Ancient Roman Architecture: Temples, Baths, and Engineering
Ancient Rome: Trade, Agriculture, and Warfare
Rome was engaged in trade, agriculture, and war. They practiced athletic games and gladiatorial combat.
Features of Roman Architecture
- Built cemeteries, churches, and civil works.
- Utilized the arch and dome extensively.
- Were skilled designers and engineers, influenced by Greek styles.
- Used circular smooth shaft columns with capitals.
- Temple bases were often nearly square.
- Tombs were a characteristic building type.
- Employed construction-support systems and lintels, arches, and domes.
- Practiced urban planning for city design.
The materials used in these constructions were wood, clay, mud, volcanic limestone, and marble.
Important Roman Works
Temples: Jupiter, Falero
Tombs: Vilci, Cerreti
Civil Works: Vulci Bridge, Rome’s Cloaca
Roman art shares common points with Greek art. They favored building arches, domes, and cupolas.
Buildings for Entertainment
Amphitheaters
These oval-shaped buildings hosted fights between beasts or men. The most famous is the Colosseum in Rome.
Theaters
Adapted from the Greeks, Roman theaters featured semicircular seating and an orchestra. Vaulted tunnels provided access. The oldest theater is in Pompeii, with famous examples in Rome and Mérida.
Circuses
Also known as racetracks, circuses had an elliptical shape with a central dividing channel. Rome had three, including the Circus Maximus and the Vatican Circus (marked only by an obelisk). Another example is the circus of Mérida.
Commemorative Buildings and Components
Columns
Served as reminders of propaganda and military campaigns, such as Trajan’s Column.
Memorial Arches
Displayed propaganda. Initially made of wood, later built of stone with one to three arches.
Engineering Works
Romans demonstrated practical capacity in:
Baths (Thermae)
Public bathhouses enjoyed great popularity, originating from adapted gymnasiums. Baths typically included three sections: caldarium (hot bath), frigidarium (cold bath), and tepidarium (warm bath). Examples include the Baths of Caracalla in Rome.
Basilicas
Multi-purpose buildings used as meeting rooms, administrative centers, and courts. They consisted of a rectangular room divided into three naves by rows of columns. Example: Basilica of Maxentius in Rome.
Bridges
Built to cross major rivers, employing arches. Examples: Alcantara Bridge, Mérida.
Aqueducts
Designed to carry water to cities, using stones placed to tackle irregular surfaces and cemented together. Examples: Aqueduct of Segovia, Aqueduct of Miracles in Mérida.
Religious Buildings
Temples
Adapted from the Greek model, most commonly rectangular and using Corinthian columns. Example: Temple of Diana in Mérida.
Funeral Buildings
The Romans adopted various burial methods from conquered peoples, ranging from simple pits to luxurious buildings. Magnificent decorated sarcophagi have been found. Great emperors were buried in large circular mausoleums.