The Evolution Of Architecture And Architecture In Ancient Roman Architecture

The purpose of this ORTO is to illustrate the extend to which Roman architecture, from the late 2nd centaury BC to the 4th century AD, had an influence and effect of modern western architecture. Therefore the aims of my ORTO are as follows:

Pantheon located in Rome, Italy is the most well conserved architectural structure of the Roman period. Pantheon, initially a roman sanctuary worked to committed to every one of the divine beings, however in 609AD., it was transformed into a congregation and stays as it. Initially worked by Agrippa around 27BC under Augustus' lead however it was caught fire during 80D, under Emperor Domitian's care then build it again, yet was struck by lightning and burned down again in 110AD. The present Pantheon was worked in 120AD and finished by Emperor Hadrian alongside Apollodorus of Damascus. (Hannah and Magli 2011)

The manipulation of materials used by the Romans has still not been equaled to this day. This reality is surprising when considering the span of time which has passed since the completion of the Pantheon. A period of almost two thousand years has come and gone without any other dome structure equivalently matching the enormity and importance of the Pantheon. Hadrian’s commencement of the Pantheon has created one of the more “influential works in Western architectural history (Fazio, Moffett, and Lawrence). Keeping in mind the pantheon was created as a temple to commemorate all the pagan gods of ancient Rome (Alcott). At the time it was a very large undertaking and Hadrian felt that using architecture was a sufficient course of action to demonstrate his imperial prowess. The Roman Empire was outstretched over a vast expanse of land and could not sustain itself, however Hadrian used his knowledge of the lay to procure some elements for his reconstruction of the Pantheon. Literally meaning “many gods” the pantheon also served as a sundial with an oculus opening at the apex of the dome. Hadrian’s belief in pagan deities coerced him to create a grand structure suitable to express the divine influence of the gods over the Roman Empire. In fact, Hadrian’s reign produced many architectural exploits that had never been seen or even attempted before his

Many centuries before the birth of Christ, the city of Rome grew, prospered, and developed into a thriving Republic. As in most cultures, Rome's buildings became more elaborate and impressive. They developed fantastic building technologies and ideas. The feats of Roman engineers were groundbreaking, and many structures built by this culture still stand today. With knowledge borrowed from the Greeks, Rome made impressive architectural achievements, these were namely major attributes of buildings, colossal structures, and a legacy that would influence later buildings (Cornell and Matthews 11).

The Pantheon is from the Romanesque era. Originally, built as a temple for the Romans, it is a massive structure that stands 142 feet tall and was built in 126 AD. Made of marble, yet the dome is not reinforced and is made of concrete. The massive Corinthian style columns really show its roman influence as noted by the motifs of scrolls and leaves. The craftsman ship of the massive building truly amazes me, how did the Romans build this? They surely did not have the tools and equipment we have today. Yet, it still stands!

Ancient Roman dwellings evolved architecturally in time from simple huts in the earliest times, to sophisticated and extremely long-lived structures in the later Republic and Imperial Rome following the annexation of the Greek city-states. This is very evident in many Italian and Greek cities where archaeologists have found different occupational levels, with each lower architectural strata being much more ancient (Lavan, Özgenel, & Sarantis, 2007). Typically, however, Roman architecture refers to the period from the establishment of the Roman Republic (6 century BC) to the relocation of the capital to Constantinople in 330AD. An architectural period supported by two great innovations: the cement and the arch.

Many of Rome’s paramount architectural accomplishments can be found in, and around Italy. These sites include the Pantheon, the Arch of Titus, the Mausoleum of Hadrian, the Roman Forum, and Ancient Roman Aqueducts, along with the Colosseum. Many of these architectural feats have been replicated throughout Roman territory. Their domain stretched all over Europe, Northern Africa, and even into the Middle East. Today we are still able to enjoy much of Rome’s artistry, which can be linked to the how their engineers manufactured these monuments. Roman architects created structurally sound buildings by making use of the vault, and the arch. These engineers also created concrete, a binding agent holding the structures together. All of these forms were later replicated throughout the empire (Lake Oswego School District, 2012:1).

Changes in the ever-growing needs of the Roman society led the Romans to become innovators in architecture. (This feat was also funded by the state system who funded and organized to be spread across the Roman world.) (Cartwright, 2013). The discovery of concrete (a chocolate-colored volcanic earth found near the Greek settlement of Puteoli, in vast quantities), and the development of the arch gave the Romans merit and majesty in expressing their own when it came to architecture and civil engineering. (Kamm, 2017).

I believe Roman Architecture and engineering has had the greatest impact on today's society, because today we have some of the same architecture as they used to use in there day.When Rome fell it's legacy lived on meaning people are still today using technology that Romans used. The Flavian amphitheater or the colosseum is one example because it inspired today's stadiums.

Pantheon is a masterpiece of Roman architecture; it was a unique building that combined two different styles. Michelangelo praised it as an angel design. It becomes the object of learning of Italian architects during Renaissance. Besides, many famous artists such as Raphael were buried here, but also the kings like Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I.

When one thinks of Roman architecture, many things come to mind, such as arches, columns, statues, and richly covered surfaces in marbles. One must stop to think that this empire, which gained power and influence in the first century BC, must have been influenced from the thousands of years of cultures preceding them in order to create their masterpieces of ingenuity. This phenomenon can be seen in our borrowing of ideas of ancient Greece and Rome for the construction of our capitol buildings in the United States. The Romans surely considered design principles of other cultures when developing their buildings, since daily conquests of new lands opened Roman soldiers’ eyes to innovations from the great vastness of their empire. This

Have you ever thought about the contributions that Roman times have given us during their reign?Well, I have and I will explain the quote “All roads lead to Rome”.The quote means that there are many things that Rome did that we still use.An example of that is our alphabet and prefixes, and Architecture.I will talk about how Rome helped us with our alphabet and architecture and how we use this today.

Arguably, one of the most influential structures of Rome was the Pantheon because of its immense size, and the use of concrete for the massive dome. This structure was named the Pantheon most likely because Pliny the elder, a spectator during the time of Vespasian 's rule saw this and referred to it as the “Pantheum”. Although the version of the Pantheon that Pliny the elder saw is not the Pantheon currently in Rome, there are many accounts of what it looked like, and why it was built. Agrippa’s Pantheon, the version that Pliny witnessed, or the original pantheon was built during the Pax Romana. This was a time of peace for the Romans, and to lead them in their endeavors was Emperor Augustus. During this time culture flourished because of there was no need to worry about necessities. From 31 BCE to 14CE the Pantheon was constructed to honor the Julian clan. The result of this was a south-facing rectangular building, with the Thermae of Agrippa, or the Roman public baths to the south. This temple was decastyle, meaning that is had 10 columns on each side. Pliny also mentioned that Diogenes of Athens was commissioned by Agrippa to create the caryatid columns. Caryatid columns are much like sculptures, in that they depict a person, but this person is standing in order to form a column to support another structure. To much dismay this temple was destroyed in the

The Roman architect, Vitruvius once said, “ Architecture depends on Order, Arrangement, Eurhythmy, Symmetry, Propriety, and Economy” (“Virtuvius”). Vitruvius epitomizes the characteristics of Roman architecture that was not only meant to be aesthetically pleasing, but serve a social and ideological function. The Romans were masters of utilizing architectural structures to define their own history, rule and power. Rome is called the “Eternal City” and Ancient Romans are remembered not only for the political achievements, but their monumentality of buildings such as the Pantheon and Coliseum. Roman architecture focuses on proportionality, but as a whole achieves spatial unity and are independent from natural surroundings and other solid entities. The structures are reflective of Roman ideology, inspired by Greek ideals, but independent and organized on the principles of order and clarity. Roman buildings prove to be a gateway into the disposition of the emperor at the time. Throughout Roman history, Senators were often called “the fathers of the Roman people” and the father or pater was in charge of the household and society as a whole. As Augustus was called pater patriae he used the city as his household, and blurred the line between civic and domestic space. He integrated himself into the city itself and literally built his family and himself into the city’s landscape. In his Res Gestae he refers to himself as the

As the saying goes “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” however long it took to build the capital, the days, months, years, centuries of work can be viewed as a long lasting landmark which paved the way for new and challenging architecture to come (How Roman architecture influenced modern architecture [sa]). According to Tony Rook (2013: [sp] ch.2) the typical Roman temple shows the Etruscan tradition combined with the Greek one. Although some of their premature concepts were acquired from the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, Roman architects transformed the body of architecture for all time to come, offering buildings and structures that has never been before, along the side of public buildings and infrastructure that could be used by