Download W/Sheet 5 – ROMAN ARCHITECTURE Watch this video on Roman

W/Sheet 5 – ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
Watch this video on Roman advances in architecture and engineering (transcript on the same web page) and complete the
following points:
1. What are the similarities between Roman Architecture and Greek Architecture?
The similarities between Roman Architecture and Greek Architecture are in style. The Romans used the same columns, the same sculptural
decorations and many of the same forms as the Greek.
2. What are the differences?
The differences are more practical than stylistic. The Romans copied Greek forms but used different techniques and materials.
3. Rome’ s distinctive architecture was the direct result of 5 main inventions. Can you name them?
The five main Roman’s inventions are: cement, brick and mortar masonry, concrete, the arch and aqueducts.
4. For each of the 5 inventions, write a definition and some interesting information in the table below:
1. Cement
2.Brick and Mortar
3. Concrete
4. The Arch
5. Aqueducts
Definition
Definition
Definition
Definition
Definition
A blend of lime, volcanic
A building technique in
It is a mixture of
It is built from a lot
ash or pulverized stone
which small, fired bricks
cement and gravel
and water.
are held together by
which can be poured
mortar.
into forms. Concrete
Information
Information
Information
The greatest and
most distinctly Roman
architecture example
is the arch. It is built
from two posts,
connected by a stone
arch. It is a curved
masonry construction.
Information
Cement is essentially,
liquid rock which dries
into a solid. Cement also
bonds to any materials
touching it.
If a Greek wanted to
The implications of
Arches redistribute
The Romans used
build something huge, he
concrete are massive.
the weight of the load
arches everywhere.
had to use huge blocks of
With concrete you
they're bearing. The
Their most obvious
stone to build it as all
can, essentially, make
force is spread over a
application was
previous architectural
a stone of any shape
larger area, so it is
the aqueduct. These
was as strong and
durable as stone.
of arches for
transporting water
into cities.
Information
styles depended on
and size you want.
also passed from
huge, elevated
friction and gravity to
Also, you can make it
stone to stone, all the
channels could carry
hold their structure
out of small materials.
way down to the posts. water hundreds of
together. Brick and
With concrete, you
The Roman arch was
miles across rolling
mortar masonry allowed
can build almost
incredibly strong and
terrain, while
the Romans to build large,
anything, and it will be
durable. In fact,
maintaining a steady,
durable structures out of
water-proof, strong
arches are often the
gradual slope from
small, cheap, local
and practically
only thing still
their source to their
materials.
permanent. Indeed
standing in a Roman
destination. Aqueducts
(Infatti), many Roman
ruin. The Romans did
brought fresh running
structures are still
not exactly invent the
water to Roman cities,
standing a thousand
arch. People had been
allowing the roman to
years later. This is
using arches to hold up build fountains and
partially because
ceilings in tunnels and
baths even in the
Roman concrete, with
tombs for quite some
driest regions. Roman
its high volcanic ash
time, and there may
aqueducts are among
content, is actually
be evidence that some
the most enduring
more durable and
cultures may have
legacies (eredita’) of
resistant to
used the arch to build
their mighty Empire.
weathering
gates in their walls.
There are many
(degradazione dal
What the Romans did
European cities that
tempo) than the
was to perfect this
still depend on Roman
concrete we make and
underground
aqueducts for their
use today.
technology and make it water.
main trend. The Roman
arch reached its apex
in the Colosseum.