DISCUSSION ESSAY

Assignment: For this activity, you will examine the influence of Greek architectural design in one ancient Roman building, and then discuss the innovations of Roman design.

To prepare for this activity, do the following:

  • Choose a building that you feel incorporates elements from the Greek architectural orders, as well as arched forms that are typically Roman.
  • You may want to investigate outside sources to research the building further.

When writing your initial post, consider the following:

  • Identify your building.  What was its purpose?
  • What design elements originated with the Greek architectural orders?  Did the Roman architect alter the Greek elements in any way? If so, how?
  • What forms and building materials are specifically Roman?
  • What were the advantages of the Roman engineering?  How did the Roman architectural forms lend themselves to large-scale buildings?

In your responses, comment on a classmate’s analysis.  Is there anything you would add to their analysis? Why or why not? There is plenty to note in these typically complex structures, and more observations will give us a more complete picture.

 

Classmate 1 (Charles):

“For this week’s discussion I have chosen the city gate of Perugia, known as Porta Augusta or the Arch of Augustus.  It was constructed during the third century B.C. by the Etruscans.  The Etruscan Arch is made of chiseled stone and is one of the last pieces of Etruscan architecture that has survived time.  On the two walls of Perugia there are said to have been as many as 22 gates during in different styles and during different periods.  The Arch of Augustus’ passageway sits between two towers, with a decorative section that has roundels along with columnlike strips known as pilasters which are a borrowed styling of the Greeks.  The Etruscans borrowed the Doric order, which was coined as the “Tuscan Order” by Vitruvius.  “The Etruscans developed the Tuscan order by modifying the Doric order, adding a base under the shaft, which was often left unfluted. This system was subsequently adopted by the Romans. Later, the Romans created the Composite order by combining the volutes of Greek Ionic capitals with the acanthus leaves from the Corinthian order. (Stokstad & Cothren, 2017)”.

-Tyler

Reference

Stokstad, M., & Cothren, M. W. (2017). Art History (6th ed.). Pearson Education (US). https://ecampus.vitalsource.com/books/9780134485058

 

Classmate 2 (Andrew Wayne):

“The Pantheon is great example of a building that incorporates elements from Greek architectural orders as well as arched forms.  The Pantheon 110-128 ce. was built as a temple to Mars, Venus and the divine Julius Ceaser (Stokstad pg. 197).

The Greek influence of the Pantheon is the three rows of Corinthian columns at the entryway. The rows consist of eight columns in the front and two rows or four behind topped by a triangular pediment made from granite and marble (Craven, 2019).

The Pantheon’s construction of concrete and brick made it possible to be so large scale with its dome ceiling. The Romans really innovated the use of concrete in their construction and architectural creations. Concrete capitalized on cheaper relatively light materials that were easy to transport. The Romans would then use finer materials such as marble, stone or painted plaster to protect and add a nice veneer to the concrete, unlike the Greek’s who would accept the limitations of the material and not cover it (Stokstad pg. 198).

The Romans innovative use of concrete allowed for the construction of the huge dome, with 25-foot-thick concrete walls supporting the structure.  In addition to the corbeling techniques used in the construction of the dome, brick arches were built to support the weight of the upper walls and dome. The arches can still be seen on the exterior walls and are called “relieving arches” or “discharged arches”. They provided strength and support when niches were carved out of the interior walls (Craven, 2019).”

 

References

Stokstad, M., & Cothren, M. W. (2018). Art history. Pearson.

Craven, J. (2019, July 30). Why you should know about the pantheon in Rome. ThoughtCo. Retrieved February 9, 2023, from https://www.thoughtco.com/influencial-architecture-of-the-pantheon-177715