Roman Buildings

Arch of Dolabella

Arch of Janus

Arch of Septimius Severus

Arch of Titus

Photos courtesy and ©1997  Leo Curran,  Maecenas: Images of Ancient Greece and Rome

The Romans invented concrete. The concrete was poured into wooden forms or molds. Due to these molds, arches could be built. The Romans used concrete arches to construct great buildings like the Colosseum. The concrete was also used to create domes like the Pantheon. They also used concrete to build the underwater port facilities at Caesarea in Israel.

The Romans built thousands of miles of roads. All of these roads connected the Roman Empire. The Romans invented the milestone. These gave the mileage to the nearest large city.

The Romans built aqueducts to bring fresh water from springs into the city. Most of the aqueducts were built underground, however, in some places above ground channels were needed. The water was carried through lead pipes. This required mining and transporting the lead from mines in Spain. What was extraordinary about the aqueduct is they were completely operational without pumps.

Another accomplishment of the Romans were the massive walls that were built around the Roman cities. Both inner and outer walls were constructed. The inner wall was the tallest so attackers could not fire into the town. The outer wall was several feet below ground to make tunneling under it difficult. A gatehouse was built so people had to pass through to enter the city. The gatehouse housed soldiers, weapons, and food.

Pza. Bocca della Verità, with temples of Vesta (or Hercules Victor) and Fortuna Virilis (or Portunus)

Photo courtesy and ©1997  Leo Curran,  Maecenas: Images of Ancient Greece and Rome

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Timeline of Roman Buildings

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