ANCIENT ROME
ANCIENT ROME
Roman Empire in 114 AD
under Emperor Trajan
BRITAIN
LONDON
GERMANY
FRANCE
ITALY
NIMES ROME
GREECE
SPAIN POMPEII
BYZANTIUM
SEGOVIA
(CONSTANTINOPLE)
ATHENS
CARTHAGE
ANTIOCH PERSIA
AFRICA
EGYPT
• The legendary origin of the city's name is from the traditional founder and first
ruler, Romulus .
• Civilisation started along river Tiber.
• Rome was founded around 750 BC.
ANCIENT ROME: Locational significance
• Italian peninsula – a Central and commanding position on Mediterranean sea
• Temperate in the north , sunny in central Italy , almost tropical in south.
ANCIENT ROME: Historical evolution
Origin of civilisation
Establishment of kingdom: grew
from village to city.
Establishment of Republic:
population increased.
BC to AD
ANCIENT ROME: The empire
By AD 117 the Roman Empire included
the whole of Italy, all the lands around the
Mediterranean and much of Europe,
including England, Wales and parts of
Scotland.
ANCIENT ROME: Society& Religion
• Social elements such as wealth and
high population densities in cities
forced the ancient Romans to discover
new architectural solutions of their
own.
• Form and function: Political
propaganda demand, these buildings
should be made to impress as well as
perform a public function.
Religion
• Polytheistic, several gods.
• Roman mythology slowly derived
attributes from those of Greek gods
until the ascendancy of Christianity in
the 4th century AD.
ANCIENT ROME: Geographical Influence
Influence of Etruscans from North:
• The Romans learned to build temples
from them.
• The Etruscans introduced the worship of a
triad of gods.
• The Etruscans also supplied the Romans
with the knowledge of hydraulics and
constructing an arch.
Influence of Greek:
• Greek located on the Eastern side of
Rome.
• They took over Greek ideas and inflated
them for the benefit of state : Colonizing
became conquering. , Administration
became bureaucracy and architecture
became engineering.
ANCIENT ROME: Architectural characteristics: Orders
Composite order:
• To the three Greek
orders the Romans
added the
composite order, a
blend that
superimposed the
scroll-like volutes of
the Ionic capital
over Corinthian
acanthus .
• They also made a
composite base by
introducing an Ionic
base into a Doric
shaft.
ANCIENT ROME : Architectural characteristics: Orders
Tuscan order:
• Simplified
version of Doric
order and about
7 diameters
high.
• With a base,
unfluted shaft,
molded capital,
plain
entablature.
ANCIENT ROME : Architectural characteristics
• Buildings are integrated in the urban space with paved roads .
• Special importance for the internal space.
• Integral view of the art combining beauty and utility.
Building Materials
• Stone: tufa, peperino, travertine, lava stone, sand, gravel .
• Marble: mostly white, imported from all parts of the Empire to river Tiber.
• Granite.
• Earth for terra cotta and bricks.
ANCIENT ROME: Construction technology
• Etruscans introduced the use of concrete (300
AD to 400 AD).
• Stone or brick rubble/ashlar with pozzolana, a
thick volcanic earth material as mortar.
• In roman architecture, concrete's strength freed
the floor plan from rectangular cells to a more
free-flowing environment.
• Used for walls, arches ,vaults and domes.
• Concrete allowed Romans to build vaults of a
use of brick on outer facing and
magnitude never equaled until 19th century filling of concrete rubble.
steel construction.
• Mosaic used for decorations and paintings.
ANCIENT ROME: Roman engineering: Brick walls
• In ancient Rome there were a series of
techniques that could be used to create
walls.
• Opus reticulatum- a form of brickwork
that consists of diamond shaped tufa
blocks (porous rock composed of
calcium carbonate and formed by
precipitation from water) and applied
with mortar.
• Opus incertum- constructing technique
that uses irregular shaped uncut rocks
that are applied with mortar.
• Opus mixtum - application of diamond
shaped tufa blocks and bricks that are
applied with mortar.
ANCIENT ROME: Roman engineering: Arch's and vaults
• The Romans first adopted the arch
from the Greeks, and implemented it
in their own building.
• The size of the Greek post and lintel
was limited by the length a single
piece of stone can span .
• For spanning the greater length
without intermediate support, romans
employed arches into a great
practical and aesthetic effect.
• They used half point or semicircular
arches .
• Pediments were combined with
them.
ANCIENT ROME: Roman engineering: Arches
• An arch is a very strong
shape as no single spot
holds all the weight and is
still used in architecture
today.
• Arches strength through
compression.
• They built victory arches,
buildings and aqueducts.
• Arch and vault system
started by Etruscans , a
combined use of column,
beam and arch also has
been constructed.
ANCIENT ROME Roman engineering: Arches examples
Semi circular arch
Half point arch
ANCIENT ROME: Roman engineering: Barrel vaults
• Semi-circular or
wagon-headed,
borne on two
parallel walls
throughout its
length ie, having
semicircular cross-
section.
• Windows can be
placed at any point.
• These vaults
require buttressing
to counter-act the
downward thrust of
weight.
ANCIENT ROME: Roman engineering: Groin vaults
• Also called a cross
vault.
• A compound vault
formed by the
perpendicular
intersection of two
vaults forming arched
diagonal arises called
groins.
• Needs less buttressing.
ANCIENT ROME: Roman engineering: Multi Groin vaults
• A series of groin vaults
can have open lateral
arches that form
Clerestories.
• Windows that allow light
into the interior of
churches.
• These concrete windows
were fireproof .
ANCIENT ROME: Roman engineering: Domes
• A dome is a vaulted structure having a
circular plan and usually the form of a
portion of a sphere, so constructed as
to exert an equal thrust in all
directions.
• Romans used domes to span and
cover very large open spaces.
• They used it in many public buildings
like basilicas, the pantheon etc.
• With the dome, the Romans could
surpass earlier cultures by their ability
to span space.
• Light enters through the oculus on top.
ANCIENT ROME
ANCIENT ROME: Roman engineering: Aqueducts
• The water scarcity in Rome , made the
invention of aqueduct.
• The water was transported from the
surrounding area/ city by rectangular
concrete water channel , which was lined
with concrete called aqueducts.
• Cities themselves were plumbed, Pont Du Gard , in present day France
providing private water for the rich and
for baths and communal supplies for
poorer neighborhoods.
• The arches in various levels supported
the water channel.
ANCIENT ROME: Roman engineering: Aqueducts
ANCIENT ROME: The Pantheon, the circular temple
• At first the Pantheon which was a
small rectangular one and had
north entrance which was built in 27
B.C. by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa.
• After it burned down twice by fire,
the Emperor Hadrian built it again
with huge round hall and dome.
• The Pantheon is the first temple to
combine the technique of concrete
construction with Greek classical
orders.
• It’s a roman temple built to “honor
all gods.
ANCIENT ROME: The Pantheon, the circular temple
• This circular building is constructed
with a grand porch, three rows of
columns, and a dome with a centered
oculus to the sky.
• The porch has 12 Egyptian Corinthian
gray granite columns in front and side,
four Egyptian red granite columns
beside the entrance.
• All these Corinthian columns weigh 60
tons each. They are 39 feet (11.8 m)
tall, five feet (1.5 m) in diameter and
brought all the way from Egypt .
• The capital and the base of columns
are white marble which are same as of
Parthenon.
ANCIENT ROME : The Pantheon, the circular temple
• The dome of pantheon, is the largest
unreinforced solid concrete dome in
the world .
142 ft. Oculus
Portico
142 ft.
COLUMNS: 39 FT. TALL, 5 FT. THICK
Plan Section
ANCIENT ROME: The Pantheon: Interiors
• The interior is a perfect circle its
diameter and height are exactly
same, 142 feet .
• The circular plan represents the
sphere of the world.
• The wall is 6.05m thick and on the
lower level are seven niches having
gods with a pair of Corinthian
columns.
• The lower level and the second
level are divided by the cronies in
the ratio of a square root of 2 to 1.
ANCIENT ROME: The Pantheon: Sectional view
ANCIENT ROME: The Pantheon: Interiors
• The hemispherical dome has the
skylight oculus of 8.9m in diameter.
No windows inside the temple.
• The void oculus brings the silent
light to the real wall and it moves in
the time and the space.
• The floor is paved by the marble
with circular and cubic pattern. The
wall is covered with marbles which
colors are basically yellowish
brown, white, green and reddish-
brown.
ANCIENT ROME: Basilica
• The basilicas served as a meeting
place for the citizens, an exchange
for merchants, and a court of justice.
• Basilicas employed interior-facing
colonnades aligned as a peristyle to
create a raised second-story aisle or
"clerestory" and a sense of interior
monumental space.
• The design was possibly imported
from Hellenistic Greek buildings (the
stoas).
ANCIENT ROME: Basilica of Constantine
• constructed of concrete and high
ceiling vaulted brick arches in the
early fourth century AD.
• served as the architectural model for
Grand Central Station in New York.
• The interior would have been
lavishly decked out in rich marbles,
enormous Corinthian columns,
statues in recesses, and glass
windows.
ANCIENT ROME: Basilica of Constantine
• The plan and general design of the
basilica were derived from those of
the great central halls of imperial
public baths.
• The central nave is 80m long by
25m wide roofed with groin concrete
vaults reaching no less than 35m.
ANCIENT ROME: Basilica of Constantine: interior views
ANCIENT ROME
Smallest country in the world , with an area of 44 hectares ( 110 acres ) , with a population of
about 1000
ANCIENT ROME
The Vatican city military “ the Swiss guards “ ( from 1506 – present / No of mens : 110 )
Basilica: St.Peters
ANCIENT ROME , Rome
ANCIENT ROME
ANCIENT ROME
ANCIENT ROME
“ The PIETA “ by Michelangelo
ANCIENT ROME
St.Peter’sROME
ANCIENT Basilica, Rome.
• Major axis of the piazza - 1115.4 feet.
• Minor axis of the piazza - 787.3 feet.
• Vestibule of the basilica - 232.9 feet wide, 44.2 deep, and 91.8 high.
• Height and width of the nave - 151.5 feet and 90.2 feet respectively.
• Entire length of the basilica including the vestibule - 693.8 feet.
• From the pavement of the church (measured from the Confession) to the
oculus of the lantern resting upon the dome the height - 404.8 feet;
• To the summit of the cross surmounting the lantern - 434.7 feet.
• The measurements of the interior diameter of the dome vary somewhat, being
generally computed at 139.63 feet , which is smaller by 3 feet from pantheon
temple.
• The surface area of St. Peter's is 163,182.2 sq. feet.
ANCIENT ROME: Colosseum
1) The Colosseum was built between 72 A.D and 80 A.D under
the Emperor Vespasian, in the heart of Ancient Rome.
2) Made from stone and concrete, this magnificent monument was built
with the man power of tens of thousands of slaves.
3) The Colosseum is the largest amphitheater (meaning “theatre in the
round”) in the world! Oval in shape, it measures 189m long, 156m wide
and 50m high (about the height of a 12 storey building). This ancient
sporting arena could easily fit a modern day football pitch inside!
4) This brilliant building had 80 entrances and could seat
approximately 50,000 spectators who would come to watch sporting
events and games. These events included gladiatorial combats, wild
animal hunts and, believe it or not, ship naval battles!
5) Free for all! At the Colosseum’s major events – often those organised
and paid for by the emperors themselves – there was no entry fee.
And free food was sometimes served, too. Bonus! Emperors would use
this as a way to gain popularity and support from the public.
ANCIENT ROME: Colosseum
The events at the Colosseum were seriously brutal, though – during
certain games held by the emperors around 10,000 animals were killed in
a single day.
7) The first games ever to be held were in 80 A.D, under Emperor
Titus (the son of Vespasian), and they ran for 100 days straight. Games
continued to be held for centuries to come – gladiatorial games until the
fifth century and animal hunts until the 6th century.
8) To protect the spectators from the blistering sun and heat of Ancient
Rome, there was the velarium – an awning that could be pulled over the
top of the seating area to provide shade. Clever, eh?
9) Below the Colosseum were numerous rooms and underground
passages. Here is where the animals and gladiators were kept, waiting to
meet their fate in the arena above. There were also 36 trap doors in the
arena for special effects!
10) Although two-thirds of the colosseum has been destroyed over time –
mostly the result of vandalism, earthquakes and fires – it is today a
popular tourist site, attracting thousands of people every year!
To bring water to their cities, the clever Romans built
aqueducts – a system of channels and bridges – to transport
water for public baths and toilets!
Read about Romulus and Remus.
The Roman army was so strong that they could march up to 40km
about gladiators?
The Romans believed in gods and goddesses
who ruled over different areas of life. For
example, Neptune was the god of the ocean,
and they prayed to him to protect them at sea.
Temples were built to honour the gods, and
people would visit them with offerings.
The Romans liked to enjoy their food, often
lying down on a couch while eating with their
hands. They occasionally used a spoon, but
The Romans didn’tthey would
spend nevertime
all their usefighting
a knife and fork. Rich
Romans
– they were amazing liked to
architects andeat exotic food, such as stork,
engineers
roast
too! They built roads parrot
and wallsand even we
– things flamingo!
now take for granted.
ANCIENT ROME
• The Egyptians and the Greeks
shaped powerfully evocative
buildings, but seldom were
these buildings meant to contain
groups of people; public life was
conducted in the outdoors.
• “ A Greco-Roman architecture, it
combined the elegance of detail
and refinement of form of
Greece with the pragmatic
functionalism, civic scale, and
sense of power of Rome. It was
a universal architecture “
