Draft

7.3Romans 135

Figure7.2:Archimed

conquerorof Syracuse.

7.3 Romans

10 Sciencemademuch lessprogressundertheRomansthanundertheGreeks. TheRomans

apparentlyweremorepractical,andwerenotas interestedin abstractthinkingthoughthey

wereexcellent ghtersandbuilders.

11 Astheromanempireexpanded,theRomansbuiltgreatroads(someof themstillin use)

such as theViaAppia,Cassia,Aurelia;Alsotheybuiltgreatbridges(such as thethirdof a

milebridgeover theRhinebuiltby Caesars),andstadium(Colliseum).

12 Oneof themostnotableRomanconstructionwas thePantheon, Fig. 7.3. It is thebest-

Figure7.3:Pantheon

preserved majorediceof ancient Romeandoneof themostsignicant buildingsin architectural

history. Inshape it is animmensecylinderconcealingeight piers,toppedwitha domeand

frontedby a rectangularcolonnadedporch. Thegreatvaulteddomeis 43 m (142ft) in diameter,

andtheentirestructureis lightedthroughoneaperture,calledanoculus, in thecenterof the

dome.ThePantheonwas erectedby theRomanemperorHadrianbetweenAD 118 and128.