The Art of the Roman Civilization

 

The Roman Empire was one of the vastest civilizations in human history. It started around 3,000 years ago and peaked around 2,000 years ago. The artists that lived in the Roman Empire were heavily influenced by preceding Greek art. However, Romans were able to use Greek influences to create something new and unique that reflected their own civilization and ideas.

Much like Greek civilization, once the Roman Empire reached the point of stability and economic prosperity, architects and builders started to undertake massive projects all around the country. One of the goals of such projects was to underline the authority of the Romans among the residents of cities where the pieces were built and installed.

To a large extent, Roman architecture owes its success to the invention of concrete and its use as a building material. Concrete has a lot of benefits that were not available to builders before its invention. It is relatively cheap yet very strong. In addition to this, builders can mould the shape of the material, which is why Roman architects were free to explore new forms and ideas. This was an opportunity and a possibility that Greek architects did not have at their disposal.

An example of Roman architecture is the Pantheon—the temple dedicated to all gods. The front of the building has eight huge columns and is reminiscent of Greek buildings from the past, but inside the temple has its own unique style. Behind the columns, there is an immensely large dome that is over 40 meters wide.