Running head: Written Assignment Unit 7

Written Assignment Unit 7: Art and Architecture

University of the People

HIST 1421: GREEK AND ROMAN CIVILIZATION

Caitlin Murphy-Myer (Instructor)

23 October 2019
Written Assignment Unit 7

Introduction

Romans like Greeks are incremental architects and builders, and we can still enjoy Romanesque

and Greek buildings today despite their years and wars because of their imaginative and durable

construction.

Definition of Roman Arches

An arch is an architectural form that controls the pressure from the weight of a building in a

specific way. The Arch is one of human history's most important architectural discoveries,

thanks to the Romans. The Roman Arch was the cornerstone of the architecture of Rome and the

vast scale of building projects throughout the ancient world.

The Romans were able to build bigger constructions, longer roads and stronger aqueducts.

The Roman ark is a traditional architectural source.

Arch Development

It is not certain when arches were invented by the Romans, and some scholars say that the arch

was invented by Archimedes from Sicily, but there is no current evidence to confirm this theory.

Arches were made of stone, cement, brick, and wood and the concrete was a combination of

limestone and volcanic sand which made it solid and long-lasting.

The arch guides downward and outward pressure creating a strong underlying passage that is

capable of supporting heavy structures. This is called compressive stress, as the arch's form

compresses the weight force. Because the tension is directed both downwards and outwards.
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The arch was often reinforced by walls or other structures. The arch allowed old builders to build

larger, more complex buildings that could accommodate more space and more people.

Concrete Development

The Roman concrete, also known as “Opus caementicium." Was developed by using lime and

volcanic rock which formed a mortar, the mortar and volcanic rock were then packed into

wooden forms and when seawater was added a chemical reaction occurred, bonding everything

together to create concrete (History, 2013). Three main materials for making concrete Pieces of

rock, Hydrate lime or pasty, and Ashes from the nearest volcano

(Moore, 1995).

Use and Importance of Arches in Ancient Rome

Houses, acquedocts and bridges have traditionally been constructed with arches, so for Roman

architecture, arches were very important. For example, arched bridges were much stronger and

could withstand and weight more than pillars. The bridges were built During the Roman

Empire, some thousand stone arch bridges were constructed (Historyofbridges.com, n.d.). It was

very important as Romans could easily move from one position to the other. In addition,

aqueducts allowed fresh water to flow, which was extremely important for the population.

The incorporation of these in houses and buildings was also an important use for arches. This

was a great invention, because it allowed the increase in weight significantly, which enabled the

construction of multi-story buildings to be constructed.

We still find many examples in our cities, as these arches are powerful buildings.

Examples include:

1. The Colosseum: build for famous gladiator fights and other events, with 80 arched

entrances (Empirerome.com, n.d.).

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2. The Arch of Titus.

3. Arch of Augustus

4. Arch of Tiberius

5. The Arch of Septimus Severus: it was built in 203 AD after the victory over Parthians

(Empirerome.com, n.d.).

There were also many benefits of concrete in the case of arches. Clearly, the main advantage was

that it was used for the arches, domes and vaults as a building material.

But the benefits over other methods of using concrete were:

1. It was a substance that was solid and resilient.

2. Delivery was inexpensive and it didn't require a lot of work.

2. It was better than wood, because it was unable to catch fire.

4. It was flexible and was able to take the container form easily.

5. It was able to build rapidly.

Not only did this amazing innovation make the building in Ancient Rome extremely easy, but

also gave form to many modern European cities. Thanks to their solid walls, we can still have so

many of the rest of the Roman Empire today.

Conclusion

It is still amazing that Romans invented arches and concrete, but definitely for ancient Rome and

for later generations it was a great invention, as now we still use arches and concrete.

Word Count: 709

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References

Moore, D. (1995). The Riddle of Ancient Roman Concrete, David Moore, PE. Retrieved from

http://www.romanconcrete.com/docs/spillway/spillway.htm

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-roman-arch-definition-

construction-history.html.

Moore, D. (1995). The Riddle of Ancient Roman Concrete, David Moore, PE. Retrieved from

http://www.romanconcrete.com/docs/spillway/spillway.htm

Empirerome.com. (n.d.). Architecture. Retrieved from

http://www.empirerome.com/architecture/arches/
Historyofbridges.com. (n.d.). History of Bridges. Retrieved from
http://www.historyofbridges.com/facts-about-bridges/arch-bridges/
Houghton Mifflin Company. (n.d.). The Infl uence of the Roman Arch. Retrieved from
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/ca/books/bkf3/writing/06_romarch.pdf
Piperno, R. (2014, May). Introduction: Art or Engineering. Retrieved from
http://www.romeartlover.it/Costroma.html
University of California. (n.d.). Roman Concrete. Retrieved from
http://archserve.id.ucsb.edu/courses/arthistory/152k/large_pictures/lgB45.htm