Roman Technology and Engineering Flashcards
What did natural philosophers employ in their studies?
Reason rather than experiment
What is the greatest roman technological achievement?
Civil engineering (e.g. Pantheon and the Forum)
What does an artifex and faber mean?
A worker in wood, stone, or metal - closest to modern engineer
What does architectus mean?
Architect and/or engineer in greek
What does machina mean?
Machine in greek
What examples are there of roman willingness to adopt foreign technology?
Technological vocabulary of different languages and the roman water supply and drainage system are adopted from the Etrsuscans
What kind of knowledge was required for construction of the colosseum and aqueducts?
Knowledge passed down, although little surviving evidence
What does Vitruvius write about in De Architectura?
Books 1-7: layout of buildings and construction of floors and walls
Book 8: Water-supply systems
Books 9-10: Engineering topics such as clocks and machines
What were the conditions for stable roads?
Stable footing, no steep gradients, straight, durable, prolonged use
When was seafaring permitted?
Summer months
How did mariners navigate?
Prominent landmarks and the sun during daytime, stars at night
What was a corvus?
Hinged bridge that would be dropped on enemy ships
What examples of innovation due to concrete is there?
Octagonal room at Nero’s Domus Aurea, as well as Hadrian’s Pantheon
When did water supply evolve?
Under Claudius’ censorship
What was the castellum divisorium?
Primary distribution basin
What evidence of animal power is there?
Grain mills at Pompeii and Ostia
What was amurca?
Olive pits or discarded flesh from olive oil used to generate energy
How was temperature raised at the baths?
Burning plant matter
Why is the archaeological record limited?
Devices made from organic material are lost and tools made from bronze or glass were recycled
What word does technology come from?
Tekhnē in greek
What is the latin word for craft or art?
Ars
What is an artificer?
Craftsman or artisan
What is a faber?
A craftsman who works in wood, stone, or metal
Where does the word engineer come from?
Ingenium in latin
What did the Heron of Alexandria write about?
Math, physics, mechanics, practical devices, and gadgets called automata
What did Pliny the Elder write about?
37 books of natural history in relation to humans, frequently anecdotal
What did Frontinus write about and who was he?
He was a curator aquarum (head officer in charge of the urban waterworks) and he wrote a treatise on the aqueducts of Rome
What older cultures did Romans adopt technology from?
Greece, Egypt, and Mesopotamia
What was the main purpose of Rome’s roads?
To transport military
What was the via appia?
Original major roadway built under Claudius and connected Rome to Capua
How did naval ships attack?
Metal noses used to ram enemy vessels
Could cargo vessels travel across open water?
Yes (e.g. ship convoys transporting grain from Alexandria to Rome)
What was opus caementicium?
Aggregate composed of mortar and small stones
What brick-style was initially used and what did it evolve to?
Opus incertum (irregularly shaped blocks) and into square blocks of regular size called opus retriculatum
What was the benefit of the concrete hardening underwater?
Could build harbours, aqueducts, and bridges
Where was water originally sources from?
From the Tiber, natural springs, and wells
What was the surface of aqueducts lined with?
Waterproof plaster called opus signinum
What is a dioptra?
An instrument used for measuring horizontal and vertical distances
What is a groma?
An instrument used to measure right angles in the horizontal plane
How was heat in households produced?
Burning of wood, charcoal, or chaff
What was the heart of the pantheon?
The dome called the Rotunda
What is the occulus?
30ft wide hole in the dome that eliminates stress of the dome at its weakest point
What is the one issue at the pantheon?
The portico is 10ft too short and doesn’t connect with the rotunda where it should
Is it known who built the pantheon?
No, but there are speculations of Hadrian or Appoladorus
What was Trajan’s forum made of?
Marble
