Ancient Greek and Roman ArchitectureArchitectural HistoryACT 322Doris Kemp

TopicsPrehistory: The EtruscansRoman CharacteristicsBuilding MaterialsArchitectural IdealsStructural RevolutionStructuresCivic ArchitectureTombs

Roman Architecture:Prehistory: The EtruscansEtruscan civilizationPreceded the Roman Empire in ItalyMost of their architecture was destroyed by the RomansOnly hidden structures, such as tombs, were sparedMuch of their architecture was greatly influenced by the GreeksThe legacy of Etruscan architecture lives on through its influence in Roman architecture

Roman Architecture:Roman CharacteristicsApril 21, 753 B.C.Pinpointed by the Romans as the day Rome was foundedEarly Romans were militant and very disciplinedLacking in artistic cultureRomans absorbed the Greek cultureLiterature, philosophy, science, and paintingNew appreciation of the arts

Roman Architecture:Roman CharacteristicsRoman architecture emerged from Hellenistic and Etruscan influencesIt held many original aspects, howeverMaterials and building techniquesFulfilled practical purposesServed commerce, industry, and shippingPortsRoadsAqueducts

Roman Architecture:Building MaterialsBuilding materials were very important to the success of Roman architectureAccess to a wide variety of building stone including:Volcanic tufaLimestoneTravertineNearly unlimited quantities of white marbleQuarry opened by Augustus north of PisaOther varieties were imported from the Far East

Roman Architecture:Building MaterialsBrickRomans perfected the art of brick-making ConcretePerfected this materialBecame the most characteristic material in Roman structuresWas used to construct massive walls and great vaults

Roman Architecture:Architectural IdealsSpaceTo the Romans, the space inside a structure was just as important as the exteriorInterior space was the primary focus of Roman architecture and was shaped by vaults, arches, and wallsRomans were fond of extravaganceArchitecture for the powerful was gaudy and colorful, not like the ruins as seen today

Roman Architecture:Structural RevolutionThe combination of arches, vaults, and concrete in architecture are a pure Roman creationThe individual elements had been used in earlier civilizationsEgyptians and Mesopotamians had used primitive arch formsGreeks had experimented with the arch and concrete with little successEtruscans had constructed vault-like forms

Roman Architecture:Structural RevolutionArchesMore intricate than a simple post-and-lintel systemFormed by a multitude of small elements that curve over space by resting against each other in a delicate balanceVoussoirsThe elements used to create an archThe shape of the structure keeps each voussoir in placeHeld together by their own force

Roman Architecture:Structural RevolutionPhoto: Sullivan

Roman Architecture:Structural RevolutionVaultCreated by extending an arch along its axisMerely an extended archSupports and provides a roof for a given areaTypes of vaultsBarrel/Tunnel vaultCross/Groin vaultDome

Roman Architecture:Structural RevolutionBarrel/Tunnel VaultsThe earliest type of vaultAppear in limited form in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Hellenistic GreeceHas a few limitationsExerts a continuous load, therefore needing constant supportDifficult to illuminateIncreases in length require thicker vault supports

Roman Architecture:Structural RevolutionPhoto: Sullivan

Roman Architecture:Structural RevolutionCross/Groin VaultsCreated to overcome the limitations of barrel vaultsEmployed by the Romans very heavilyFormed by intersecting two barrel vaults at right anglesLimitationsResistant to square plans

Roman Architecture:Structural RevolutionPhoto: Sullivan

Roman Architecture:Structural RevolutionDomeThe grandest type of vaultTypesCloister vaultAn eight-sided vault, with an octagon-shaped domeFormed by crossing barrel vaults over an octagonal planRare in Rome, more prevalent in medieval architectureTrue domePerfectly rounded dome, preferred by the RomansBuilt up in complete rings wherein each ring forms a self-supporting component of the final dome

Roman Architecture:Structural RevolutionPhoto: Sullivan

Roman Architecture:Structural RevolutionPhoto: Sullivan

Roman Architecture:Structural RevolutionConcreteA mixture of mortar-like cement with an aggregateMany advantages over traditional stoneDoes not need to be quarried, shaped, or transportedHighly skilled labor was not needed to prepare the concreteCan be cast in just about any shape imaginableArches and vaults could be economically fabricated

Roman Architecture:Structural RevolutionConcreteSurfacesRomans developed many types of facings that were weather resistant and pleasant to the eyeOpus incertumRandom shaped stones of concreteOpus testaceumBrick facing; made concrete wall look as if it were constructed from bricksOpus mixtumDecorative patterns of tufa, stone, or brick

Roman Architecture:Structural RevolutionOpus mixtum; Photo: Sullivan

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresRoman AqueductsUsed to supply the civilization with water from afarUtilized an arch to create a continuous line of decent for waterAqua ClaudiaBrought water over solid masonry some ten miles into RomeSome areas were over 100 ft. in height

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresPhoto: Sullivan

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresRoman BridgesWere generally lower in height and broader than aqueductsTwo important Roman Bridges:Pons FabricusPons Milvius

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresPhoto: Sullivan

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresRoman TheatresAdopted the Greek theatre and transformed itThe Roman theatre was closed, unlike the Greeks who preferred an open, outside theatreTheatre of MarcellusIntegrated Roman style with that of the GreeksProvided around 10,000 seats arranged in three tiers

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresPhoto: Sullivan

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresRoman ArenasThe ColosseumBuilt by Flavian emperors Vespasian, Titus, and DoitianLocated on the site of an artificial lake that had been part of Neros Golden HouseExtensive system of tunnels, chambers, and mechanical devices below the arena floorHydraulic provision used to flood the arena for naval displays and mock battles

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresPhoto: Sullivan

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresPhoto: Sullivan

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresRoman CircusesCircus MaximusOldest and largest circus stadiumRebuilt and destroyed from the first through third centuries A.D.

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresRoman BathsStrenuous daily life prompted the Romans to construct large public bathsWealthy citizens also constructed private baths in their domicilesFeatured elaborate heating systemsFurnaces beneath floorsHeat was transmitted to rooms by tile ducts, warming the floors and the walls

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresRoman TemplesEarliest Roman temples were indistinguishable from those of the EtruscansAxial planDeep porchWidely spaced columnsHigh podiums

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresRoman TemplesTemple of Jupiter CapitolinusOriginally built in the late sixth century B.C.Rebuilt in 69 B.C.Photo: Sullivan

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresRoman TemplesPantheon Located in RomeConsidered by many to be the greatest structure of antiquity to have survived in a state of near completenessBuilt by Hadrian between A.D 118 and 128Three notable parts:Immense, domed cellaDeep, octastyle Corinthian porchBlock-like intermediate structure

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresPhoto: Sullivan

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresPhoto: Sullivan

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresRoman BasilicasAn important category of Roman architectureMost important Roman source for early Christian architecturePure Roman style of architectureBasilicaEssentially means a roofed hall, rectangular in plan, sometimes with an apse

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresRoman BasilicasBasilica UlpiaA.D. 98-117Finest example of the columnar basilicaBuilt by TrajanImportant model for later ages

Photo: Sullivan

Roman Architecture:Roman StructuresRoman BasilicasBasilica in Trier, GermanyEarly fourth century A.D.Built by ConstantineThe final Roman basilicaServed as an important model for the Romanesque period of architecturePhoto: Sullivan

Roman Architecture:Civic ArchitectureHouses and VillasPrivate domiciles reflected their inhabitantsLower classes lived in meager, cramped apartments located on the upper floors of shops and other buildingsMiddle classes lived on the lower floors and many homes had balconies, good ventilation, and running waterUpper classes usually owned a house, know as a domus.Standalone structuresFeatured courtyards and gardensMany had running water

Roman Architecture:TombsTombsRomans were great builders of tombsDifferent from the Greeks and Egyptians in scale and religious styleTomb of M. Vergilius EurysacesCitizen who made a fortune selling bread to Caesar's armyBuilt a tomb in the shape of an oven

Roman Architecture:TombsPhoto: Sullivan

Roman Architecture:TombsTombsRoman catacombsBuilt by the poor as place of burialPhoto: Sullivan

ReferencesSullivan, Mary; http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/http://www.brynmawr.edu/Acads/Cities/wld/wdpt1.htmlTrachtenburg/Hyman; Architecture: From Prehistory to PostmodernityWodehouse/Moffett; A History of Western Architecture

Ancient Greek and Roman ArchitectureArchitectural HistoryACT 322Doris Kemp