And that's something called entasis. Because I think most people assume that a column is straight up and down. That is, the sides of a column are parallel with each other, and the base of a column is just as wide as the area directly below the capitol.
But in fact, the ancient Greeks didn't build their temples that way. It's fascinating to think about all the ways that the ancient Greeks are thinking about how to make their buildings beautiful, and speak of the realm of the gods.
And so, when we look at an ancient Doric temple, we see that the shafts swell a little bit toward the center. And it would taper, ever so slightly, towards the bottom, and taper much more so as we move up the top. So that the narrowest point of the column shaft would be right at the top. And the widest part would be about one third of the way from the base.
Because this was expensive. This was difficult. It meant that every drum that makes up this column has to be an individual, unique piece. These could not be mass-measured and mass-produced. So the columns are not, actually, carved from one piece of stone. They would, also, have generally been a hole that would have gone through the center of each of these pieces. So that a piece of wood, sometimes, would actually string them together, almost like beads on a necklace.
One of the other things that entasis does is to emphasize the verticality of the temple. Because they get narrower as they go further up, it seems as if the shaft of the column might actually be taller than it really is.
Because of course, as things move away from us, they get smaller in scale. They're thinking about how we see, not just an abstract idea of math and geometry, but actually, human experience, which says something about ancient Greek culture. So let's look at the Ionic order, which emerges shortly after the Doric order. Here's another building of the Acropolis, this is the Erechtheion.
There's such a sense of delicacy here. There is not that sense of mass, that sense of the muscularity of the buildings that we associate with the Doric.
We have some good photographs of it. We also see a slightly different type of fluting. And we also, importantly see a base. Let's move to the Corinthian order. This looks really different and is the most decorative. And the distinguishing feature here is, again, the capital, where we see leaf-like shapes. They tend to be taller than the Doric, just like the Ionic.
But they are highly decorative. There's a great myth about the origin of the Corinthian capital. Of course, we have no idea whether this is true. But the story is that there was a young girl who died. And her possessions were placed in a basket and put on top of her grave.
Underneath that basket was a acanthus plant that began to grow. And because the heavy basket with the tile on top was on top, the acanthus leaves grew out the side. So the Corinthian order is the most complex.
It includes both the scroll, that we would expect to see in the Ionic. In the end, the Roman engineers pulled off an outstanding feat of contemporary engineering and hydraulics. The Pont du Gard has been used as a conventional bridge throughout the Middle Ages, right up until the 18th century.
Located on the Iberian peninsula, the Aqueduct of Segovia still retains its structural integrity to this day, making it one of the best-preserved pieces of architecture from ancient Rome.
It was built somewhere around 50 AD to facilitate the flow of drinking water from the River Frio to the city of Segovia. On its completion, it was an unprecedented 16km-long structure built using around 24, giant blocks of granite. Just like the Pont du Gard, Roman engineers built the entire structure without any mortar. With arches, all of which are over 30 feet 9 meters in height, this architectural phenomenon has been a symbol of Segovia for centuries.
The aqueduct had to go through an extended period of reconstruction during the 15th and 16th centuries after years of use and structural neglect. By the s and s, some urgent and necessary conservation action was undertaken to preserve the monument and its glory.
This marvel of Roman engineering was built around 16 BC in the city of Nimes. This decision spared this majestic temple from the neglect and destruction faced by many other Roman monuments and landmarks. Since then, it has been used for various purposes such as a town hall, stable, and storehouse. At present, it is a museum. This marvelous building was built by the famous Roman emperor Diocletian in preparation for his retirement.
Diocletian was the first Roman emperor who voluntarily retired from his position, citing declining health issues. After his retirement on May 1, AD, he went on to spend a quiet life in this majestic palace. The palace covers around feet meters from east to west and its walls are about 85 feet 26 meters high. At a time when the Roman civilization was in transition from the classical to the medieval era, architects were able to incorporate different building styles that had been used over the ages.
It also helped that Christians used the palace as a cathedral in the Middle Ages, preserving its structural integrity throughout the medieval period. When this famous amphitheater was built in the city of Nimes, the city was known by the name of Nemausus. From around 20 BC, Augustus started to populate the city and give it a structure more akin to a typical Roman state.
It had a number of splendid buildings, a surrounding wall, more than hectares of land, and a majestic theater at its heart. Better known as the Arena of Nimes, this astoundingly large theater had a seating capacity of around 24,, effectively making it one of the biggest amphitheaters in Gaul. It was so large that during the Middle Ages, a small fortified palace was built within it. Later, somewhere around , the arena was remodeled into a huge bullring.
It is still used to host annual bullfights to this day. The Pantheon is arguably the most well-preserved architectural marvel from the ancient Roman era. Unlike many other contemporary Roman temples that were almost always dedicated to particular Roman deities, the Pantheon was a temple for all the Roman gods.
The construction of this temple was completed in AD during the rule of Hadrian. The Pantheon has a large circular portico that opens up to a rotunda. The rotunda is covered by a majestic dome that adds a whole new dimension to its grandeur. The sheer size and scale of this dome is a lasting testimony to the skills of ancient Roman architects and engineers.
When the famous amphitheater, the Colosseum, was built in ancient Rome, it had an area of by feet by meters , making it the largest amphitheater of its time. The construction of the Colosseum, the largest and most popular ancient Roman monument, began during the reign of Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD. By the time it was finished by his son Titus in 80 AD, a never-before-seen amphitheater with a seating capacity of over 50, was ready for use.
It could accommodate such large numbers of spectators that as many 80 different entrances were installed. It is said that its opening ceremony — the grandest of all spectacles — lasted for about days. In that time, about 5, animals and 2, gladiators fought to their deaths in an unprecedented extravaganza of gladiatorial and bestiarius battles. Toggle navigation. My shortlist 0 item. Not all the orders had to be used and Doric was necessarily used for the lowest floor, but whatever you started with, you moved up in the correct order.
Renaissance architecture: how to identify the Roman orders. High Renaissance theorists codified this classical grammar through revisiting Vitruvius and observing Roman buildings first-hand Click on the image to see the full picture. The Roman orders. Illustration: Emma Kelly. Topics Architecture British architecture guides Design features. Reuse this content.
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