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Roman
Architecture:
One
of the most common images associated with Rome is that of the
Forum Romanum in the heart of the capital city. The Forum Romanum
is famous for it’s enduring architecture, as a symbol of
Rome’s might and majesty, and for becoming a showcase for
the classical architecture that Romans relished.
The Romans borrowed everything – from gods and food, to
weapons and ideas; but the architectural styles and ideas they
borrowed have withstood the tests of time. If anything, Roman
architecture is eclectic. They took inspiration from many civilizations,
most importantly, the Etruscans and the Greeks. In fact, many
of the artists and architects in the Roman world during the
late Republic and early Empire were Greek or of Greek lineage.
Even though the Romans
were known for their borrowing, they were also famous for improvements
and innovations. The three most important to our world today
are bricks, concrete, and the rounded arch. The Roman’s
did not invent bricks and concrete, but they did
create them in the form that we we know today. The bricks created
by the Egyptians and Sumerians were simple mud bricks dried
in the sun. Those made by the Romans were fired, or "burnt."
As for cement, the Romans were the first to discover the proper
proportions of lime and aggregates to make the concrete stronger.
They also discovered that by adding a volcanic pumice, they
could create larger (yet lighter) concrete structures. The Romans
are also credited with creating concrete that would even harden
under water! The only ‘true’ Roman innovation was
the rounded arch. Other civilizations had rudimentary, stepped
arches, but the Romans were the first to create a true, rounded
arch.
Thanks to these three Roman innovations, such structures as
aquaducts, basilicas, multistory buildings and sewers could
be created. Perhaps the most famous of all the surviving structures
that utilize these three innovations is the Pantheon. The next
would have to be the Amphitheatrum Flavium, also known as the
Colosseum. As the Colosseum demonstrates, the Romans lavished
their buildings with exotic material and embellishments. Roman
builders were not slavish imitators of other civilizations.
Instead, they combined Greek, Etruscan, and provincial design
elements in new and groundbreaking ways on many structures.
The Colosseum is a fine example of this – it is decorated
with columns in the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders.
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