Ancient Rome

History:

Rome served as a catalyst in the sense of spreading art and civilization. It was the greatest power west of China during its time and also had complete control of commerce in the Mediterranean. Its rule extended from the Persian Gulf to Spain and North Africa to Britain. It assimilated cultures through its enhancement of buildings, transportation, and decoration. They had mastered the design of roads, improved the construction of the Greek lintel and post structure, and the varying styles of columns. One of the most important discoveries made by the Romans was concrete.

There was a major development of the arch, barrel, vault, and dome designs which were commonly displayed through many different architectural structures. They had religious structures such as tombs and temples; commerce and law buildings called basilicas; entertainment buildings like sporting events, concerts, circuses, and plays; as well as memorial structures to celebrate past victories.

One of the most well known Roman architectural designs was the Coliseum which was completed in 80 A.D. The prototype sports arena had the ability to seat as many as 50,000 attendants. It was built of primarily stone and concrete. It used arch and barrel vault in its design along with the use of the three different orders.

Another one of the most well known structures was the Parthenon in 126 A.D. The project was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa and later rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian. It had a prominent round temple with a dome. It was Roman portico. One of the most amazing things about it, is the fact that is is the largest un-reinforced concrete structure in the world. The Oculus is 142 ft in diameter and 142 ft high.

The Romans had two different types of dwellings: the insula for the lower class and the domus for the middle to upper class. The insula were some of the first apartment like structures. They were five to six stories above the first floor. The first floor was the predominant area for market shops. These dwellings were poorly built, there was no plumbing, poor lighting, and abundant heat from the stoves. The higher one lived in the complex the worse the settings. Landlords also typically added additional floors but constructed them in wood, making them firetraps. The Domus on the other hand were homes with a blank wall or an exterior with shops. They commonly contained a one room atrium, a tablinum, peristyle, and several private rooms.

 The interiors were commonly decorated with mosaics, stucco, and frescoes. There was a strong obsession with ornamentation. Patterns on the floors were also very popular. The most prominent colors used consisted of black, gilt, and red colors. Ceiling were vaulted or flat. The walls were also decorated with illusionistic paintings called Trompe l'oiel.

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Peer Reviews:

Paige S: I I reviewed Paige's blog and I really like how she primarily focused on the major different architectural forms in Rome by comparing them and their style. I also loved her example of the arch and barrel vault living design. The colors really depict the era.
Maggie: I also reviewed Maggie's Rome blog and she decided to focus more on the different styles of seat that were popular during this time period. I thought it was a good idea to compare it to the common applications today in order to show the evolution.

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