Architecture of Ancient Rome

Although Ancient Rome was not the first of great, influential nations, it was undoubtedly of the greatest. The people of Rome had many significant achievements which continue to exist in our modern day living. Even today, the remains of ancient Roman structures are looked at with awe. The Romans didn’t only build beautiful structures, but also practical ones. The sewer systems, aqueducts, bridges, roads, and arches were of the first of their kind in the category of public structures, if not the very first. The Romans created some of the greatest buildings of the ancient world; however, many ideas for these buildings were based on other countries’ previous developments in architecture. The Coliseum is a common example. The Roman people had many influences, some of the greatest being the Greeks and the Etruscans. The Roman Coliseum was derived from the Greek amphitheatre, as the Coliseum’s design may suggest. (Source)

One invention which enabled the Romans to expand their architectural capabilities was their development of concrete. Concrete was used for walls, domes, vaulted roofs, and etcetera. Of the earlier inventions of Rome were roads and bridges. As Rome’s territories expanded, so did the necessity of communications. The Roman roads were a perfect solution for linking the outer colonies to larger vicinities of civilization. Another of the famed Roman inventions was aqueducts and sewage systems. The aqueducts enabled moderately clean water to be transported throughout the regions and provinces of Rome. (Source)