A PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE FORUM TRAJANUM, WITH THE TRAJAN'S COLUMN ON THE FAR LEFT

HISTORY OF ROMAN ARCHITECTURE

Roman Architecture covers the period from the establishment of Roman Republic in 509 BC to about 4th century AD, after which it became  reclassified as Late Antique or Byzantine Architecture. Most of many surviving examples are from the later period. Roman architecture style continued to influence buildings in the former empire for many centuries, and the style used in Western Europe beginning about 1000 is called Romanesque Architecture to reflect this dependence on basic Roman forms.

THE COLOSSEUM IN ROME, ITALY.

Factors such as wealth and high population densities in cities forced the ancient Romans to discover new architectural solutions of their own.Examples include the aqueducts of Rome, the Baths of Diocletian and the Baths of Caracalla, the basilicas and Colosseum.

The Roman Architectural Revolution, also known as the Concrete Revolution, was the widespread use in Roman architecture of the previously little-used architectural forms of the arch, vault, and dome. For the first time in history, their potential was fully exploited in the construction of a wide range of civil engineering structures, public buildings, and military facilities. These included amphitheatres, aqueducts, baths, bridges, circuses, dams, domes,harbours, and temples.

BRIEF ABOUT MY TOPIC

I chose Roman Architecture, but I named my blog Pax Romana as the Roman Architecture flourished throughout the Pax Romana era.

Pax Romana was a long period of peacefulness and expansion by Roman military force from 27 BC to 192 AD.
"ALL THE BUILDINGS MUST BE

EXECUTED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO 
TAKE ACCOUNT OF DURABILITY,
UTILITY AND BEAUTY."

Roman Architecture continued the legacy left by the earlier of the Greek world and the Roman respect for this tradition and their particular reverence for the established architectural orders, especially the Corinthian, is evident in many of their large public buildings.

However, the Romans were also great innovators and they quickly adopted new construction techniques, used new materials, and uniquely combined existing techniques with creative design to produce a whole range of new architectural structures such as the:

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  RESIDENTIAL HOUSING BLOCKS:
  

  Model of a Roman apartment building or Insula

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  GRANARY BUILDING:
  Vindolanda Roman fort.

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  AMPHITHEATRE:
  

  Colosseum, Rome, Italy. The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome. Built of concrete and stone, it is the largest amphitheatre ever built and is considered one of the greatest works of architecture and engineering

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MONUMENTAL AQUEDUCT:
The Aqueduct of Segovia is a Roman aqueduct and one of the most significant and best-preserved ancient monuments left on the Iberian Peninsula.

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  BASILICA:
  

  The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis in St. Louis, Missouri. Built in the Romano-Byzantine style, it contains one of the largest mosaic cycles in the world. 1912 - 1988.

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  TRIUMPHAL ARCH:
  

  The Forum, Rome, Italy

ABOUT PAX ROMANA- THE BLOG

Ancient Roman Architecture developed different aspects of ancient Greek architecture and newer technologies such as the arch and the dome to make a new architectural style.

Roman architecture flourished throughout the Empire during the Pax Romana. Its use of new materials, particularly concrete, was very important feature.

Hence i chose the topic Roman Architecture because, I fell so inspired by the beauty of the style.
I found real richness in the style of the Roman Architecture, the significant use of the vaults and arches, together with the sound knowledge of the materials.

The Arch of Septimius Severus in the ancient city of Leptis Magna - Libya - early 3rd century AD - note the broken pediment - this is highly innovative and rare in Roman architecture of the period