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The Roman Empire, founded by Augustus Caesar in 27 B.C. and lasting in Western Europe for 500 years,
reorganized for world politics and economics. Almost the entirety of the civilized world became a s
ingle centralized state. In place of Greek democracy, piety, and independence came Roman authoritari
anism and practicality. Vast prosperity resulted. Europe and the Mediterranean bloomed with trading
cities ten times the size of their predecessors with public amenities previously unheard of courts,
theaters, circuses, and public baths. And these were now large permanent masonry buildings as were t
he habitations, tall apartment houses covering whole city blocks.
This architectural
revolution brought about by the Romans required two innovations: the invention of a new building me
thod called concrete vaulting and the organization of labor and capital on a large scale so that hug
e projects could be executed quickly after the plans of a single master architect.
R
oman concrete was a fluid mixture of lime and small stones poured into the hollow centers of walls f
aced with brick or stone and over curved wooden molds, or forms, to span spaces as vaults. The Medit
erranean is an active volcanic region, and a spongy, light, tightly adhering stone called pozzolana
was used to produce a concrete that was both light and extremely strong.
The Romans had developed potsalana concrete about 100 B.C. but at first used it only for terrace w
alls and foundations. It apparently was emperor Nero who first used the material on a grand scale t
o rebuild a region of the city of Rome around his palace, the expansive Domus Aurea, after the great
fire of AD 64 which he said to have set. Here broad streets, regular blocks of masonry apartment ho
uses, and continuous colonnaded porticoes were erected according to a single plan and partially at s
tate expense. The Domus Aurea itself was a labyrinth of concrete vaulted rooms, many in complex geom
etric forms. An extensive garden with a lake and forest spread around it.
The archite
ct Severus seems to have been in charge of this great project. Emperors and emperors' architects suc
ceeding Nero and Severus continued and expanded their work of rebuilding and regularizing Rome. Vesp
asian (emperor AD 63-79) began the Colosseum. Which I have a model bad of. Built by prisoners from t
he Jewish wars the 50,000 Colosseum is one of the most intresting architectural feets of Rome. At i
ts opening in 80 A.D. the Colosseum was flooded by diverting the Tiber river about 10 kilometers to
renact a naval battel with over 3,000 participants. Domitian (81-96) rebuilt the Palatine Hill as a
huge palace of vaulted concrete designed by his architect Rabirius. Trajan (97-117) erected the exp
ansive forum that bears his name (designed by his architect Apollodorus) and a huge public bath. Had
rian (117-138) who served as his own architect, built the Pantheon as well as a villa the size of a
small city for himself at Tivoli. Later Caracalla (211-217) and Diocletian (284-305) erected two mam
moth baths that bear their names, and Maxentius (306-312) built a huge vaulted basilica, now called
the Basilica of Constantine.
The Baths of Caracalla have long been accepted as a summ
ation of Roman culture and engineering. It is a vast building, 360 by 702 feet (110 by 214 meters),
set in 50 acres (20 hectares) of gardens. It was one of a dozen establishments of similar size in an
cient Rome devoted to recreation and bathing. There were a 60- by 120-foot (18- by 36-meter) swimmin
g pool, hot and cold baths, gymnasia, a library, and game rooms. These rooms were of various geometr
ic shapes. The walls were thick, with recesses, corridors, and staircases cut into them. The buildin
g was entirely constructed of concrete with barrel, groined, and domical vaults spanning as far as 6
0 feet (18 meters) in many places. Inside, all the walls were covered with thin slabs of colored mar
ble or with painted stucco. The decorative forms of this coating were derived from Greek
The rebuilding of Rome set a pattern copied all over the empire. Nearby, the ruins
of Ostia, Rome's port (principally constructed in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD), reflect that model
. Farther away it reappears at Trier in northwestern Germany, at Autun in central France, at Antioch
in Syria, and at Timgad and Leptis Magna in North Africa. When political disintegration and barbari
an invasions disrupted the western part of the Roman Empire in the 4th century AD, new cities were f
ounded and built in concrete during short construction campaigns: Ravenna, the capital of the Wester
n Empire from 492-539, and Constantinople in Turkey, where the seat of the empire was moved by Const
antine in 330 and which continued thereafter to be the capital of the Eastern, or Byzantine, Empire.
Christian Rome. One important thing had changed by the time of the founding of Raven
na and Constantinople; after 313 this was the Christian Roman Empire. The principal challenge to the
imperial architects was now the construction of churches. These churches were large vaulted enclosu
res of interior space, unlike the temples of the Greeks and the pagan Romans that were mere statue-c
hambers set in open precincts. The earliest imperial churches in Rome, like the first church of St.
Peter's erected by Constantine from 333, were vast barns with wooden roofs supported on lines of col
umns. They resembled basilicas, which had carried on the Hellenistic style of columnar architecture.
Roman concrete vaulted construction was used in certain cases, for example, in the tomb church in R
ome of Constantine's daughter, Santa Costanza, of about 350. In the church of San Vitale in Ravenna,
erected in 526-547, this was expanded to the scale of a middle-sized church. Here a domed octagon 6
0 feet (18 meters) across is surrounded by a corridor, or aisle, and balcony 30 feet (9 meters) deep
. On each side a semicircular projection from the central space pushes outward to blend these spaces
together.roman empire founded augustus caesar lasting western europe years reorganized world politi
cs economics almost entirety civilized world became single centralized state place greek democracy p
iety independence came roman authoritarianism practicality vast prosperity resulted europe mediterra
nean bloomed with trading cities times size their predecessors with public amenities previously unhe
ard courts theaters circuses public baths these were large permanent masonry buildings were habitati
ons tall apartment houses covering whole city blocks this architectural revolution brought about rom
ans required innovations invention building method called concrete vaulting organization labor capit
al large scale that huge projects could executed quickly after plans single master architect roman c
oncrete fluid mixture lime small stones poured into hollow centers walls faced with brick stone over
curved wooden molds forms span spaces vaults mediterranean active volcanic region spongy light tigh
tly adhering stone called pozzolana used produce concrete that both light extremely strong romans de
veloped potsalana about first used only terrace walls foundations apparently emperor nero first used
material grand scale rebuild region city rome around palace expansive domus aurea after great fire
which said have here broad streets regular blocks masonry apartment houses continuous colonnaded por
ticoes were erected according single plan partially state expense domus aurea itself labyrinth vault
ed rooms many complex geometric forms extensive garden lake forest spread around architect severus s
eems have been charge this great project emperors emperors architects succeeding nero severus contin
ued expanded their work rebuilding regularizing rome vespasian emperor began colosseum which have mo
del built prisoners from jewish wars colosseum most intresting architectural feets rome opening colo
sseum flooded diverting tiber river about kilometers renact naval battel over participants domitian
rebuilt palatine hill huge palace vaulted designed architect rabirius trajan erected expansive forum
that bears name designed apollodorus huge public bath hadrian served built pantheon well villa size
small city himself tivoli later caracalla diocletian erected mammoth baths bear their names maxenti
us built vaulted basilica called basilica constantine baths caracalla long been accepted summation c
ulture engineering vast building feet meters acres hectares gardens dozen establishments similar siz
e ancient devoted recreation bathing there foot meter swimming pool cold gymnasia library game rooms
these rooms various geometric shapes walls thick recesses corridors staircases into them building e
ntirely constructed barrel groined domical vaults spanning feet meters many places inside covered th
in slabs colored marble painted stucco decorative forms this coating derived from greek rebuilding p
attern copied over empire nearby ruins ostia port principally constructed centuries reflect model fa
rther away reappears trier northwestern germany autun central france antioch syria timgad leptis mag
na north africa when political disintegration barbarian invasions disrupted western part empire cent
ury cities founded during short construction campaigns ravenna capital western from constantinople t
urkey where seat moved constantine which continued thereafter capital eastern byzantine christian im
portant thing changed time founding ravenna constantinople after christian principal challenge imper
ial architects construction churches these churches large enclosures interior space unlike temples g
reeks pagan romans mere statue chambers open precincts earliest imperial churches like first church
peter constantine vast barns wooden roofs supported lines columns they resembled basilicas carried h
ellenistic style columnar architecture construction certain cases example tomb church daughter santa
costanza church vitale ravenna expanded scale middle sized here domed octagon feet meters across su
rrounded corridor aisle balcony deep each side semicircular projection central space pushes outward
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