When one thinks of Roman architecture, many things come to mind, such as arches, columns, statues, and richly covered surfaces in marbles. One must stop to think that this empire, which gained power and influence in the first century BC, must have been influenced from the thousands of years of cultures preceding them in order to create their masterpieces of ingenuity. This phenomenon can be seen in our borrowing of ideas of ancient Greece and Rome for the construction of our capitol buildings in the United States. The Romans surely considered design principles of other cultures when developing their buildings, since daily conquests of new lands opened Roman soldiers’ eyes to innovations from the great vastness of their empire. This philosophy of intuitive inspirations and design is most notable in the ruins of the Great Canopus and Serapeum of Emperor Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli, Italy. With inspirations from the East and Contemporary Rome, Hadrian was able to combine his own knowledge and interest in innovative design to create the most fabulous example of residential architecture that has, arguably, ever existed.
Hadrian was an avid traveller who spent a great deal of his time in the East and in numerous Roman settlements due to military conquests that he embarked on, prior to becoming ruler of the Roman Empire. Upon becoming the successor to Trajan, as Emperor of the Roman Empire, he set his sights on his passion for architecture in the construction of many notable buildings such as the Pantheon in Rome and his wall in Britain. Although a popular ruler, he still was unsatisfied with life and his safety in Rome, and decided to construct a residential complex for himself 24 km outside of Rome in Tibur, now Tivoli, Italy. In constr...
... middle of paper ...
... be noted in the Greek style colonnade around the lake, which features horizontal and arched lentils in an alternating fashion. This was not seen before in other Roman buildings, since either horizontal or arched openings were used in a series, but not usually mixed. Overall, the villa and Great Canopus feature contemporary (circa 120AD) Roman touches such as opus reticulatem as a wall dressing, and the use of arched openings and barrel vaulting. The use of ruble walls essentially made a huge difference between Hadrian’s Villa and the Greek and Egyptian counterparts from which he borrowed. In essence, due to its construction, the villa was heavily looted for its marble veneers made to resemble blocks of stone seen on Greek temples, but has withstood structurally due to the fact that overtime, Hadrian’s Villa simply cannot topple like a stacked stone structure.
...y report I was a bit behind and couldn’t clearly find much information while I was due in to hand in my research. I couldn’t rely much on some sites as they could have been edited and stated information that wasn’t relevant to what I was focusing on. Overall I learnt a lot while doing this research and I have better understanding of the Roman buildings and how the Roman society was in that time.
“Many European cities still bear reminders of the power of ancient Rome, and throughout the western world the influence of Roman power is still manifest.” “As the Roman Empire expanded Roman architects struggled to achieve two overriding aims: to demonstrate the grandeur and power of Rome, while also improving the life of their fellow citizens.” They held the Greeks in high regard for both their sculpture and architecture, learned stonework and pyramid architecture from the Egyptians, and absorbed important techniques from the Etruscans. To that end, the Romans perfected three architectural elements: concrete, the arch, and the vault. These three elements helped lighten the load carried by Roman structures while maintaining overall durability.
Wilson, R.J.A. “Roman Art and Architecture.” Oxford Illustrated History. Oxford U. Press, 1988. pp. 361-399
The Ancient Romans planned that public buildings should be made to have an impact on the public, as well as perform a public function. The Romans did not feel confined by Greek elegant principles alone in order to achieve these objectives.
The ancient Romans were skilled engineers and have left lasting contributions in this field. The Romans built a great network of roads connecting cities throughout their empire. They also built aqueducts and bridges using arches for support. The Roman arch design was by far the most important innovation of their time. The arch, however, would have been useless without the discovery of concrete. The Romans had many other such discoveries that would make their engineering skills known throughout the world.
The architectural vital to the Italian Renaissance traces its roots back to the ages of roman ancient times. The ancient Roman pursued to build architecture representations of the glories of their empire as they did so expand upon the earlier orders of Greek architecture of postal and lintel style and
Throughout history, there have been several significant architectural movements. The last, and perhaps most enduring movement is that of Classic Greece. Although for centuries, the architecture of ancient Greece has been admired, mimicked, and replicated, its beginnings are somewhat surprising to one unfamiliar with the history of the region. It is important to understand the history and mechanics of Classic Greek architecture in order to fully appreciate its form, function, and beauty. “Ancient Greek architects strove for the precision and excellence of workmanship that are the hallmarks of Greek art in general. The formulas they invented as early as the sixth century B.C. have influenced the architecture of the past two millennia” (metmuseum.org).
The two ancient civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome were the best of the best during their time periods. Ancient Greece began around 2000 B.C. by the inhabitants known as the Mycenaean’s, followed by the Minoans. The Minoans built the foundation of Greece. The Roman Empire was founded around 753 B.C. by the two twins, Romulus and Remus. Romulus ended up killing Remus and built the city of Rome on one of seven rolling hills. Architecture was very important to both civilizations and they were always trying to out due the other. The architectural style of the Ancient Greeks and Romans was overall constructed and used differently.
Boëthius, A., Ling, R., & Rasmussen, T. (1978). Etruscan and early Roman architecture. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Engineers and architects have the potential to considerably affect communities and very possibly the entire world. Through combining ideas, designs, and materials, they innovate and create structures and systems for people to utilize. Apollodorus of Damascus was a prominent master of architecture and engineering, as well as sculpture, during the 2nd century AD. He worked mostly during the reign of Roman Emperor Trajan, and lived up to Vitruvius’s standards regarding how architects should be highly skillful in all the arts. His work and designs have embodied the very foundations of the ascendancy of the Roman Empire, and they have set the basis from which following generations will synthesize.
The Greek culture has had a huge impact on the history of the world. There is something Greek in almost everything, especially in the world’s architecture. Greece no longer had one king, so they focused on building temples for their gods. Architecture began small and plain but evolved into impressive pieces of art. As time passed from the Archaic period to the Hellenistic period, the people of Greece developed a type of formula for their buildings and their pieces of art.
From the time of the ancient Greeks all the way to modern day, some part of humanity has almost always been interested in the past. For the ancient Greeks, it was discovering Mycenaean ruins and composing stories about them. Today, inspiration is still drawn from classical architecture. One has to look no further than the U.S. capitol building, or even the University of Michigan's Angell Hall to see remnants of this architectural style. This raises the question of why does it still persists? Logically, the best way to answer this is to examine the origins of classical architecture, and what it represented then and now. Furthermore, the study of ancient architecture can show insights into past civilizations which otherwise would have been lost.
The Roman Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is perhaps the most famous ancient landmark in the world. The Colosseum was the host to thousands of gladiatorial shows, mock naval battles, executions, and animal hunts. Today, the Colosseum still stands in the center of Rome, Italy, however, not quite as it used to be. Still, today, the Roman Colosseum is a large tourist attraction, thousands of tourists from all over the world still come to view this marveled arena. The Roman Colosseum has a rich history, and remains a prized possession of the Roman citizens.
Have you ever seen or visited the Capital building, Washington or amphitheater of Arlinton, Virginia or Cabin John bridge of Washington aqueduct? If an answer is yes, then have you ever think that how we come up with this type of buildings? These all buildings’ basic structures are based on the Greek and Roman cultures’ architecture. Historical records of Western culture in Europe begin with Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Roman culture was very inspired from the Greece culture and they had used very basic ideas to build buildings and temples, to portrait sculpture. They modernized and improved their architectures and sculptures in decorative way and made a separate image in the world.
As Nuttgens eloquently expressed, architecture is a “vital…expression of the experience of mankind.” It is more than just buildings used for storage, housing, religious purposes, simple functionality; it is a great manifestation of the commonality of man, the great connecting factor of humankind. However, it can be argued that the ancient and classic forms or architecture are in essence more “profound…lasting… [and] inexhaustible” than those of their modern counterparts, because of some key differences in the ways ancient and modern architecture are practiced.