Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
1 Wayman, Erin. "The Secrets of Ancient Rome's Buildings." Smithsonian. Web. 4 Dec. 2014. <http://bit.ly/1u0sOUx>.
(Note: The exhibit is intended to have small scale models of all architecture, as well
as a large scale model of the Pyramid of Cestius. They are arranged in the following
way: large scale model, public places, vital structure to advancement of Rome,
places of worship, public works.)
(Note 2: The Colosseum was actually a picture I took when I was in Rome in 2013.
Upon going through my pictures, I realized my family and I took plenty of pictures of
random things but I did not have a picture of the Arch of Titus, the Circus Maximus,
or a non-personal shot of the Pantheon. I guess I will have to go back to get more
pictures!)
2
3
MacDonald, William L. The Architecture of the Roman Empire. Rev. ed. New Haven: Yale UP, 1982. Print.
Images, Photograph. "Pictures: New 7 Wonders vs. Ancient 7 Wonders." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 9
July 2007. Web. 3 Dec. 2014. <http://bit.ly/1sPHn29>.
Pyramid of Cestius
Claridge, Amanda, and Judith Toms. Rome: An Archaeological Guide. Madrid: Acento,
1999. Print.
Osborne, John. The Marvels of Rome. Toronto, Ont., Canada: Pontifical Institute of
Mediaeval Studies, 1987. Print.
Roman Forum
The Roman Forum, situated in the center of the city, is a rectangular piece of land
surrounded by Roman government buildings. It is often referred to as the center of
Roman public life and the most celebrated meeting place ever in the world. It is
here that elections were held, victories announced, speeches held, and criminal
trials were conducted. The forum was also a hub for commercial affairs.
The forum is vastly different from the forums that came after. While its successors
were planned, the Roman Forum developed gradually and organically. Public
buildings formed the outer edges of the forum, which left an open area that
measured 130 meters by 50 meters. The forum housed fountains, statues, and
multiple temples.
This piece of architecture is important because it is the last pieces of non-planned
architecture in the city. While other forums were meticulously planned, this forum
developed naturally, yet was still arguably the most successful piece of architecture
ever created by the Romans. Even without the use of concrete, Rome was able to
find success in architecture, although concrete would later help create some of the
greatest Roman architecture.
"The Roman Forum." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Web. 27 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.ancient.eu/article/26/>.
Watkin, David. The Roman Forum. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard UP, 2009. Print.
Forum of Augustus
Eck, Werner, and Deborah Lucas Schneider. The Age of Augustus. Malden, MA:
Blackwell, 2003. Print
Pont du Gard
Every civilization needs a source of clean water to thrive. Rome needed massive
amounts of clean water and their solution was a series of aqueducts, or bridges that
carried water from a source to an end point. The most impressive of these
aqueducts is a sections known as the Pont du Gard, part of the Nimes aqueduct. It
stands nearly 50 meters tall and is built of three tiers of arches. It is built completely
of limestone and was active from around 50 AD until the 6 th century.
The Pont du Gard is located in Vers-Pont-du-Gard, an administrative division in the
French Republic. It spans the Gardon River, reaching 160 feet into the air. It is
estimated that at its peak, this aqueduct carried 44 million gallons of water per day
to fountains, baths, and homes of citizens in the Nimes region.
Roman concrete is often credited as being the reason that many of their great works
existed. This entire bridge was built of limestone and had a gradient of 1 in 3,000,
showcasing the prowess of Romes great engineers and how precise architecture
and engineering had become in the first century AD. Even though concrete was
becoming popular at the time, this structure shows how flexible architects and
engineers were.
Hodge, A. Trevor. Roman Aqueducts & Water Supply. London: Duckworth, 1992.
Print.
Temple of Castor and Pollux
The Temple of Castor and Pollux, built in the heart of Rome, was dedicated in 484
BC in gratitude for a victory at the Battle of Lake Regillus. Before the battle, Roman
dictator Aulus Postumius Albus vowed to build a temple if the Romans were
victorious. Legend states that the twins of Zeus, Castor and Pollux, appeared on the
battlefield as horsemen. After winning the battle, it is said that the two appeared in
the Roman Forum to announce the victory.
Little is known about the original temple as it was reconstructed and enlarged in
117 BC. The temple was restored again in 73 BC, and was rebuilt in 6 AD after being
destroyed by a fire. According to history, the temple had eight Corinthian columns
on the shorter sides and eleven columns on the longer sides. There was a single
inner chamber with a podium outside. Shortly after dedication, the temple served as
a meeting place for the Roman Senate and a speakers platform. Since the 15 th
century, only three columns have continued standing.
Upon reconstruction of the temple, concrete was used to rebuild broken parts and
also enlarge the temple. The temple was a center for Roman senators and culture,
residing in the Roman Forum.
"Temple of Castor & Pollux." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.ancient.eu/article/632/>.
Salmon, Frank. 'Storming the Campo Vaccino': British Architects and the Antique
Buildings of Rome after Waterloo. 1995. Print.
Pantheon
The Pantheon is a
temple of worship that
was commissioned by
Marcus Agrippa during the Augustuss reign (27 BC 14 AD). It was rebuilt by
Emperor Hadrian in 126 AD. Today the temple still stands, although it served as a
place of Christian worship starting in 609. The temple is said to have been the
private temple for Agrippas personal worship.
The original building unfortunately burned to the ground in 80 AD, and was rebuilt
but destroyed again in 110 AD. Emperor Hadrian rebuilt the existing domed
structure in 126, and attributed it to Agrippa, the original builder. The building
features the inscription Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, made [this building] when
consul for the third time. In 609, Pope Boniface IV converted the Pantheon into a
Christian structure. Since that time, the Pantheon has been used as a burial
chamber and now serves as a church.
The most well-known feature of the Pantheon is its dome. According to the History
of Rome authored by Cassius Dio around 200 AD, the dome was done by the original
builder Agrippa, although it has widely become accepted that the concrete dome
was done by Hadrian and was not part of the original construction. The dome
weighs about 4,535 metric tons and the thickness of the dome varies from 21 feet
at the base to 4 feet near the hole at the top.
The outside of the temple features 24 columns that are nearly 40 feet tall and weigh
60 tons. Each column was quarried in Egypt at Mons Claudianus. The columns had
to be dragged over 700 meters through the streets of Rome after arriving from
Egypt. At the back of the porch area are niches for statues.
Concrete allowed builders to create one of the most breath taking buildings in all of
Rome today. Without concrete, the dome of the building would be impossible to
construct.
DuTemple, Lesley A. The Pantheon. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 2003. Print.
Kowski, Adam. The Temples of Mid-Republican Rome and Their Historical and
Topographical Context. Roma: "L'Erma" Di Bretschneider, 1992. Print.
Theatre of Pompey
"Theatrum Pompei." LacusCurtius The Theatre of Pompey (Platner & Ashby, 1929).
Web. 1 Dec. 2014. <http://bit.ly/1CNqfzD>.
Circus Maximus
The Circus Maximus is an ancient chariot racing stadium and mass entertainment
venue located in southern Rome. Situated in the southern part of Rome between the
Aventine and Palastine hills, it is the largest and oldest Roman stadium. It measures
612 meters by 118 meters and could seat nearly 150,000 people.
The Circus Maximus was originally nothing more than an agricultural landscape
with nothing more than turning posts, banks where spectators could sit, and some
shrines and sacred spots. Ancus Maricus, the first Etruscan King, provided wooden
seating for the upper class of Rome. His grandson Tarquinius the Proud provided the
first seating for commoners. It wasnt until 190s BC that permanent stone seating
was built, first for senators. Julius Caesar was the first emperor to add seats
spanning nearly the entire track in 50 BC. The inner third of the seating was for
senators and equites (knights). The rest of the seating was wooden structures for
the common class and non-citizens. Beneath the wooden seating were shops and
entry-ways. The commoner seating was damaged in a fire in 31 BC, and was
repaired and damaged by fire nearly a half dozen more times.
Founded in the Old Kingdom Era, the Circus Maximus now functions as a park after
centuries of unused. The grounds now are used for concerts and meetings. Fans of
local and national teams will often celebrate on the grounds as well.
Without the use of concrete, Rome still built a fantastic center of culture and
entertainment. Because the continued to use wood instead of all concrete seating,
you saw constant and massive destruction, including one massive breakdown which
killed 13,000 people.
Humphrey, John H. Roman Circuses: Arenas for Chariot Racing. Berkeley: U of
California, 1986. Print.
Colosseum
The
Colosseum,
located in central Rome and just east of the Roman Forum, is one of the greatest
works of Roman architecture and engineering. Built of Roman concrete and stone, it
is the largest amphitheater of the Roman Empire and is still the largest in the world.
It is listed as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World by the New Open World
Corporation. The Colosseum received its unofficial name from the colossal statue of
Nero nearby. The original name was Amphitheatrum Flavium.
Construction began in 70 AD by Vespasian, but it wasnt finished until 80 AD under
Titus. Domitian also made major modifications to the building. The Colosseum was
originally used for gladiatorial contests and public entertainment such as sea
battles, executions, theatre, animal hunts, and re-enactments of famous battles. It
is estimated that it could seat between 50,000 and 75,000 people.
The Colosseum is best known for its barrel vaulted, crumbling walls and the ancient
stories of gladiator battles. The entire structure measures at 189 meters long and
156 meters wide, with a base area of 24,000 square meters. The height of the outer
wall measures at 48 meters tall. The interior looks very similar to a current sports
stadium, and had special boxes at the north and south ends for the Emperor and
others. Senators sat behind the Emperor. The false floor allowed for tunnels to be
carved in the center of the stadium, which housed gladiators and animals.
Construction on the Forum of Augustus took 18 years. With concrete, the Colosseum
only took 10 years and still stands today. Roman concrete became a corner stone of
the society and allowed them to create many of the famous works that still stand
today.
Hopkins, Keith, and Mary Beard. The Colosseum. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard UP,
2005. Print.
Personal trip to Rome. August 2013.
Arch of Titus
MacDonald, William L. The Architecture of the Roman Empire. Rev. ed. New Haven:
Yale UP, 1982. Print.
Woodward, Christopher. Rome. Manchester: Manchester UP :, 1995. Print.