1. Roman Architecture and
More!

2. How did it Begin?
• The Romans achieved originality in
building very late in their existence.
• Roman architecture was very much like
that of Greece, aside from the contribution
of the arch, and its later three-dimensional
counterpart, the dome.

3. The Roman ColosseumThe Roman Colosseum
 Over 160 ft high with eighty
entrances. (76 for spectators
and 4 for the emperor.)
 The Colosseum could empty
out in 5 minutes.
 The Colosseum could hold
up to 50,000 spectators.
 Public events such as
gladiator fights, mock naval
battles (some dispute the
naval battles) and wild
animal hunts were held at
the Colosseum.

4. The Roman ColosseumThe Roman Colosseum
Although it
survives only
as a ruin, it still
rates as one of
the finest
examples of
Roman
architecture
and
engineering.

5. Roman Aqueducts
• Of the 260 miles
of the aqueduct
system, only 30
miles were visible
to the people of
Rome.
• Aqueducts were
a way to get
water to major
cities.

6. Roman CatacombsRoman Catacombs
 Ancient ChristianAncient Christian
underground burialunderground burial
places near Rome,places near Rome,
Italy.Italy.

7. The PantheonThe Pantheon
Originally built as a temple.Originally built as a temple.
It is the best-preserved of all Roman buildingsIt is the best-preserved of all Roman buildings
and the oldest important building in the worldand the oldest important building in the world
with its original roof intact. It has been inwith its original roof intact. It has been in
continuous use throughout its history.continuous use throughout its history.
Dome

8. The Roman Forum
 The Roman Forum was the central area around
which ancient Rome developed. This is where
commerce, business, and the administration of
justice took place.
Notice the columns

9. Circus MaximusCircus Maximus
 Designed to holdDesigned to hold
horse and chariothorse and chariot
racing.racing.
 It could hold up toIt could hold up to
250,000 people250,000 people
(1/4 the population(1/4 the population
of Rome).of Rome).
 The track couldThe track could
hold 12 chariots.hold 12 chariots.

10. Roman - Triumphal - Arch
• Most triumphal
arches were built
during the Roman
Empire.
• By the 4th century
C.E., 36 triumphal
arches were
recorded as existing
in Rome. Only five
now survive.

11. Roman ArtRoman Art
 Curiously, althoughCuriously, although
examples of Romanexamples of Roman
sculptures, paintings,sculptures, paintings,
buildings, andbuildings, and
decorative artsdecorative arts
survive in greatsurvive in great
numbers, few namesnumbers, few names
of Roman artists andof Roman artists and
architects arearchitects are
recorded.recorded.

12. Language and WritingLanguage and Writing
• The Roman alphabet was derived largely fromThe Roman alphabet was derived largely from
the Greek and was almost the same as the onethe Greek and was almost the same as the one
we use today.we use today.
• During the early Roman Empire, aDuring the early Roman Empire, a
revolutionary change in the form of books andrevolutionary change in the form of books and
other written records was taking place.other written records was taking place.
• The changeover from books in the form of aThe changeover from books in the form of a
rolled manuscript to a book that was boundrolled manuscript to a book that was bound
along one edge.along one edge.

13. Roman GovernmentRoman Government
 The Romans never had a writtenThe Romans never had a written
constitution, but their form of theirconstitution, but their form of their
government, roughly parallels the moderngovernment, roughly parallels the modern
American division of executive, legislative,American division of executive, legislative,
and judicial branchesand judicial branches