Roman Architecture Research Paper

This essay is to discuss the development of concrete and the arch in Roman history, this essay will also focus on the importance of each in the life of Rome and the results of the use of concrete and the arch.

The Roman architecture was very different from anything else that had been invented before. The Egyptians, Greeks and even the Persians all had amazing architecture. The grandeur of their buildings was largely external. Buildings in the Roman history were designed to be impressive when they were viewed from the outside because their architects had to rely on the buildings post-and-lintel system. This means they had to use two upright posts that were similar to columns. This was made up of a horizontal block, known as a lintel that was laid flat across the top. An example of this will be in the photo below. An example of post and lintel architecture: Hera II, Paestum, c. 460 B.C.E. (Classical period), tufa, 24.26 x 59.98 m

The Romans did not invent the arch that has been used so much in their architecture. The development of the arch however allowed them to fully use it to their advantage for resolving situations that required the cost of expensive labor.

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The based the different forms of the column and the capital which was placed on top and then proceed to add a hybrid of their own which was called a Composite. How the Romans were able to create their ambitious architectural creations was due to the creation of concrete. The Romans create concrete with the material called pozzolana and this was a chocolate colored volcanic earth that was found near the Greek settlement of Puteoli and later on in time was discovered in huge quantities around Rome. The Romans knowledge of materials and techniques allowed them to be able to create circular temples and the most famous one is called the