Roman Architecture Notes Essays - Architecture,

Roman Architecture Notes Q: Why is the colosseum so historically significant? M assive stone amphitheater known as the Colosseum was commissioned around A.D. 70-72 by Emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty as a gift to the Roman people In A.D. 80, Vespasian's son Titus opened the Colosseum-officially kn own as the Flavian Amphitheater with 100 days of games, including gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights A fter four centuries of active use, the magnificent arena fell into neglect, and up until the 18th century it was used as a source of building materials Measuring some 620 by 513 feet (190 by 155 meters), the Colosseum was the largest amphitheater in the Roman world. Inside, the Colosseum had seating for more than 50,000 spectators, who may have been arranged according to social ranking but were most likely packed into the space like sardines in a can (judging by evidence from the seating at other Roman amphitheaters). Awnings were unfurled from the top story in order to protect the audience from the hot Roman sun as they watched The vast majority of the combatants who fought in front of Colosseum audiences in Ancient Rome were men (though ther e were some female gladiators) Gladiators were generally slaves, condemne d criminals or prisoners of war Q: How did roman roads shrink the world? This is an expression which refers to travel being made quicker and easier by th e development of communications Romans build a vast road network in their empire which totalled 400,000 kilometres (250,000 miles) 20% of which (80,500 kilometres, 50,313 miles) were the famous stone-paved roads With the use of concrete and the arch, the Romans were able to build bridges which were much longer than ever before and could cross wider valleys and rivers This made it possible to cross mountains with much greater ease and to cross rivers much more qui ckly Bridges helped to develo p such a vast network of roads. Trajan's bridge crossed the river Danube and although it was on ly functional for a few decades It was the longest arch bridge for more than 1,000 years. It was 1,135 m (3,724 ft.) long, 15 m (49 ft.) wide, and 19 m (62 ft.) above the water level Q: How did the republic an period influence roman architecture? Republican Roman architecture was influenced by the Etruscans Temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill in Rome, begun in the late 6th century B.C.E., The temple was erected from local tufa on a high podium (its frontality stood out) The porch is very deep and the visitor is meant to approach from only one access point, rather than walk all the way around The presence of three cellas, or cult rooms, was also unique In the late Republican period, architects began to experiment with concrete, testing its capability to see how the material might allow them to build on a grand scale The Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia in modern day Palestrina is comprised of two complexes, an upper and a lower one The upper complex is built into a hillside and terraced with ramps and stairs leading from the terraces to the small theater and tholos temple at the pinnacle The entire compound is intricately woven together to manipulate the visitor's experience of sight, daylight and the a pproach to the sanctuary itself No longer dependent on post-and-lintel architecture, the builders utilized concrete to make a vast system of covered ramps, large te rraces, shops and barrel vaults Q: Where did roman architecture originate from? Roman architects continued to follow the guidelines established by the classical orders the Greeks had first shaped : Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian- The Romans did add ed their own ideas and their version of the Corinthian capital became much more decorative The Romans also created the composite capital which mixed the volute of the Ionic order with the aca nthus leaves of the Corinthian The Tuscan column was another adaptation of a traditional idea which was a form of Doric column but with a smaller capital, more slender shaft with out flutes, and a moulded base The Tuscan column (as it came to be known in the Renaissance period) was especially used