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Roman Architecture > Fora, Temples and Construction > Flashcards

Fora, Temples and Construction Flashcards

1
Q

What was the purpose of arches?

A

Allowed the Romans to span gaps in a far more decorative manner whilst also being substantially stronger than what came before

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2
Q

Keystone

A

Wedge shaped stone which sat at the top of the Arch, holding the structure together. Would often be very decorative

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3
Q

Voussir

A

Wedge shaped stones used in the building of arches

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4
Q

Impost

A

A block resting on top of a column or embedded in a wall, serving as the base for the springer or lowest voussoir of an arch

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5
Q

Centering

A

A temporary framework an arch can be laid upon

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6
Q

What is the purpose of barrel and groin vaults

A

Can be added to increase the strength of the structure

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7
Q

Barrel Vaults

A

An arch which has been extended horizontally, in order to create a tunnel like structure

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8
Q

Groin Vaults

A

4 Arches that have been joined together to create an intersection

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9
Q

Domes

A

Incredibly strong structures that allowed for high ceilings with plenty of light and reduced the need for ugly columns or supporting walls in the way.

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10
Q

Oculus

A

A circular opening in the centre of a Dome/wall

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11
Q

Rotunda

A

Any building with a circular ground plan, and sometimes covered by a dome. May also refer to a round room within a building

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12
Q

Coffered

A

A series of sunken panels in the shape of a square, rectangle or octagon in a ceiling or vault

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13
Q

Without concrete, the Greeks had to rely on the…. to hold up structures?

A

Post and lintel method

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14
Q

Why were Greek columns more structural and less decorative?

A

They did not have concrete and so they had to rely on the post and lintel method to hold up structures

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15
Q

In columns, what is capital?

A

The capital forms the topmost part of a column, upon which the lintel rests.

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16
Q

What were the 3 main types of Capital (columns)?

A

Doric, Ionic and Corinthian

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17
Q

What is fluting (columns)?

A

The grooves running vertically on a column shaft.

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18
Q

What are the benefits of fluting?

A

Promotes light on columns, which help the column appear more perfectly round than a smooth column

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19
Q

What is a shaft (columns)?

A

The shafts is the portion of a column between the base and the capital

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20
Q

What was the Capitolium?

A

Temple to the Capitoline Triad

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21
Q

What was the Basilica?

A

The Basilica was the legal heart of the Roman Forum

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22
Q

What was the function of the Basilica?

A

It covered Civic, Economic and legal transactions

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23
Q

When was the Basilica built (approx)?

A

Between 81-117 AD

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24
Q

What was the Connolade (Basilica)?

A

Interior gaps between rows of columns to divide up the space

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25
Q

What is an Apse (Basilica)?

A

Recess in a building, often semi-circular.

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26
Q

What was the Dais (Basilica)?

A

Raised platform in a room

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27
Q

What was the Clerestoy (Basilica)?

A

Window set above eye level

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28
Q

What was the Curia

A

A meeting place of the 100 strong city ‘ordo decuronium’

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29
Q

In the Curia, where were meetings held?

A

Meetings were held in the large room entered via the vestibule

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30
Q

Who was typically seated at the Dais?

A

Would have seated the leading magistrates for the year ‘duoviri’

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31
Q

What was the vestibule?

A

Partially enclosed area between street and interior of building

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32
Q

When was the Temple of Rome and Augustus built?

A

During the reign of Tiberius

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33
Q

What materials were primarily used in the Temple of Rome and Augustus

A

Originally lavished decorated with marble

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34
Q

What was the typical function of the Temple of Rome and Augustus?

A

The city council sometimes met in the temple but main role was for celebrating the cult of Augustus and Rome

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35
Q

When was the Capitolium built?

A

Originally built in the mid 2nd century BC and hen when Pompee became more Romanised c. 80BC it underwent renovations

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36
Q

When was the Temple of Apollo built?

A

Current layout is from the 2nd Century BC but some parts date back to 575 BC

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37
Q

What was the central nave of the Basilica surrounded by?

A

28 brick columns which made two isles which ran down both sides of the nave

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38
Q

Describe the interior walls of the Basilica

A

Ionic Pilaster columns running down both sides with wall paintings filling in the space between them

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39
Q

Approx. building time of the Basilica

A

c.130-120BC

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40
Q

What were the Muncipial Buildings and where were they located?

A

Offices for the public offic holders

Located at the souther end of the Forum

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41
Q

Describe the interior of the Muncipial Buildings

A

Each building had an apse at the end of the room with a raised platform where the officials would preside over meetings

42
Q

When was the Macellum built?

A

Built during the early Imperial period due to overcrowding in the forum

43
Q

Why were stalls set up in the colonnade of the Macellum?

A

For selling goods and animals taken from the animal pen

44
Q

What was the purpose of the Rotunda in the centre of the Macellum?

A

Fish would be descaled and sold, with the scales depostied in the basin in the middle

45
Q

What would the Aedicule in the centre of the Macellum have contained?

A

A statue of a member of the Imperial family

46
Q

What are the two statues remaining in the Macellum?

A

Octavia [sister of Augustus]

Marcellus [Augustus’ nephew]

47
Q

What was the purpose of the Comitum?

A

Used as a voting hall for the people of Pompeii

48
Q

Describe the interior of the Comitum

A

The interior of the Comitum was faced with marble and had niches along the wall for the statues to be placed into

49
Q

Who erected the Building of Eumachia?

A

A noblewoman in Pompeii: Eumachia

50
Q

When was the Building of Eumachia built?

A

1st C.AD

51
Q

Who was Eumachia?

A

A priestess and patron of the fullers (cloth washers)

52
Q

What is one of the issues that comes with identifying Roman buildings?

A

We often lack context clues and the lived knowledge of the people of the time

53
Q

What do historians suspect may have been the purpose of Eumachia

A

May have been the headquarters for the fuller guild in the city

Or perhaps for selling wool and animal products

54
Q

Describe the Temple of the Lares

A

Opus reticulatum walls with marble revetment, open courtyard and large apse on rear wall for statuary.

55
Q

Where was the altar in the Temple of the Lares located?

A

The middle of the courtyard

56
Q

What was the Temple of Vespasian originally?

A

Sanctuary to Genius of Augustus

57
Q

What was the Temple of Vespasian before it was a sanctuary to Augustus?

A

Shops [may have] stood on the site

58
Q

What were the inner walls of the courtyard of the Temple of Vespasian made from?

A

Tufa that were reinforced with brick

59
Q

When did they decide to turn the Temple of Vespasian into a Temple?

A

After the earthquake in AD62

60
Q

Where was the Roman Fora originally situated?

A

Between the Capitoline and Palatine hills

61
Q

Why was the Roman Fora created?

A

Julius Caesar decided that Rome needed an new forum to deal with the overcrowding of the original Forum Romanum

62
Q

Why was the Forum of Augustus built?

A

So that the pressure on Rome’s other forums could be relieved but was far more a vanity project than was focused on appearance over substance

63
Q

What was the forum of Augustus made of

A

Blocks of tufa with Carrara marble

Also includes colonnades made of giallo antico from Numidia

Second storey made from africano and pavonazzetto

Inside walls were made of local Roman stone

64
Q

When was the Temple of Mars Ultor built?

A

2BC

65
Q

What was significant about the Temple of Ultor

A

It ws made completely from Marble

66
Q

Why was the Temple of Mars Ultor built?

A

To honour a promise Augustus made to Mars ahead of the Battle of Philippi

67
Q

What later became the purpose of the Temple of Mars Ultor?

A

Later ended up housing the battle standards taken back from the Parthians

68
Q

Describe the left exedrae

A

Line of statues running along the Exedra of ‘Summi Viri’ who were famous and notable men from Rome’s past.

The Left Exedra also had the Alban Kings, Aeneas and the Julii family clan in the Exedra and Hemicycle at the very end

69
Q

Describe the right exedrae

A

Line of statues running along the Exedra of ‘Summi Viri’ who were famous and notable men from Rome’s past

The Hemicycle on the Right Exedra also contained a statue of Romulus amongst all the ‘Summi Viri’

70
Q

When was the Forum of Trajan?

A

Built in 106-113AD

71
Q

Who designed the Forum of Trajan?

A

Apollodorus of Damascus

72
Q

What funded the Forum of Trajan?

A

Spoils from Dacian wars

73
Q

Describe the forum of trajan

A

Main square flanked by two porticoes, which were decorated with caryatid figures of Dacian prisoners

The main floor of the forum was paved with marble

74
Q

Who built the Temple of Trajan?

A

Hadrian

75
Q

When was the Temple of Trajan built?

A

2nd Century AD

76
Q

What would have been at the rear of the Temple of Trajan?

A

Mostly obscured by the Basilica Ulpia but would have been a large, daunting building to walk through and suddenly be confronted with.

77
Q

What were the grey columns in the Temple of Trajan made from?

A

Egyptian Granite

78
Q

Who made the Basilica Ulpia

A

Trajan

79
Q

Why was the Basilia Ulpia made?

A

To deal with the increased number of cases that Rome was seeing and to house two giant libraries and his column

80
Q

What was the Basilica Ulpia a symbol of?

A

Wealth, power, opulence with the columns made from Egyptian Granite, marble floor and bonze gilded roof tiles

81
Q

Describe the Basilica Ulpia

A

Large clerestory windows that ran along the top of the Basilica which let vast amounts of light into the space and ensured the monumental court was always well lit

82
Q

Who built Trajan’s column

A

Emperor Trajan

83
Q

Why was Trajan’s column built?

A

To commemorate his victory in the Dacian war and the relief that runs up the column details the entire campaign

84
Q

What was Trajan’s column made from?

A

Carrara marble (minedd in tuscany and most common marble used in tuscany)

85
Q

How tall was Trajan’s column?

A

30m

86
Q

What was Trajan’s market made of?

A

Brick but with Travertine and tufa also used in various areas

87
Q

Describe Trajan’s market

A

Made of three floor, cut into the hillside

Final level were apartments and a covered shopping arcade

88
Q

What was the upper level of Trajan’s market called?

A

via biberatica

89
Q

What did thevia biberatica most likely contain?

A

Bars and drinkign establishments

90
Q

Trajan’s market was seperated from the forum by…

A

A tufa wall and an archway into the Exedra of Trajan’s forum

91
Q

When was the Pantheon originally built?

A

27BC by Agrippa

92
Q

What version of the Pantheon do we have, who built it and when?

A

This version was constructed by Hadrian n 125 AD

93
Q

What were the Pantheon steps made from?

A

Yellow Numidian marble

94
Q

Describe the front of the Pantheon

A

Ocastyle portico made from Egyptian granite, half were grey and the other half were pink marble

95
Q

What did The Vestibule at the rear of the portico serve to do?

A

Hide thev view of the Dome from people approaching, to make it a greater spectacle when they entered

96
Q

Describe the Pantheon’s dome?

A

Concentrated on a ring of voussoirs that form the oculus while the downward thrust of the dome is carried by 8 barrel vaults into eight piers.

97
Q

What materials were used in the Pantheon’s dome?

A

At its thicksest point the aggregate is travertine, then terracotta tiles

At the very top, tufa and pumice (both porous light stones)

98
Q

Where was the Temple of Vesta?

A

Located in the Forum Romanum

99
Q

Describe the Temple of Vesta?

A

Hearth in the cella which held the sacred flame of vesta

Circular foundations with Corinthian columns

Tufa blocks decorated with marble

100
Q

What do the simple designs of the Temple of Vesta reflect?

A

The small thatched huts of early Romans

Roman Architecture (4 decks)

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