Rome is considered the greatest power west of China. It served as a catalyst in spreading art and civilization, and they controlled commerce in the western mediterranean sea. Romes style was inspired by that of Greece, although they did come up with various aspects of life on their own. Those being: transportation, buildings, columns, extravagant ornamentation in furniture, vault and dome, and the discovery of concrete. They also had major developments of the arch, barrel vault, and domes. The structures that the Romans built served many different purposes such as: Religious, Law, Entertainment, and Memorial purposes. One of their greatest buildings was the Coliseum. The Coliseum seats 50,000 people, and is made up of concrete and stone. This monument is considered the prototype for all modern sports arenas, and was the location of gladiator fights as well as cultural events.
Another great monument was the Pantheon, it was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa, and rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian. It is a round temple with a dome, and it contains a very unique piece called the oculus. The oculus is 142 feet in diameter, and 142 feet high and contains the only lighting for this structure. This is considered the worlds largest un-reinforced concrete domes of the world. Virtuvius is the first architect that we know of, during 80 BC-15 BC. He was an architect, civil engineer, author, and military engineer. He believed that a structure must be solid, useful and beautiful. One of the best examples of vitruvian architect is the Maison Carree. The Maison Carree was located in the south of France and was built in 16 BC, and was also renovated by Marcus Agrippa.
There were various different residential dwellings for the Romans. There were the Insulas, which were large buildings that were mainly for the poor, Domus which were private town homes for the wealthy, and Villas, which were country houses for the wealthy as well. The Romans had an obsession with ornamentation, and the interior design during this time was mosaics, stucco, and frescoes. The floors were full of popular patterns, with black, gilt, and red colors. Furniture during this time was also very unique. It was primarily made of wood, metal , and stone. Their seats consisted of thrones, chairs, couches, and stools.
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Extra Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDEgr7d_wyM
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