Roman architectural and artistic development

The Romans were best known for their architecture and art. The Romans brought a lot of new ideas to architecture. The three most important were the arch, the baked brick, and the use of cement and concrete. Brick and cement were used for arches to build a new forum with a big column in it. This technique also helped elaborate market building that is the source of modern shopping malls. Roman architecture is more reflected in the development of engineering skills and secular monuments than the ideas of gods then that of the Greek architecture. They introduced new ways to construct a more efficient building and also a entirely different purpose for the building to be built. They build their temples more as for the public and they believed their was a purpose behind architecture.

The Romans learned much of their architectural techniques by the Greeks and the Etruscans. They used many natural materials to form plaster and brick to make their structures and buildings. Once Ancient Rome became a dominating world power their architecture began to grow. One of the architectural techniques that came into use was the arch and vault. These helped in the building of the amphitheater, monumental avenue, and public baths. Aqueducts were channels made of brick or stone that were designed to carry water to a location. Rome didn't have the first aqueduct of the world, but it was the only major city that was supplied with water and therefore they were most famous for them. Public baths were also an important part of Roman life. The baths generally had dressing room suites and bathing chambers with hot, warm, and cold water.

The Romans were very well known for their roads and bridges and no other society have done better. The Romans original intented to build roads for military use. As the Romans conquered new territories, roads were built to allow the soldiers to travel throughout the empire quickly. The roads were generally constructed in four layers. The top layer consisted of a pavement of flat, hard stones, concrete or pebbles that were set in mortar. These roads were usually constructed in straight lines but sometimes they were constructed in a curve. The bridges that the Romans constructed were just as remarkable as their roads. When the arch was developed it made bridges easier to build and many are still in use today.

Romans were also well known for their artistic abilities. They used designed many mosaics and sculptures. The Romans art consisted of many different cultures like the Etruscans, Greeks, and even the Egyptians. Mosaics were pictures made by an artist that was made out of stone and many other hard pieces of natural items. The rich families were usually the ones who had their houses decorated in sculptures and mosaics. The Romans used other cultures ideas and from there added on to them. They seemed as a very moderate society. (Adkins)

The Emperor Hadrian was responsible for the Pantheon which was one of the most influential buildings in western architecture. Hadrian transformed the traditional Roman temple into a structure employing architecture and concrete. It best exemplifies the importance of Roman architecture. Hadrian was strongly influenced by Greek culture and many of the temples were dedicated to the gods. Roman architecture was almost an exact copy of that of Greece. There were three types of designs that were used with concrete and they were the Doric, Corinthian, and the Ionic. The use of concrete allowed marble to be used and it made it easier to build temples and it was much better then using stone. The concrete that the Romans used is used today and is most relevant throughout our world today. (Bookrags)

ONLINE BOOK http://www.bookrags.com/wiki/Roman_architecture (Bookrags)
Adkins, Lesley and Roy A. "Handbook to Life In Ancient Rome". Oxford University Press Inc. 1994. New York.
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