HOA1 - Roman Architecture

Concrete

Most Important, Chief building material of Romans

Etruscan

• Earlier civilization

• Use of Radiating arch

• Introduced the Tuscan capital

• Were great builders, sails and skilled craftsmen

Roman

• Adopted archt’l style of Greeks

• Developed arch, vault & dome of the Etruscans

• Rise of Military dictatorship

Emperor

Head of administration, military commander in chief

Patricians

Rich and powerful people

Plebeians

Lower Class

Etruscan Architecture

• Emigrated from Asia Minor

• Elaborate burial cult linked with oriental customs

• Towns were fortified with stone walls

• Early use of true radiating arch

• Tuscan order

• Development of atrium

True

Temples were oriented to the south

Roman Architecture

• Adapted the columnar and trabeated style of the Greeks

• Developed arch and vaults

• Dome roofs for circular plans

Cross Vault

Intersection of two barrel vaults

Tuscan Order

• Influenced by the Doric Order

• Simplest

Composite Order

• Combination of Ionic and Corinthian Orders

Spur

Catches the thrusts of the main vaults where they are concentrated in pockets above the columnated pillars

Buttress

Used to avoid stress on walls

Pinnacle

Used to avoid oblique thrusts

Opus Tesselatum

Square Tescery

Opus Sectile

Cut into Shapes

Opus Spicatum

Paving streets set in herringbone pattern

Forum

Marketplace

Cella

• Sanctuary

• Used for treasure house and museum

Basilicas

• Hall of justice

• Assembly hall

• Commercial exchanges

• Rectangular in plan and twice as long as its width

Thermae

• Palatial public bath

• Raised on a high platform within an enclosed wall

Hypocaust

Furnaces underneath Thermae

Apodyterium

Parts of Thermae: Dressing Room

Sudarium

Parts of Thermae: Dry Sweating Room/ Hottest Room

Tepidarium

Parts of Thermae: Warm Baths

Calidarium

Parts of Thermae: Hot Baths

Frigidarium

Parts of Thermae: Cold Baths

Unctuaria

Parts of Thermae: Oils & Perfume room

Spaeresterium

Parts of Thermae: Game Room

Palaestra

Parts of Thermae: Physical exercise

Xystus

• Public park with avenues of trees

• Athletic sports took place

Amphitheater

• Elliptical in shape

• For races and gladiator combats

• “Theater on both sides”

Villa

Luxurious Country houses with terraces and gardens

Domus

Private house for rich roman people

Insula

Tenement dwelling for common roman people

Aqueducts

Erected for water supply

Balneum

Private bath in roman houses

Locus

Large basin of water

Salientes

Sprouting jets

The Pantheon

• Dedicated to all the gods

• Rotunda

• Now known as S. Maria Rotunda

143ft

The Pantheon’s internal diameter of ____ is equal to the distance from the floor to the highest point on the dome.

5

the Pantheon’s dome is coffered in ___ ranges

The Colosseum, Rome

Largest Amphitheater with 50,000 Capacity

Flavian Amphitheater

The Colosseum is also called ____________

Vespasian

Architect of The Colosseum

Apollodorus of Damascus

Architect of the Pantheon

Velarium

Awning for the Colosseum

Baths of Caracalla

Most impressive and romantic monuments in Ancient Rome

Thermae of Diocletian

Largest with capacity off 3,000

Basilica Emilia

Only surviving basilica of the Republican era

Forum of Trajan

Largest & Greatest of all Roman Forums

Temple of Vesta

Most sacred Roman Shrine

True

Greek Architecture: Trabeated ; Roman Architecture: Arcuated

True

Corinthian Order was the favorite of the Romans

True

Greek dentils are large, far apart ; Roman dentils are small, and close together

Lacunaria

Coffered Ceiling

Naumachiae

Naval battles

Pedestals

Romans introduced ____ on which they placed the columns to secure greater height

True

Pilaster was used decoratively on walls instead of half-columns

True

Roman temples, regardless of orientation faced the adjacent forum for accessibility

Spoila

Reused stuff

Basilica Maxentius and Constantine

• Largest building in Trajan’s forum

• Inspired Michelangelo in his design of St. Peter’s Basilica

Springline

A line at which an arch begins to curve

Impost

The masonry piece that one end of the arch sits on

Spandrel

Triangular area above and on either side of an arch

Stringcourse

Horizontal band on top of an arch

Keystone

The top stone of the arch and the most important one

Extrados

The exterior curve line of the arch

Intrados

The interior curve line of the arch

Voussoir

Wedge shaped stone used to build the arch

Crown

The top section of a curved arch

Haunch

The side of an arch, between the crown and the impost