HOA 1

Roman Architecture

Definition of Terms
SUPERCOLUMNIATION

The superposition of one order of

columns above another. The vertical
axes of the columns coinciding and
lining up, from doric, ionic and
corinthian. “Superimposed or
Superposed”
Roman Dodecahedron
survey instruments for estimating
distances to (or sizes of) distant objects

Groma
survey straight lines and right angles

Latin:
Road - Via Chorobates
Water - Aqua for measuring slopes by Vitruvius
Work - Opus
Bridge - Pons
Baths - Balnuem
Dome - Domus
Arch - Arcus
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Influences

Influences:
Geographicsal
Rome is located at coast of Italy
the great chain of the Apennines
across the italian peninsula
Romans are not seafarer mostly
(HOA, Fletcher)
Roman power expand through
“gradual absorption of small
states” and spread over the
continent of Europe.
Geological
Italy differ from greece, wherein Map of Italy
Climatic
marble is commonly found
North - temperate climate
The topography in Rome are,
Central Italy “genial and sunny”
Travertine, found in tivoli
South - almost tropical
Tuff (“Tufa”), a volcanic rock
Peperino, stone volcanic origin Religion
from Mount albano “Cultus deorum” - cultivation of
Pozzolana, (volcanic Ash) the gods
roman concrete Polytheistic religion system -
Social and Political believed in many different gods
Central - Etruscans
Lived
South - the greeks
Social Class:
Patricians -
rich aristocrat,
members of the
senate
Plebeians -
commoners,
farmers, tax
payers, slaves
Senate is the most Etruscan Area of Influence and Greek
hated people in Area of Influence
Roman Empire
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Origin and Architectural Characteristics

How Roman Started

Founded by Romulus
Romulus and Remus were found
and raised by a she wolf.
Romulus became king and called
the city Rome after a sign from the
gods
800 BC a Latin princess gave birth
to a pair of twin boys fathered by
the god Mars Romus and Remus, raised by a she wolf

Historical Influences
Central - Etruscans Lived
South - the greeks
But long before history begins
the Greeks and Italians had
separated into distinct nations.
The common form of
government in ancient Italy
resembled that of Greece,
consisting of towns or
districts joined together in
leagues.

Architectural Charachteristics
1. Magnificence
2. Vastnesss
3. Ornateness
According to Vitruvius from
Chapter 2, book 1 of Vitruvius’s
Ten Books on Architecture:

Architecture depends on fitness

(ordinatio) and arrangement
(dispositio); it also depends on
proportion, uniformity, Colosseum Miniature October 2022,
consistency, and economy. Aydalla
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Roman Structures and Materials

Roman Building
Materials
Main Buildings Materials
Stone - Vitruvius recommended
“travertine” in construction materials
Timber - Daedalus (greek) skillful
architect and craftsman, expert in wood
and invention of wood working tools.
Marble - Augustus, primarily use marble Roman Structures
as a main construction material
Others: and Buildings
Roman Concrete - Pozzolana (hydraulic
cement) Roman Buildings and
Tufa - Good for interiors (Augustus) Structures:
Arch
Brick - Mud and Baked Bricks - Baked Aqueduct
bricks last in century rather than mud Temples
bricks. (Vitruvius) Walls
Paint - produced from ores and sea life. Floor
House
Important Structures:
Baths
Domes
Forums
Columns
Roads
Arches
Bridge
Vaults
Theatre/Amphitheatre

“Romans perfected the

Vaults”

Renovation of Pantheon Columns and Pedestal

 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Aqueducts

Aqueducts
The Ancient Plumbing System
1. The Most water came from the
mountains of Apennines
2. Water flow through gravity alone,

System:
1.Sedimentation Tanks - water
treatment or wastewater treatment Aqua Claudia
2.Sluices - “castella aquae”
(distribution tanks)
3.Stopcock - A valve, to stop the
flow of water
4.Cistern - fresh overflow water
could be temporarily stored

Notable Aqueducts in Rome:

Aqua Appia
Aqua Marcia
Punt du Gard Aqua Anio Novus

Aqua Appia 312 B.C.

The First Roman Aqueduct
73,000 cubic metres water per day
16.4 km long
Carved and built in Tufa stone

Aqua Appia, Rome

 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Aqueducts

Aqua Marcia 144-140 B.C.

The Longest Aqueduct

Built by: praetor Q. Marcius Rex
(politician)
426 km long Aqueduct of Valens
supplying Constantinople

Punt du Gard 40 - 60 A.D.

Bridge and a aqueduct
Tallest of all Roman aqueduct
bridges
exceptional preservation, historical
importance, and architectural
ingenuity.
Aqua Marcia, Rome
Built by: Emperor Augustus

Punt du Gard, Rome

 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Roman Sanitary System

Ancient Roman
Sanitary System

Romans first applied the sewer

system
The use underground flowing water
to wash away waste
Cloaca Maxima - 1 A.D. , world's
earliest sewage systems Cloaca Maxima, Rome

Public “Latrines”

Famous Landmarks and

Notable Structure of Rome
Via Appia -Road
Hadrian’s wall -Wall
The Mausoleum of Augustus -Tomb
Bridge at Rimini -Bridge
Roman Geometric Mosaic -Floor

A bridge for strategic and economic

reasons and was the famous Battle of the Ponte Milvio
Milvian Bridge took place in 312, leading “Love Bridge”
to the beginning of Constantine's Empire.
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Roads and Roman Concrete Walls

Via Appia
Appian Way - most remarkable
Roman roads, fastest and widest
roads
“Queen of all roads” - all roads lead
to rome
“Via” - traveling through

Cyclopean Masonry
“Formed with large, irregular
blocks of stones fitted closely
together without the use of motar”
-D. K. Ching, A
Visual Dictionary of
Architecture, page 166

Roman
Concrete Walls
“Opus” - work

Three types of roman concrete walls:

1. Opus incertum - “caementa” (fragments of rock mixed with concrete)
2. Opus reticulum - “reticulated pattern” (small square blocks cut in the form of
truncated pyramids with a square base)
3. Opus testaceum - “brick- and tile-faced concrete”
Other types:
1. Opus Latericium - “brickwork” (thick structure, to face a core of opus
caementicium)
2. Opus Mixtum - “hybrid” ( combination of opus reticulatum Opus Latericium)
3. Opus caementicium - (wooden shapes filled with roman concrete)
4. Opus craticium - “half-timbering” (timber framework with the wall infill of
stones in mortar, similar to Opus incertum)
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Roman Houses and Walls

Hadrian’s Wall
“Vallum
Hadriani” in Latin
Vallum - Huge
earthwork
"intact the
empire”
Emperor
Hadrian’s motif
is to defend the
empire from
outsider and
strengthen the
military.
Hadrian’s Wall
Fort, Turret,
Milecastle

Roman Residential Rejiecelle - ("the

little street")

Type:
Insulae - lower and
middle class,
apartments
Domus - upper classes
Villa - Emperors, those
in power

Hadrian’s Villa
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Roman Houses

Roman Houses
Parts:
Vestibulum - small room leading into a larger
space (Foyer)
Ostium - Entrances, doorway and the door itself
Atrium - Central room, open-roofed entrance hall
Alae - open rooms that flanked both sides of the
atrium
Tablinum - alcove between the atrium, peristyle
of a Roman house for storing the family records on
tablets.
Impluvium - low basin in the center to catch
rainwater
Compluvium - rectangular open space, above
impluvium

Alcove - a recess in the wall of a room or garden.

Fauces - (architectural term given by
vitruvius)narrow passages on either side of the
tablinum
Peristylium - (greek) open courtyard within the
house
Peristylium, Domus House

-D. K. Ching, Jarzombek, Prakash, A Global

History of architecture, third edition, pp. 162
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Tombs and Palace

Roman Palace:
Palace of Domitian
Parts:
Aula Regia - Royal or Great Hall
Aediculae - Small Shrine
Lararium - Palace Chapel
Triclinum - Dining Hall
Hippodrome - greek stadium

Roman Tombs
Types:
Columbaria Tombs
Monumental Tombs
Pyramid Tombs
Smaller Tombs
Eastern Tombs

2. Monumental Tombs - tower-

1.Columbaria Tombs - Catacombs, shaped blocks, square or circular,
“loculi” - recess of corpse, Cornelia Tomb of Cecilia Metella
Gens
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Tombs and Bridge

3. Pyramid Tombs - white marble, 4. Smaller Tombs - isolated

internal tomb-chamber, the vault and monuments, beside of the road, The
walls being decorated with figure Street of Tombs, Pompei
paintings. Pyramid of Cestius

Pons Rimini 20 A.D.

“Ponte di Tiberio” - Bridge of Augustus

five semicircular arches
White Istrian Stone - salt-white or
light yellowish stone, a limitestone, from
Istria
“Pons” - bridge in latin

5. Eastern Tombs - rock-cut, from

Syria, Asia Minor, Algeria, and Africa,
Tomb at Mylasa

Ponte di Tiberio, Emilia-Romagna,

northern Italy
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Roman Mosaic and Roman Baths

“Mosaics offer a vivid

Roman Geometric
picture of ancient
Mosaic Roman life.”
1 C.E.
Roman Mosaics
black and white tesserae dark green and red (Opus alexandrium - a type of Opus
Sectile)
Mosaics are commonly found inside the thermae or baths, flooring design and wall
Influenced by the greek
Vaults, columns and fountains were often decorated with mosaic (opus musivum)
Opus signinum - small broken tiles
Opus Vermiculatum - waving lines
Polychrome patterns - common pattern

Dionysus, Roman Mosaic

Opus Vermiculatum

Palazzo Massimo, Rome Terrazzo is originated from roman

architecture, opus signinum

Thermae/Roman
Baths
Thermae of Caracalla
Baths of Diocletian
Baths of Nero
Baths of Trajan
Baths of Hadrian at Lepcis
Baths of Antoninus
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Roman Baths

“Thermae” - Hot
Large Imperial Bath complexes
Proposed by Vitruvius and
continued with the help by
Frontinus, a engineer and
politician in history and
water-supply of Rome.

Building and Parts Layout:

Caldarium - Hot room
Tepidarium - Warm room
Frigidarium - Cold room
Sudatorium - moist steam bath
The Roman Baths, England
Laconicum - dry hot room (sauna)
Apodyterium - Dressing room/locker
Hypocaust -
Natatio - Large unheated swimming
Heated below,
pool
“under” and
Palaestra - wrestling school or
“burnt”
gymnasium
Exedra - a room, portico, or arcade with Thermae of Caracalla
bench or seats 212-217 AD
Builder: Caracalla
Second Largest Baths in Rome
Eight Pillars, largest dome of the
world out of ceramic hollowware
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Roman Baths

Baths of Nero 212-217 AD

Built by Nero
Second Largest Public Bath
Famous in “Renaissance drawings”

The Baths of Diocletian

298-306 A.D.
Largest ancient baths complex in the
world
first example of the scientific system of thrusts
and counter-thrusts in architecture.
Romans perfected the Vaults, and later
enhance by early christian and Byzantine
Architecture
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Roman Baths

Baths of Trajan 104 AD

Design and built by:
Apollodorus of Damascus
massive thermae, a bathing and
leisure complex
recreational and social center by
Roman citizens, both men and
women
Inspired by Caracalla and
Diocletian

Baths of Antoninus
The largest set of Roman
thermae built on the African
continent
one of three largest built in the
Roman Empire.

Baths of Hadrian at Lepcis

completed construction in
137 AD, which was the year
before Hadrian’s death.
However, it was opened in
127 AD to celebrate Hadrian’s
possession of tribunician
powers during that year
through the governor Publius
Valerius Priscus
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Temples

Maison carrée
Temples
Pantheon France, Nîmes
Temple of Castor and one of the best
Pollux preserved Roman
Temple of Jupiter Stator temples, Vitruvian
Temple of Devius Architecture
Lulius
Temple of Mars Ultor
Temple of Saturn

Early Temples of
Roman Architecture
Etruscan Temple
Etruscan temples were meant to be
viewed mainly from the front rather
than stand as objects in the landscape
Influenced by Greeks Portonaccio Temple, Italy
An axial connection between temple
and altar

Pantheon 113 - 125 A.D.

Temple to “All the Gods”

Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs
Built by Emperor Hadrian
world's largest unreinforced concrete dome.
The dome is constructed of stepped rings of
solid concrete
Coffered dome - to lessen the weight of the
dome
Oculus was to let sunlight and rain into the
Pantheon.
originally covered in bronze
Gigantic Doors are made of solid bronze, not
original
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Temples

Temple of Castor and Pollux 495 B.C

Honouring Dioscuri Castor
and Pollux
Peripteral Temple - single
row of pillars on all sides
Cella - inner chamber
Anta - the posts or pillars
that project slightly at the end
of a wall

Temple of Jupiter Stator 146 B.C.

Hermodorus of
Salamis - Greek
Architect
named after the god
Jupiter, in his form of
Jupiter Stator

Temple of Devius Lulius 29 B.C.

Temple of Ceasar
Prostyle - row of columns on the front
Portico - leading to the entrance of a
building, or extended as a colonnade
Marble Stones

Temple of Mars Ultor 146 B.C.

Erected by Augutus
dedicated to the god Mars
A Senate meeting place
built for religious purposes in the hope
that the Roman warriors would fight
with the spirit of Mars himself
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Temples, Domes and Vaults

Temple of Saturn 497 B.C.

Dedicated to the god Saturn
Pediments are gables, usually
of a triangular shape

Domes and Vaults

Doumo(Latin) and Volta (italian)
Roman Dome
A rounded vault forming the roof of a
building or structure
Republican Period and Early Imperial
period, the growth of dome construction
Roman domes were used in baths, villas,
palaces, and tombs
Domes were also very common over
polygonal garden pavilions
Vaults
A series of Arches
Originated from Egyptian Architecture
“an arch, a temporary support is needed
while rings of voussoirs” - Wikipedia

Types of Domes and Vaults

St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
Vault
Ribbed Vault - skeleton of arches or ribs, Medieval/gothic style
Barrel Vault - continuous arched shape that may approximate a semi-cylinder in
form, common in roman structures.
Groin Vault - double barrel vault or cross vault
Fan Vault - ribs are all of the same curve and spaced equidistantly, Gothic Style
Conical Vault - circular cross section that is larger at one end than the other
Rampant Vault - abutment higher at one side than at the other
Annular Vault - Circular Plan in the shape of a ring
Domes - “Roman Domes use coffers/Lacunaria”
Half Dome - “Apse”, became standard part of early church plans.
Segmented Dome or Cloister Vault - dome placed over a polygonal base
Renaissance Dome - Filippo Brunelleschi,
Roman Architecture HOA 1
Domes and Vaults
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Basilica

Basilica
A large meeting hall most often used
for the law courts.
contain the stock, exchange, business
and offices, administrative offices, and
therefore was a physical link between
law and business
Clerestory Window - high section of
wall that contains windows above eye
level

The Basilica Porcia 52 B.C.

First civil basilica built in ancient Rome

It was built by order of Marcus Porcius
Cato in 184 BC as censor and is named
after him.
He built it as a space for administering laws
and for merchants to meet, against some
opposition.
Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano
(St. Peter’s Basilica)
Built under the patronage of Emperor
Constantine
The Rise of Christianity
Two centuries to complete
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Basilica

Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine 312 A.D.

the largest building in the Forum, and the last

Roman basilica built in the city.
Contained interior colonnades that divided the
space, giving aisles or arcaded spaces at one or both
sides, with an apse (polygonal recess in a church or
Altar)

The Severan Basilica 216 A.D.

Lepcis Magna most famous monument after Arch

Severus
two monuments belong together. The arch was
offered to the emperor Septimius Severus
Decorated Columns
Red Egyptian Granite and Green Euboean
Marble
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Forums

Forums
“Outdoor public places”
Cultural centres in cities
Forums were a way in for
important persons to tribunals.
Forum Romanum
Forum of Caesar
Forum of Augustus

Roman Forum
the oldest, and grouped around it were
some of the most important
historical buildings.
The Roman Forum - “Forum
Romanum” in Latin
Inside Forum Romanum
Arch
The Arch of Augustus
The Arch of Titus
The Arch of Septimus Severus
The Arch of Constantine
Basilica
The Basilica Porcia
Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine
The Severan Basilica
Columns
The column of Marcus Aurelius and
Faustina
Trajan’s Column
Temples
Temple of Divius Lulius
Temple of Saturn
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Roman Arch and Triumphal Arches
a curved, weight-bearing
Roman Arch structure that spans an open
space.
Etruscan Arch

-D. K. Ching, A Visual

Dictionary of
Architecture, page 4

Triumphal Arches
The Arch of Augustus 27 B.C.

was the triumphal arch of Augustus,

located in the Roman Forum.
The oldest standing arch in Rome

The Arch of Titus 81 A.D.

one of the oldest of two remaining arches
from the Roman Empire.
commemorates the Roman triumph
awarded to Emperor Vespasian and to
Titus, his son and heir, for their victory in
the Jewish War
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Forum, Roman Capitals and Orders

Forum of Caesar
was a forum built by Julius Caesar near the
Forum Romanum in Rome
extension of the ancient Roman Forum

Forum of Augustus
one of the Imperial fora of Rome, Italy,
built by Augustus

Roman Capitals and Orders Composite and

The Classical Orders Developed by Romans
Tuscan
Colossal Order - more than one story in height
or Giant Order
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Column

Columns
Etruscan Column
Simplicity of doric order (greek) or
“Tuscan order”
Wooden column
terra-cotta elements and decoratively
painted
Etruscans often organized gods into a
trivium, erecting temples with three
cellae; their overall shape was rectangular,
tending toward square

Roman Column

Parts of Roman Column

Pedestal
Dado
Plinth
Column
Base
Shaft
Capital
Entablature
Architrave
Frieze
Cornice
Bed moulding
Corona
Cymatium
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Column

Roman Column

Parts of Roman Column

Pedestal
Dado
Plinth
Column
Base
Shaft
Capital
Entablature
Architrave
Frieze
Cornice
Bed moulding
Corona
Cymatium

-D. K. Ching, A Visual

Dictionary of
Architecture, page 187
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Column

Triumphal Column
a monumental column
commemorating a victor or a
victory.

The Column of Marcus Aurelius

and Faustina
A Triumphal
Column
Doric Column
Spiral Relief

Trajan’s Column
commemorates
Roman emperor
Trajan's victory in
the Dacian Wars
Builder: Emperor
Trajan
spiral bas relief
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Theatre and Amphitheatre

Theatre and Amphitheatre

Entertainment, Gladiatorial
Games and dramas, reenactments,
and public executions

Theatre - semicircular
Amphitheatre - Circular or Oval

Amphi - “on both sides”

Fact: 230 Amphitheatre were built in

rome

Theatre at Aspendos, Turkey

Notable Buildings in Rome:

1. Colosseum
2. Theatre of Marcellus
3. Amphitheatre of Pompeii
4. Pompeii the Great
5. Circus Maximus

Amphitheatre of Capua, Italy

Colosseum
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Theatre and Amphitheatre

Colosseum 70 - 72 A.D
“Colosseus” - colossal
Commenced by Vespasian
Flavian Amphitheatre
189 by 156 meters
50,000 spectators/seats
Gladiatorial Games and dramas,
reenactments, and public executions
“The Colosseum was used as a stone
quarry by the builders of later times,
materials being taken from it for the
construction of many Renaissance
buildings” - HOA, Fletcher

Parts of Colosseum
Cavea - Seats
Vomitorium - entrances and exits
Velarium - retractable awning(roof)
Hypogeum - underground
two-level below-ground network of
tunnels and 32 animal pen
80 vertical shafts

Pope Sixtus V
even suggested
that this space be
used as a wool
Factory
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Theatre and Amphitheatre

Theatre of Marcellus
Founded: 13 BC
Built by: Julius Ceasar
Used for: Hosting secular games
Religous celebration involving
sacrifices and theatrical
performances

Plan of Theatre of Marcellus

Theatre of Pompeii
Founded: 55 BC
Builder: Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus
First permanent stone theatre in rome

Amphitheatre of Pompeii
Founded: 70 BC
Built by: Vogus and Porcuis
Used for: Hosting circus shows, animals
hunts, and numerous types of battles.
 Roman Architecture HOA 1
Theatre and Amphitheatre

Circus Maximus
Founded: 599 BC
Built by: Vogus and Porcuis
Used for: Chariot Races
Largest chariot stadium in
ancient Rome
250,000 Capacity
621 x 118 meters

Difference of Greek and

Roman Architecture

Greek Roman
Refinement, beauty and Unity Impression of Vastness and
“Designers” Magnificence
Plans Purity and severity of outline Great Constructors
Origin of Columns Building on a large scale
The use of arch is avoided Aqueducts and bridges
Greek temples usually oriented Arch, vault and dome
facing east Use of recesses rectangular and
semicircular on plan

Large blocks of marble, without Constructed of small mean and

mortar
Coarse stone covered with stucco
Walls Stability was achieved, the use of
gravity
Anta, was employed at extremities
and angles of cella walls
course materials
Reduced into fragments and
bound together by mortar
Buildings were never perfectly
finished
Pilaster, roman development of
the greek Anta
 Roman Architecture
Summary
Difference of Greek and Roman Architecture
Greek
Columnar treatment for necessary
light and shade
Openings Doorways, squareheaded, cornice
supported by consoles
Windows were not used for
temples
Hypaethral openings (opening
of middle roof)
Elaborately constructed
Use of timber framing
Acroteria (decorative pedestal)
Roofs Coffered ceilings (group of
sunken panels)
Structural necessities
Orders never superimposed except
to interiors of temple
Tuscan Order, simplified form of
Columns doric
Doric Order, without a base,
plain
Ionic Order, scrolls showing two
sides only
Corinthian, little use, fluted
Composite Order, never use
HOA 1
Roman
Square-headed and circular
Window, two mullion piers
Arches, centering and supported
at the springing line
Noble Vaults and domes
Wooden coffered ceilings (houses
for rich)
Flat terrace roof - Vitruvius
Various geometric patterns,
octagons and square
Use to connection with the arch
Decorative manner, triumphal
arches
Pedestals are introduced
Tuscan Order, plain unfluted
column, simple
Doric Order, little use, they use
tuscan order
Ionic Order, scrolls showing on
each side
Corinthian Order, favorite of
romans, fluted or plain
Composite Order, invented by
the romans, corinthian style with
additional ornamentation.
(vollutes)
 Roman Architecture
Summary
Difference of Greek and Roman Architecture
Greek
Graceful contour
Undercut to produce fretted effect
Mouldings Greek dentils are far apart
Consoles used only as vertical
brackets to doorways
Ornamental sculpture used in the
tympana of the pediments,
Ornaments metopes and friezes
Temples were treated with color
Anthemion, or honeysuckle, a
motif of greek surface ornament
and was employed on cymarecta
mouldings
HOA 1
Roman
Ostentation replaces refinement
Dentils are close together of less
depth
Consoles use horizontally in
cornices and vertically keystones
to arches
Vault and floors, were executed in
mosaic
Ox-heads carved on roman
friezes
Marble cement covering the walls
and columns
Acanthus scroll with continuous
stem and spirals with rosettes or
grotesques