Lecture 9 Architecture of Ancient Rome Acanthus plant and Corinthian order capital comparable to Ionic order Ancient Rome o Rome was influenced by Etruscans and Greeks o Rome was a city a city state finally an empire o Rome was founded in 753BCE April 21st o As it expanded it adopted cultural elements from other civilization Contrast with Ancient China isolated from cultural exchange Etruscan culture o Tomb writing and sarcophagus rock tomb o Etruscan king was kicked out by Roman Republic of Rome Little remaining of temples Absorbed cultural influence from Middle East Egypt and Greece Burial sites were large Underground tombs carved out from stones Originally ornamented with paint Fire clay terracotta used extensively and survived Arch of Augustus Perugia o In Italy o Built by Etruscans o True arch Double arch Semi circular smaller one on top Two arches separated by a ornamented shield and pilaster o Romans built their empire on infrastructure o How true arch differ from corbelled arch It s based on a system of mutual pressure Developed Etruscans and fully exploited by Romans Advantages over corbelled arch Long wider span allowed Strong support for stuff above it Disadvantage Needs wooden framework wood centering or scaffolding for Aqueducts water carrier support o Carry the water supply o Impressive system of subterranean and above ground channels o Aqueduct supported by the aqueduct bridge o Seen in French arch refer to Pont du Gard Pont du Gard Nimes France o 3 tiers of arches o Water channel in the highest tier o Still intact o No cement used only gravity is holding things together Temple of Diana Concrete o Used technology to build interior building o Ashlar masonry block individual cut stone o Also exploited by Romans o Allowed Romans to build solid infrastructure all over their Mediterranean world Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia o Ramps terraces lead to small temple semi circular o True arch concrete City planning o City of Rome Grow from an archaic city Little imposed urban order o Roman colonial cities Planned Clear architectural order Castrum camp Cardo and decumanus principal cross streets Grid plan of the Roman camp still visible in modern map Plan of Roman Timgad in North Africa o Different from elongated block in Greek system but chopped into smaller blocks o Forum o Theatre o Grid system still visible in ruins of Timgad Similar to Stoas built in Athens but only columns remained colonnades Colonnade rows of columns supported the horizontal lintels or arches o Triumphal gate Erected to celebrate military victory of military leaders emperors Typical in Roman city plan Pompeii o Volcano eruption Major destruction Ashes covered the city o Excavated and lots of structures were kept intact frozen in time o Wealthy resort town o Gives us a lot of evidence of Roman planning and designing o Living stock well preserved o Was originally a Greek settlement long linear block o Forum and area near sea gate shows Roman imprint Civic center Basilica Forum at the intersection of crossing arterial streets Much greater interior space than Greek stoa o Streets lined with sidewalk multi story buildings with shops at street level and dwelling unit above common in Roman cities o Shops open onto streets o Counters stove in the picture Plan of city plan of house o Roman house Inward looking house Shops often integrated with the interior block dwellers had interior access to shops o 2 main housing types 1 Domus Single courtyard house single family o Atrium formal entry courtyard with pool for rain water o Tablinium passageway and meeting space for guests o Peristyle private courtyard o Impluvium pool capture rain water Triclinium formed by three benches where Romans lie on and dine Peristyle 2 Insula o Typical of Roman Pompeii o Courtyard with columns Multi family apartment house o Ground level house o Form around the courtyard Roman Fora civic heart of Rome Lecture 10 Republican Imperial Rome and its Colonies Republican Rome o Modest unpretentious city o Governed by an elective group of officials Imperial Rome o Monumental o Great scale History o Archaic Rome 8 7th BCE Unimpressive swampy Capitoline where city state was located Palatine Hills Rome s most famous hills Rome city of 7 hills Founder of Rome Romulus The city has wall surrounded the Palatine hill The city expanded beyond the outer boundaries of the wall Durable infrastructure girded the empire Rome s wall still extant Draining o Roman engineers drained the marshes o Cloaca Maxima Still drains the Forum Romanum Roman Forum Stone arched channel Simple drainage at the very beginning Demonstrates the ability to turn the low land into an occupiable Also brought pipes Roads o Carefully engineered road o Vast road network in the Roman territory o Demonstration of high level to technology and engineering Allows military travel and centralized control vs China the great wall provided military transport and power control Roman Forum o Similar to an agora found in Greek Pompeii o Civic center heart of Rome o Governmental control commercial religion o No longer in function now used for tourism Buildings no longer standing Structures in this Forum senate house Triumphal arch basilica temples The forum was defined by the buildings around it Sacred way ceremonial route to Capitoline hill Forum doesn t have strict building form o Emperors expanded the Forum o Axially arranged o Repeating element of For a wall enclosure open courtyard lined by colonnade Imperial Forum basilica and temple at the end of axis Elements aligned on an axis o Forum of Trajan Biggest bigger than all the others add together Apollodorus of Damascus designed the Forum Column of Trajan Trajan s tomb Center of courtyard statue of Trajan Basilica Ulpia heart of the Forum of Trajan Ulpia Trajan s family name Large scale and ornamented to impress Basilica Multi functioning commercial governmental Columns forming a ring It was like a Greek stoa function wise But Romans focused on building more interior enclosing features Post and lintel Central rectangular enclosing aisle 2 stories of columns Standard basilica in a grand scale nothing novel it was just built in a grander scale Has access to see the column of Trajan o Column of Trajan o Markets Originally Trajan s tomb stored his remains Memorative column commemorate his military victory over Dacians Continuous spiral band of relief sculpture Semi circle Next to the Forum of Trajan Complex of shops offices halls 2 story shop