ARTH 12.02 Roman Architecture
Architecture played a central role in ancient Rome’s ascent to imperial world power. Buildings like bathhouses, aqueducts and villas built around the Mediterranean basin helped spread Roman culture across both time and space; temples and shrines assured that Romans everywhere could pray to a common roster of gods; likewise, roads connected the cosmopolitan cities of the empire. In this class, we will look at the variety of built types, construction materials and building techniques that the Romans adopted from about 500 BC to 400 AD.