Roman architects were normally known to be successors of the Greek legacy of architectural work. The large buildings designed by the Romans showcased that the Romans respected this art that was founded by the Greeks. On the other hand, Romans were also talented in creating imperial monuments by using new techniques, quality materials, and styles. This paper uses the basilica and amphitheatre types of imperial monuments to illustrate the materials, techniques, and styles of Roman architecture.
The Basilica was rectangular and regarded as a vital place of high respect in Rome. They serve as the places of justice and commercial purposes. For instance, the Basilica had a raised semi-circular extension, which was set aside for the judiciary officials. The Romans were experts in truss construction, an art which made it possible for them to make a basilica a trussed roof structure instead of a dome (Anderson, 1997). The Roman architects embraced a simpler and plain exterior design that was cost-effective as opposed to normal Roman architecture. In AD 310-313, Constantine’s type of Basilica was 265 feet in length by 80 feet in width (Anderson, 1997).
Furthermore, as time rolled, more changes commenced to take root in the field of construction and architecture; hence, intersecting vaults connected to the pier and a 43 forerunner was made part and parcel in the design of the Constantine-type of Basilica. Basilica, as a business premises, booted the entire Roman economy and the per-capita income of the country. On the other hand, it serves a wonderful purpose in law enactment, enforcement, and application and facilitating the whole judiciary system. Notably, this imperial monument depicted a low-standard picture of an empire due to its simplicity in design (Anderson, 1997).
The amphitheatre was an outdoor imperial monument which was used for entertainment purposes and was usually known as the stadium in the modern era. The amphitheatre had an independent design that was purely a Roman invention, not an upgraded Greek design. The construction of the amphitheatre took a compact shape with long tiers of seats in an approximately 44-round space. Notably, this monument was incorporated into the Roman lifestyle and was constructed in all Empires. Also, in AD 81, the most luxurious and famous type of amphitheatre called the Colosseum, was completed after almost thirteen years of construction (Sear, 2002). Colosseum’s outer walls were 619 feet by 515 feet and had 289 feet by 178 feet base; these approximated measurements made an accommodative arena enough for the entertainment role (Sear, 2002).
Moreover, the space provided by the Colosseum had a raised floor with seats where dignitaries like Emperors and other political leaders of the country occupied, and the remaining space was enough to accommodate not more than 49000 people. Also, the architectural design of the Colosseum was well-praised by the Romans since its construction utilized all the materials available to the Empire. For example, the walls were made from a combination of tufa stone and hard bricks supported by a concrete foundation. The seats for the very important people and spectators were made from travertine blocks reinforced by metal clamps, which were comprised of façade and marble (Sear, 2002).
In conclusion, Roman’s architectural capability to construct magnificent imperial monuments stands the test of depicting a true and convincing picture, which leads to the conclusion that Rome had a strong combination of Empire, economic power, creativity, and innovation in practice.
References
Anderson, J. C. (1997). Roman architecture and society. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Sear, F. (2002). Roman architecture. Routledge.
