The Buildings of Ancient Roman Cities

Emily Ross

July 9, 2010

Session 5 Roman City

Menorca, Spain

Common Buildings• Forums• Basilica• Temples • Senate House• Theaters• Amphitheaters• Triumphal Arches• Triumphal Columns • Imperial Baths • Aqueducts and Sewers• Housing

Roman Forum

Forums

Roman Forum in Rome.

Central marketplace used for a variety of activities including business and politics.

Basilica

Remains of the Basilica di Massenzio, Foro Romano in Rome.

• First believed to be constructed in 2nd century BC

• Public building used to conduct business and legal matters

• Large roofed hall, interior colonnades, large central aisle, and apse

Christianization of the Basilica

Baptism of Constantine by Raphael’s students

With the Christianization of the Roman empire basilicas adopted a religious purpose.

Creation of Basilica in SaniseraThe basilica here in Sanirera is believed

to be built in the 4th or 5th century.

Temples

The PantheonTemple to all gods of Ancient Rome

Temples Cont.

Temple of Venus and RomaVenus, the mythical ancecestress of the Julian's, dominates Caesar's Forum

Senate House- Curia• Built in the fashion of

Etruscan style

• Served as a meeting place of the Senate

• Burned down several times

• Was finally rebuilt in Caesar's plan of the forum in 44 BC

Theaters

Pompey’s Theater, Rome built in 55 BC

• Adopted Greek’s construction of theaters

• Roman theaters however, were secular

• Massive structures raised on concrete vaults allowing construction in cities

Theaters Cont.Theater in Sabratha, Libya

• Refer to the construction of theaters in provinces to depict the progress of theater design

• This theater gives the full effect of the Roman theater

Amphitheaters

Pompeii’s Amphitheater

• An amphitheater is an elliptical open air venue most closely related to gladiatorial activities.

• Amphitheater in Pompeii is one of the oldest and best preserved.

• In provinces that could not afford full gladiatorial fights amphitheaters were used for sporting contests.

Amphitheaters Cont.The Colosseum, Rome

Triumphal Arches

Arch of Titus

• A monumental archway built to celebrate a victory

• Romans were the 1st to use arch in commemoration

• Not many remain from the republican period, with Augustus’ reordering of the forum

Triumphal Columns

Trajan’s Column 113 AD

• Triumphal columns celebrated great individuals especially military men

• Roman columns were marble columns topped by bronze or marble statues

• An effort to perpetuate their fame through the most durable means possible

• First columns erected form the 3rd century BC

Imperial Baths- Thermae

Reconstructed drawing of the Baths of Caracalla in Rome.

• Largest and most architecturally adventurous structures

• First appeared in 2nd century BC

• Most roman cities had at lest one public bath

• Included a cold bath, a warm bath, and hot bath- frigidarium, tepidarium, and caldarium respectively.

Aqueducts and Sewers

A remaining portion of Aqua Claudia

• Two very essential aspects of Roman civilization

• 1st aqueduct built in 312 BC by Appias Claudius

• Runs underground for 10 miles providing water from springs near Albano

• Only used elaborate above ground aqueducts when necessary

• Sewers were less elaborate.• Required flowing water to

be effective

Housing: Domus

Atrium of a Pompeian Domus

• A detached single family house

• One or two story house

• Rooms set around an atrium, central hall open to the sky

• Became more grand with larger atriums, grandly colonnaded and decorated

• Slits for windows, or wholly windowless rooms for security rather than privacy

Housing: Insulae• Large apartment

complexes for the lower class

• Often span the length of a block and up to 7 stories tall

• Commonly poorly constructed and were subject to fire and collapse

An insula dating from the early 2nd century A.D. in the Roman port town of Ostia Antica.

Thanks ALL!