathhouses, amphitheatres, shopping malls and hotels. These towns can be broadly grouped in two categories. Civitates, or "public towns”, were formally laid out on a grid plan, and their role in imperial administration occasioned the construction of public buildings. The much more numerous category of vici, or "small towns”, grew on informal plans, often round a camp or at a ford or crossroads;
...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.