A Guide to Classical Roman Architecture

Famous Examples

• The Pantheon in Rome
• The Colosseum in Rome
• The buildings of Pompeii

What and Where?

Classical Roman architecture can be found all over the Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. (Click here for a map of the Roman Empire on Smarthistory). Building types include basilicas (public gathering spaces), triumphal arches, amphitheaters, private homes, temples, bridges, baths, and palaces. A few are have survived completely intact, mainly because they were adapted for later, Christian uses. Classical Roman architecture was built for about a millennium starting around 500 BCE.

Key Features

• Classical Roman architecture contains many similar elements to classical Greek architecture, so it would be helpful to familiarize yourself with that first. What follows are some key differences.
• Architecture was often designed on a very large scale.
• Building materials include marble, stone, concrete, brick, and stucco.
• Classical Roman architecture, unlike its more rectilinear Greek counterpart, uses a lot of arches, vaults, and domes. The basic post-and-lintel construction is no longer the only option. These elements allowed for bigger interior spaces and more windows.
• Decoration includes architectural relief sculpture, fresco (on the interior), and colored marble. Instead of the simplicity seen in Greek architecture, classical Roman buildings tend to be more heavily decorated.

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Background

Ancient Rome began in 509 BCE as a republic governed by a senate of adult male citizens. This ended in 31 BCE, when Augustus proclaimed himself emperor. He ushered in the Roman Empire and two hundred years of relative peace. The massive empire endured for a total of four-and-a-half centuries. It eventually began to collapse due to internal tensions and split into an eastern and western empire in the fourth century CE. The western half was overrun by invaders from the north and officially ended in 476 CE.

Underlying Ideas

• The Romans learned about ancient Greece architecture through Hellenization and used Greek architectural ideas as their own jumping-off point.
• They also picked up ideas from the Etruscans who previously inhabited Rome. You can learn about Etruscan civilization at Ancient History Encyclopedia.
• The development of concrete changed everything. Concrete is lighter and more versatile than other building materials. It can take on many different shapes and doesn’t require as much support as stone does.
• Classical Roman architecture was the first to use the arch, another game changer. An arch transfers all of its weight to its supporting columns, so there doesn’t need to be any wall between the columns. This means that buildings using arches can have more windows and larger uninterrupted interior spaces than those with flat roofs on supports (post-and-lintel construction).
• Like the Greeks, the ancient Romans placed a lot of importance on worshipping their gods.* They built temples and other structures dedicated to them.
• Commissioning major architectural works was a good way for Roman Emperors to demonstrate wealthy, power, and glory. The iconography of their commissions often aimed to legitimize the reigns of those who had acquired power through conflict (as many of them did).
• Colonization spread Roman architecture far and wide, since Roman colonies got suites of Roman-style buildings.
• Romans loved a good spectacle – in a building, an entertainment, anything.
• By the end of the Roman Empire, Christianity was the official religion.
• In the fourth century CE, the Roman Empire split into two halves. The western half, centered in Rome, wasn’t long for the world. The eastern half, with its capitol in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey), lasted for more than another millennium. It’s typically called the Byzantine Empire, but it would have seen itself as Roman.

Why You Should Care

Much like its Greek predecessor, classical Roman architecture has had a lasting impact on western architecture. If you want to understand pretty much anything that’s happened through to the present day, this is a good place to start. Well-known buildings and forms directly influenced by classical Roman architecture include:

• The Arc de Triomphe in Paris
• Sports and concert arenas like Madison Square Garden
• The United States Capital in Washington D.C.
• St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome (see Renaissance Architecture)
• Notre Dame in Paris and Christian churches in general (see Gothic Architecture)
• Pretty much anything with a domed roof
• Anything made of concrete (though the recipe for concrete was lost and had to be reinvented).

Resources

• Cartwright, Mark. “Roman Architecture.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. Last modified October 05, 2013.
• Dr. Jessica Leay Ambler, “An introduction to ancient Roman architecture,” in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015, accessed December 18, 2017.
• The British Museum, “Introduction to ancient Rome,” in Smarthistory, March 1, 2017, accessed December 14, 2017.
• Dr. Jeffrey A. Becker, “Forum Romanum (The Roman Forum),” in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015, accessed December 15, 2017.
• Cragoe, Carol Davidson. How to Read Architecture: A crash course in architectural styles. New York: Rizzoli, 2008.
• Department of Greek and Roman Art. “The Roman Republic.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. (October 2000)
• Lightfoot, Christopher. “The Roman Empire (27 B.C.–393 A.D.).” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. (October 2000).