CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE • “The Patria – Potestas”: or supreme power of the father, was

the foundation stone of family life, and out of their obedience to

authority, whether the head of the household, or to censors in
the state, the Romans developed their capacity as lawmakers
ROMAN ARCHITECTURE – Circa 300 B.C. – 365 A.D.
• Ancient Rome has adopted certain aspect of Ancient Greek
“one great civilization that at one time covered three continent” architecture, creating a new architectural style.

1. Geographical: • The Romans were indebted to the Etruscans who supplied them
with a wealth of knowledge essential for future architectural
• position of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea enabled Rome to
spread art and civilization over Europe, Western Asia and North solution such as in the construction of hydraulic arches.
Africa
• Roman first adopted the arch from the Etruscans
The Roman Empire
2. Geological: • Romans adopted the columnar and trabeated style of the
Greeks, and developed the arch and the vault from the
• they have suitable earth for making Tera-cotta and bricks
Etruscans
• building materials which led to the great structural innovation
was concrete, formed of stone or brick rubble and a mortar of
which the important ingredient was the puzzolana (a volcanic • The Romans added as Fourth and Fifth orders of Architecture,
earth, found in thick strata in and around Rome) the Tuscan and the Composite orders.

• The Tuscan is a simplified version of the Doric Order, about 7

diameters high, with base, un-fluted shaft, a simply molded
capital and with a plain entablature

3. Climatic:
• Central Italy - genial and sunny
• South Italy - tropical
• because of the variety of climatic condition, there is diversity of
architectural features and treatment

4. Religious:
• their polytheistic religion was the fusion of several cults but
owed most to the Etruscan.
• Many of the chief Roman gods were similar to the Greek gods

5. Historical:
• under Etruscan domination and ruled by Etruscan Kings, aided • The Composite Order combines the prominent volutes of the
by a form of popular embassy Ionic Order and the acanthus of the Corinthian on its capital;
• Etruscan supremacy began to decline and fall. the most decorative order of the five orders; shaft may be
• The Romans began to conquer peoples outside Italy fluted or plain
• wars affected the Roman personality and the constitutional
government
• social unbalance and class strife, acquisition of territories and
the beginning of Empire broke the system of government
• problems of maintaining large standing armies
• ineffective republican government led to military dictatorships
of which Julius Caesar is the most famous
• social life of the Romans revealed in their architecture

• thermae: for bathing and games

• circuses: for races
• amphitheatres: for gladiatorial contests
• theatres: for drama
• basilicas: for Lawsuits
• state temples: for religion
• apartment house or “DOMUS”: for family life
• forum - was everywhere the centre of public life and national
commerce
HEMISPHERICAL DOMES b. Imperial Forums

Hemispherical Domes or Cupolas: were used over circular

structures and semi-domes for exedra or semicircular recesses

Pantheon at Rome:
marble mosaics, infinite variety of geometrical and pictorial
patterns

c. Forum of Trajan

RECTANGULAR TEMPLES
• combination of Etruscan and Greek types
• were clear evidence of Roman ability to cover large spaces
without the aid of intermediate supports

pseudo-peripteral: the most characteristic which instead of side

colonnades, has half columns attached to the walls with a prostyle
portico in front; were simple structures
They were arranged in geometrical patterns of different varieties
(opus spicatum) and were used in this manner too for floors.
Temple of Fortuna, Virile
Opus Sectile consist of small pieces of different coloured
marbles.
Opus Spicatum Opus Sectile

• component parts of the concrete vary:

1. Lava was used for solid foundations
2. Tufa and brick for supporting walls
3. Pumice stone for the vaults to reduce their weight
4. Travertine blocks, set without mortar and held together with BASILICA
metal cramps were used in the facade • were the halls of Justice and Commercial exchanges, indicate
5. Marble was employed for the columns, seats and ornament their central position in the importance of law and business in
old Rome
BUTRESSES • link between classic and Christian architecture; simple &
unadorned exterior
• Three principal types of buttresses:
1. Hemicycle or Niche: best of all buttresses for retaining earth
2. Ordinary or Gothic: linking wall in which windows would be • Apse: the circular or multi-angular termination of a church
placed sanctuary
3. Pinnacle: placed on top of the sput buttresses to help by their •
weight to drive the oblique thrust more steeply down to earth • Nave: central aisle as opposed to the side aisles of the church
•
FORUMS • Deck(?): a raised platform
was a central open space used as a meeting-place, market, or •
rendezvous for political demonstrations • The Tribunal: opposite the entrance
a. Forum Romanum •
• The Altar: where the sacrifice was offered before transacting
business
Trajan Basilica • AMPITHEATRE
• for gladitorial contests
• The Coloseum Rome: commissioned by Emperor Vespasian;
biggest amphitheatre

CIRCUS
• Circus Maximus

THERMAE
• palatial public baths of Imperial Rome, portrayed the manners
and customs of pleasure-loving populace
• were resorted to for news and gossip, served like a modern club
• “aediles” - managed the thermae balloters
• three main parts of a thermae:
1. A great central structure
2. A large open space (park like enclosure planted w trees, etc.)
3. An outer ring of apartments (lecture rooms & exedrae for philosophers, etc.)
• Aqueduct: water supply / reservoir or thermae INSULAE
• Thermae at Caracalla

• the apartment block where ordinary people lived, poor quality,

build in tiber, mud bricks and later primitive concrete

TOMBS
• Romans practiced both cremation and internment thus
sarcophagi for the ashes are sometimes found in the same tomb
chamber
• Romans had five class of burial placed:
a. Coemeteria/Subterranean Vaults
contained both columbaria and Loculi
“Loculi” or recesses for corpses were sealed with a front
slab inscribed with their name
Sarcophagi often carved with figures and festoons
surmounted by lids like roofs for terminating in scolls
b. Monumental Tombs
c. Pyramidal Tombs
THEATRES
d. Temple-shaped Tombs
• for drama
e. Sculptured Memorials
• Roman Theatre at Orange

Mausoleum of Augustus