Transcript Roman Buildings and Monuments

Chapter 9.2
 Roman
emperors were constantly building
and rebuilding their cities of their empire.
 As
long as there was money to do so, the
emperors had baths, circuses, forums, and
amphitheaters for the enjoyment of the
people.
 By
providing these enjoyments the emperor
hoped to maintain popularity.
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Baths were among the most
popular public buildings.
Baths = vast enclosed
structures that contained
libraries, lecture rooms,
gymnasiums, shops,
restaurants, and pleasant
walkways.
These features made the
baths a social and cultural
center as well as a place
for hygiene.
In many ways they are like
the shopping center of
today.
• Most famous bath built by the emperor Caracalla.
•Sprawled over 30 acres and included a bath house that
measured 750 ft x 380 ft.
•A huge central hall was spanned with concrete groin
vaults.
 Groin Vault
= formed
when two barrel vaults
meets at right angle
 Allowed
builders to cover
a very large area.
 Allowed
the placement of
windows which barrel
vaults could not allow.
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Although Romans
enjoyed many
kinds of sports but
chariot races were
easily the favorite.
As many as 150,000
people would
attend chariot
races held at the
Circus Maximus.
Circus Maximus, Rome
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Almost as popular as the
chariot races were the
armed contests.
Covers over 6 acres
It lays in ruins because
past rulers carried off
stone from the building
to construct new
buildings.
The three different styles
of columns can be seen
on each of the levels.
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80 arched opening allow
visitors to enter and exit the
Colosseum so efficiently that it
could be emptied in minutes.
Once could accommodate
50,000 people
Beneath the floors of the
Colosseum were
compartments and passages
serving as a place to cage the
animals, barracks for
gladiators, rooms to house
machinery used to raise and
lower the stage sets and
performers.
 Romans
revived the Etruscan spectacle in
which slaves were pitted against each other
in the battle to the death in front of
hundreds of spectators.
 Not
all Romans approved of the battles but
they were so popular that they feared to say
anything.
 As
many as 5,000 pairs of gladiators would
fight and up to 11,000 animals would be
killed each day.
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Roman emperors had great community pride,
and in addition to providing buildings of leisure,
they built public squares and civic centers.
Magnificent structures were built including
meeting halls, temples to the Roman gods,
markets, and basilicas.
Architects and engineers combined their talents
to erect huge buildings that were not only
structurally sound but also beautifully designed.
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Designed as a temple
dedicated to all of the
Roman gods but later
converted to a Christian
church.
The building has been in
continuous use since it
would built.
Made of brick and
concrete the dome rises
144 feet above the floor.
The diameter is also 144
feet.
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The inside is divided in to three
sections.
First – the lowest has 7 niches
that contain statues or alters
dedicated to the Roman gods of
the heavens.
Niche = recesses in the wall
Second – contains the 12 signs
of the Zodiac
Third –the dome represents the
heavens and is covered in
coffers which supply decoration
but also lessen the weight of the
dome.
Coffers = indented panels
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The interior is well illuminated although
there are no windows
 Walls
up to 20 feet thick are needed to
support the massive dome.
A
30 ft opening allows sunlight to light the
interior of the dome.
 To
solve the problem that rain posed, the
floor is slightly raised allowing water to run
down a drain in the middle of the floor.
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Basilica = a spacious,
rectangular building
made to hold a large
number of people, built
by the Romans
Combined many of the
architectural advances
that the Romans had
made.
They served as models
for generations of
Christian church
builders.
St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome Italy
 Rows
of slender
columns divide the
space in to what is
called the nave.
 Nave
= a long, wide
center aisle
 The
roof over the
center isle is usually
taller to allow for the
addition of windows
to let in light
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Romans loved celebrations and
often marked military victories
by building a monument to the
victory
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triumphal arch = a heavily
decorated arch
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The Arch of Constantine is the
most famous of these arches.
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The important generals and
officers would walk through
the middle arch while foot
solders would march through
the smaller side arches.
 Baths
= vast enclosed structures that
contained libraries, lecture rooms,
gymnasiums, shops, restaurants, and
pleasant walkways
 Groin Vault
= formed when two barrel vaults
meets at right angles
 Nave
= a long, wide center aisle
 Triumphal
Arch = a heavily decorated arch
 The
Baths of Caracalla
 The Pantheon (Interior and Exterior)
 Floor Plan of a Basilica
 The Colleseum
 The Circus Maximus
 The Arch of Constantine