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Roman Empire The Roman Empire made a successful attempt at uniting the ancient world under one ruler and one ruling body. The Empire extended from the Tigris and Euphrates River valleys to the Thames in England; it went from the Rhine in Germany to Egypt itself. The empire established a system of roads that linked the vast reaches. The influence of this Empire can be seen in models for government, the law and architecture. The Romans left significant remains and more importantly, substantive architecture throughout its empire. They used their architecture to serve the Empire; each structure became a visual example of the imperial might and strength of Rome itself. The Romans were very aware of the impact of this kind of visual statement; they constructed roads to every corner of the Empire to serve the indigenous populations, but also to remind these peoples of the grandeur that was Rome. *A Roman provincial city, Timgad, illustrates the Roman need to build. This was a city that became a living example of the Empire, and even reflected the military might of the Roman Legion by its very design. The city is laid out as a Roman military camp.
The Roman world spread from England to the Persian Gulf and in between they constructed magnificent monuments, buildings and infrastructure all over the Empire. We can see how far reaching their scope of thought was and the wide-ranging types of buildings they built and climates they built in.
This corner of the Forum Romanum was the heart of the Empire. The Golden milestone from which all distances were measured was in this area. The entire forum was added to over the course of hundreds of years. The three columns on the left belong to the temple of the Deified Vespasian, late 1st c. AD. The arch is the Arch of Septimius Severus (21 m h.), AD 203, is the point where the Via Sacra triumphal route turned and headed up the Capitoline to the Temple of Jupiter behind the viewer. The Curia Julia, or senate house, can be seen behind the arch. Julius Caesar started it in about 50 BC, completed in 20s BC by Augusts. The base of the rostra, the public speaking platform is between the arch and columns on the right, is also of early date. The columns on the right are the remains of the Temple of Saturn, one of the earliest temples in the forum, the foundations of which date from 498 B.C.
From left to right, the Temple of Saturn, in the distance and just right of the columns are the columns of the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina (an Emperor and Empress), from the second century A.D. Now a church occupies that temple. Directly in front of that, are the remains of the Temple of the Divine Julius Caesar, 1st c. B.C. In the far distance is the Colosseum, in front of which is a church on top of the former Temple of Venus built by Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century. The three small columns and wall next to the trees in the center is what is left of the Temple of Vesta, rebuilt numerous times from the early days of Rome. The arch in the distance is the Arch of Titus, 1st c., and the three large columns are the remains of the Temple of Castor and Pollux, rebuilt over foundations of the early 5th c. B.C. Directly in front on the right, the line of column bases is the remains of the Basilica Julia (by Julius Caesar).
The triumphal Arch of Septimius Severus (20x25m) was erected in 203 AD in memory of the glorious victories of the Mesopotamian campaigns, illustrated in the reliefs. The Emperor Septimius Severus (193-211 A.D.) restored stability to the Roman empire after the tumultuous reign of the emperor Commodus and the civil wars that erupted in the wake of Commodus' murder.
The Roman Temple of Diana (1st century A.D.) was once part of the Roman Forum.Portugal
This beautiful gate belongs to the city of Goddess of love, named as Aphrodisias. The ornamental gate is called Tetrapylon constructed in the middle of the 2nd century. It was repaired and re-erected in 1990. Turkey
This is the arena in the ancient city of Aphrodisias. It was totally excavated and brought to this level. There are still excavations going on. This ancient city is not well represented as it deserves. Goddess of Love, Turkey
Situed in Basque country, the Roman's fort place dominates Navarre and Soule provinces, France.
Hadrian's Wall was allegedly built by the Roman emperor Hadrian to keep the barbarian tribes ofmodern day Great Britain separate from the Romans. Construction was ordered around 112 CE, and the wall measures 73 modern miles (80 Roman miles) long.
Amphitheater of Nimes, France, the late 1st or early 2nd century. The amphitheater of Nimes, still used for bullfights. The other existent amphitheaters (amphithetrum) in Roman period are Colloseum in Rome, amphitheaters of Verona in Italy, amphitheaters of Arles in France etc.
Amphitheater of Nimes, France, Nimes; the late 1st or early 2nd century. The amphitheater of Nimes, still used for bullfights. The other existent amphitheaters (amphithetrum) in Roman period are Colloseum in Rome, amphitheaters of Verona in Italy, amphitheaters of Arles in France etc.
The impressive ruins of the largest colosseum in North Africa, a huge amphitheatre which could hold up to 35,000 spectators, are found in the small village of El Jem. This 3rd-century monument illustrates the grandeur and extent of Imperial Rome. Tunisia.
The abandoned Roman town of Volubilis, the largest and best preserved Roman ruins in Morocco.
A Roman provincial city, Timgad, illustrates the Roman need to build. This was a city that became a living example of the Empire, and even reflected the military might of the Roman Legion by its very design. The city is laid out as a Roman military camp. RUINS OF TIMGAD, Algeria Apsidal market stalls with insulae; Arch of Trajan in background.
Ara Pacis Augustae, Rome, 13-9 BC (view from the southwest) . Marble, 10.48 m x 11.58 m.
Ara Pacis Augustae, Rome, 13-9 BC (view from the southwest) . Marble, 10.48 m x 11.58 m.
Ara Pacis Augustae: detail of long R. wall and rear angle, 13-9 B.C. Allegory of Peace. Relief on east side of the Ara Pacis, 160 cm high.
Ara Pacis Augustae: detail - calyx scroll panel - relief from R. front - 13-9 B.C. Marble.
Gemma Augustae. (The Apotheosis of Augustus) Early 1st c. Onyx, 19x23 cm. Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna
Maison Carree: exterior, view from NE. ca. 20 B.C. Nimes, France.
Pont-du-Gard Aquaduct, near Nîmes, France, c. 19-14 BC. 49 m high. It brings water to Nîmes from natural springs some 48 km away. The voussoirs that make up one arch weigh up to 6 tons. They were precisely cut to standard measurements, shaped and smoothed, and then fitted into place without mortar or clamps.
Topmost course, originally covered with lead-lined water channel. ca. 19 - 14 A.D
Roman Aqueduct, end of 1st to early 2nd century CE (but no date is recorded in Roman sources). One of the greatest surviving monuments of Roman engineering, this aqueduct stretches from the walls of the old town to the edges of Sierra de Guadarrama. It is about 2950 feet long although the section where the arches are divided in two levels is about 30 m. Segovia, Spain.
It is made of rough-hewn massive granite blocks, joined without mortar or clamps. The sections in two tiers are 35m h.
The aqueducts and bridges in Roman period exist in Rome, Merida, Segovia, Tarragon in Spain and Nimes in France.Pont du Gard in Nimes is one of the famous one which preserve original style of Augustus era. Now the bridge exists about 300m long, 49m above of the river. The bottom arches, which spans are 15.75m to 21.5m, are about 155m long, 20m high. On the top of the bottom arches is a 7m wide road which has expanded for the trafic of cars in 1743. The middle arches are same spans of the bottom arches and the length is about 265m in total. The height of middle part is about 21m and width is 5m.On the top of the 35 small arches, about 8.5m high 3m wide, support the waterway. There was only 17m fall from the headwaters to Nimes and that meant the incline was 34cm per 1km.
Museo della Civiltà Romana. Model of the imperial Rome. Colosseum area from the north. The temple of Claudius in the background, the eastern part of Forum Romanum on the right. Photograph from 1999.
Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheater): arena interior - view through entrance passage - 70-82 A.D.
Colosseum, Rome 72-80 CE model/section
Museo della Civiltà Romana. Model of the Colosseum from the south. Photograph from 1999
Model of the imperial Rome. General view from the north. Photograph from 1999.
Museo della Civiltà Romana. Model of the imperial Rome. Campus Martius and the area of Pantheon from the south-west. The theatre of Pompeius in the foreground. Photograph from 1999.
Museo della Civiltà Romana. Model of the imperial Rome. Capitolium from the south. Photograph from 1999.
Museo della Civiltà Romana. Model of the imperial Rome. The terms of Dicoletian from the south-east. Photograph from 1999.
Museo della Civiltà Romana. Reconstruction of a library. Photograph from 1999.
Museo della Civiltà Romana. Private house. Photograph from 1999.
The Arch of Titus from outside the Forum after 81 CE, marble, reliefs about 7' 10" H The triumphal arch, with only one passageway, commemorates Titus' conquest of Judea which ended the Jewish Wars (66-70).
Relief of The Spoils of the Jerusalem, 81 A.D. The scene depicts the triumphal procession with the booty from the temple at Jerusalem--the sacred Menorah, the Table of the Shewbread shown at an angle, and the silver trumpets which called the Jews to Rosh Hashanah. The bearers of the booty wear laurel crowns and those carrying the candlestick have pillows on their shoulders. Placards in the background explain the spoils or the victories Titus won.These few figures stand for hundreds in the actual procession.
Relief of The Triumph of Titus, This scene depicts the actual triumphal procession with the toga-clad Titus in the chariot, but with the addition of allegorical figures--the winged Victory riding in the chariot with Titus who places a wreathe on his head, the goddess leading the horses identified by some scholars as Roma, others as Valor [Virtus]), and the semi-nude Genius of the People.
