Analysis of Ancient Roman Architecture

Ancient Rome is well recognised for its potential to produce large, dense and complex network of infrastructure ranging from roads, aqueducts, bridges, baths, and temples. The Romans were impressive builders and some of the structures built by the Romans that still stand up to this day exhibit this. Large infrastructure was one of the fundamental aspects that allowed the Roman Empire to maintain its expansive territory; roads allowing the free movement of goods, information and troops, the sewers and freshwater systems enabling the growth of large populations. Thus, with these benefits, the Roman empire began to flourish and sparked a golden age of technological advancement and architectural development.

Under the Roman empire, city development followed the grid plan based framework adopted from late Greek cities of the Hellenistic period. Roman cities had two major roads, the Cardo Maximus, the main street running through the north-south and the Decumanus, running east-west, serving as a secondary street, emphasised in the ancient Roman city of Timgad (figure 1), which was a common aspect of Roman cities. In essence, the Cardo Maximus and Decumanus played an integral part of city planning, but also served as a central hub for economic life and business.

Furthermore, the Roman grid-based city plan transitioned towards an urban plan by the first century B.C.E. However, it was not planned entirely in advance during the development of Rome. On the other hand, by superseding grid-based plan, an urban plan was a more flexible solution resulting in a more elaborate and organic ‘plan’ that allowed Rome to expand, improve and grow in splendour (Evans, 2017, p.24-5).

Thus theatres, public buildings, basilicas, temples, libraries, and amphitheatres were sprinkled all across the urban fabric of the city so that every building was surrounded by a public structure (Kostof, 1991, p.214).

Albeit, Rome did suffer from urban issues, most of which was the gap between the wealthy and poor. The vast majority of Roman citizens were poor and lived in multi-storey flats or apartments known as Insulae (figure 2), which were simplistic buildings that only provided at best a maximum of 2 rooms with no indoor plumbing; therefore, the poor had to commute to public baths to get a supply of water.

On the other hand, the rich lived in single storey private houses called Domus, consisting of multiple rooms, lavishly laid out walls, gardens and courtyards surrounding the atrium (figure 3) which was the large central hall of the Domus.

The Roman forum was an oblong space adapted from the Greek agora, located near the intersection of the Cardo Maximus and Decumanus whereas the theatre and amphitheatre were located at the perimeter of the city, wrapped around by fortified city walls. The forum was mainly composed of public buildings such as baths, temples of worship, civic centres and administrative buildings, enclosed by colonnades and either a town hall or a basilica. This was because of the Roman propensity to enclose public buildings, for example, the classical Greek theatre’s evolution that initially began as an open structure (figure 4), however, it was improved upon by the Romans into an enclosed theatre (figure 5) through the combination of the auditorium and stage (Wheeler, 1964, pp.111-2).

How Do You Ensure Paper Quality?

Every paper goes through a rigorous quality check—grammar, structure, and originality are verified by editors using advanced tools, ensuring it meets your professors standards. We also provide a free originality report with every order. Our multi-layer review process includes subject experts who verify content accuracy and academic rigor. Our commitment to excellence guarantees a polished final product. Students seeking my assignment help receive thoroughly vetted work at every stage.

Public buildings were adorned with sculptures, paintings, and fountains that were used as a source of civic pride for the Roman public. As a result, the forum became the focal point of business, social existence and the centre of political debate amongst the people of the empire and politicians.

Can I Track My Orders Progress?

Yes! Log into your account to check real-time updates, view drafts, and communicate with your writer to stay in the loop throughout the process. Our transparent tracking system keeps you informed at every milestone. You can also request early drafts to ensure everything is on track. The assignment writer assigned to your project provides regular progress updates for peace of mind.

Roman temples such as the Maison Carrée, Nimes (16 B.C.E.) (figure 6) were considered the home of the gods as Roman religion played an important part of Roman society. People went to temples to worship and pray to a multitude of deities such as Jupiter, Juno, Venus and Mars amongst many other main gods.

The Roman theatre, amphitheatre and Hippodrome provided Roman society with an abundance of entertainment. Amphitheatres such as the Coliseum (figure 7) was the home of violence presented in many forms. Entertainment ranged from gladiatorial fights, executions, wild animal fights and the occasional naval battles that required the Coliseum to be flooded, in front of 50,000 spectators from different social classes arranged on stands that the Coliseum was able to house. Therefore, the Coliseum became a public spectacle to a society that loved blood and could decide the fate of the loser but also reflected the social stratification of Roman society.

Whereas the Circus Maximus offered a different kind of entertainment that was chariot racing in front of a maximum capacity 250,000 people that were as famous as the events held at the Coliseum. Even though society loved watching fights and races, however, some members of the public were opposed to the idea of watching fighters die for entertainment at the Coliseum. Thus, the theatre was the ideal alternative to the Coliseum and the Circus Maximus, where plays were held.

Roman baths were considered as an essential requirement for day-to-day life in Rome. The Roman practice of Bathing was initially a Greek tradition; that gained popularity amongst Roman society during the second century B.C.E. Moreover, due to the popularity that baths gained, it highlighted the requirement for a centrally based bath complex within the urban structure of every Roman city as more Roman cities began to emerge, epitomised by the city of Bath that gained its name for its Roman bath complex.

By the early third century C.E., Eleven main aqueducts supplied the city of Rome on average 190,000 cubic meters of water daily to homes, public and private baths, which had to be provided and distributed via a system of pipes made from either clay or lead. The aqueduct in Segovia, Spain, built in the second Century CE is still being used today. Whereas the Pont du Gard that is part of the aqueduct de Nimes (figure 8) is probably regarded by many architects and engineers as the most impressive aqueduct built by the Romans, standing at a total height of 48.77 metres, shows the skill and complexity that Roman engineers were able to attain.

What Types of Papers Do You Handle?

From essays to dissertations, case studies to lab reports, we cover all academic papers across disciplines, customized to your specific needs. Our writers are experts in diverse fields, ensuring every paper is tailored perfectly. Whether you need humanities analysis or STEM technical writing, our team has the expertise. No task is too big or small for our team. Research study bay professionals tackle everything from simple assignments to complex scholarly work.

Despite water being supplied to Roman baths and houses via a system of pipes, fees were charged in accordance to the pipe’s size, the larger the pipe, the higher the tax. Therefore, for personal hygiene, Roman citizens went to local baths such as the baths of Caracalla (figure 9), known for its complex functionality, sophistication and immense size. Romans were able to bathe for a small fee; however, Roman baths also became areas of social interchange where gatherings gossiped and conversed about current events or to discuss business matters while getting clean at the same time.

Some Roman structures have survived the test of time and still reside within the urban fabric today, many of these have been changed, repurposed and modernised into urban forms within the city and have contributed to the formation of cities. The Roman amphitheatre turned into a public circular square in Lucca, Diocletian palace that became the centre of Split in Croatia, which was a palace with walls that became the ‘downtown’ of the city since the collapse of the roman empire. Furthermore, piazza Navona was built on the site of the stadium of Domitian, the amphitheatre and basilica having significant influence on Western architecture.

To conclude the Romans were a sociable society that transformed the legacy of Greek architecture into their vision, a vision turned into an art form and embodied in many cities today. Despite Roman architecture being around for millennia, it is one of the most influential architectural styles that became a source of inspiration for many architects throughout time.

Bibliography:

Can You Provide a Bibliography?

Yes, every paper includes a properly formatted bibliography, tailored to your citation style, with credible sources to support your work. Our writers ensure every reference is accurate and up-to-date. We work with APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other major citation formats for academic precision. You can also request specific sources to be included. Research essay service includes comprehensive bibliographies with peer-reviewed academic sources.

Kuilman, M. (2010). QA596 – The city of Timgad in Algeria. [image] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/quadralectics/4361584827/in/photostream/ [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017].

Collony, P. and Dodge, H. (1998). Remains of a insula in the Capitol hill, in Rome (II century a. C.). Photography from CONNOLLY, Peter y DODGE, Hazel: La Ciudad Antigua. La vida en la Atenas y Roma clásicas, Madrid, 1998.. [image] Available at: http://www.catedu.es/aragonromano/images/insulac2.jpg [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017].

Bazzani, L. (1882). : A Pompeian Interior oil on panel Dahesh Museum of Art. [image] Available at: http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2008/pompeii/images/atrium_int_large.jpg [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017].

Twinningblog, (2008). Greek Theatre. [image] Available at: https://twinningblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/t-greco.jpg [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017].

What Is Your Experience with Academic Levels?

Our writers handle high school to Ph.D.-level papers, with expertise in crafting content that aligns with the complexity and expectations of each level. From simple essays to complex dissertations, we deliver quality every time. Each academic level requires different depths of analysis, and our writers adjust accordingly. Your academic success is our mission. Students at every educational stage can ace my homework with our specialized level-appropriate support.

Twinningblog, (2008). Roman theatre. [image] Available at: https://twinningblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/roman-theatre1.jpg [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017].

Robert, H. (1787). The Maison Carée, the Arenas and the Magne Tower in Nimes. [image] Available at: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Hubert_Robert_-_The_Maison_Car%C3%A9e%2C_the_Arenas_and_the_Magne_Tower_in_Nimes_-_WGA19601.jpg/612px-Hubert_Robert_-_The_Maison_Car%C3%A9e%2C_the_Arenas_and_the_Magne_Tower_in_Nimes_-_WGA19601.jpg [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017].

Granger, (2014). Colosseum: Cross-section. [image] Available at: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-icVVTe7uLeA/TyHbBA9tasI/AAAAAAAAE7k/UWnt4CwKQgc/s400/colosseum-cross-section.jpg [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017].

Emanuele, (2007). Pont du Gard. [image] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/1566294527 [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017].

Can You Help with Presentations?

Sure thing! We create compelling slides and scripts for presentations, designed to engage your audience and meet academic standards. Our team ensures your presentation is visually appealing and content-rich. We balance visual design with substantive content to maximize your presentation impact. Just share your requirements, and we will handle the rest. Assessment help extends beyond written work to professional presentation materials.

Alma-Tadema, L. (1899). The Baths Of Caracalla. [image] Available at: https://uploads1.wikiart.org/images/alma-tadema-lawrence/the-baths-of-caracalla-1899.jpg!Large.jpg [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017].

Dudley, D. (1991). Roman society. Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Evans, G. (2017). Cultural planning : an urban renaissance. London: Routledge.

Gates, C. (2004). The archaeology of urban life in the ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece, and Rome. London: Routledge.

Hodge, A. (2002). Roman aqueducts & water supply. London: Duckworth.

How Do You Handle Sensitive Topics?

We approach sensitive topics with care, ensuring confidentiality and respectful handling, with writers trained to maintain academic integrity. Your privacy is guaranteed, and we tailor content to be thoughtful and professional. Our experience with controversial subjects ensures balanced, scholarly perspectives that meet ethical standards. Share any specific guidelines to ensure a perfect fit. Essay writer experts handle delicate subjects with academic rigor and sensitivity.

Kostof, S. and Richard, T. (1991). The City Shaped: Urban Patterns and Meanings Through History. London: Thames and Hudson.

Macaulay, D. (1975). City : A Story of Roman Planning and Construction. London: Collins.

Perez de Arce, R. (2017). Urban Transformations and the Architecture of Additions. [ebook] London: Routledge, p.xvi-ii. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=CX09BAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [Accessed 3 Jan. 2017].

Rykwert, J. (1976). The idea of a town. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.

Vitruvius Pollio., Schofield, R. and Tavernor, R. (2009). On architecture. London: Penguin Books.

Can I Request a Draft Before Completion?

Yes, you can request a partial draft to review progress and provide feedback, ensuring the final paper aligns with your vision. This keeps you in control of the process. Progressive delivery allows you to guide the direction and make adjustments early. Simply message your writer through your account to arrange it. My assignment help includes draft reviews so you stay involved throughout the writing journey.

Watkin, D. (2009). The Roman Forum. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.

Wheeler, M. (1964). Roman art and architecture. London: Thames and Hudson.

Yourcenar, M. (2000). Memoirs of Hadrian. London: Penguin.