Roman Architecture .

The Romans ruled the largest empire of ancient times. At its peak, the Roman Empire included all the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It also extended as far north as the British Isles and as far east as the Persian Gulf. Numerous architectural styles were used throughout the empire because many regions had developed their own building traditions. Nevertheless, Roman architecture had a great deal of stylistic unity. The Romans built more kinds of structures than did the people of any earlier civilization. In addition to houses, temples, and palaces, the Romans constructed such projects as aqueducts, public baths, shops, theatres, and gigantic outdoor arenas. Most of these structures were built during a period from about 100 B.C. to the A.D. 300’s.

The Romans were the first to fully utilize two forms of roof design, the arch and the vault. A vault is an arched roof or ceiling. The dome was a common form of vault in Roman architecture. The use of the arch and vault eliminated the need for columns to support the roof. Instead, the roof could rest solely on the outer walls. The Romans used columns simply as sculptural decoration attached to walls.

A splendid example of Roman roof design is the Baths of Caracalla (A.D. 211 – 217) in the city of Rome. The ruins of the building still stand. The baths had a roofing system of vaults that provided vast areas of interior space. This space was so high and so deep that the Romans admired it as an extraordinary new form of architectural beauty.

Country houses built by aristocrats in ancient Rome often featured a courtyard called a peristyle. A covered walkway enclosed the peristyle, which included a garden, fountains, and statues. This peristyle was part of a residence called the House of the Vettii. It was excavated and restored at Pompeii, which was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79.

A vault is an arched ceiling or roof that can cover a large space or building. The Romans invented the vault. The Basilica of Constantine in Rome, above, had a vaulted roof.

№3. Complete the sentences given below.

1) The Romans constructed such projects as ---------------------------------------------.

2) The baths had a roofing ---------------------------------------------------------------------.

3) The Roman Empire included ------------------------------------------------------------.

4) Roman architecture had a great deal of --------------------------------------------------.

5) Numerous architectural styles were used because --------------.

6) The dome was -------------------------------.

7) The Romans used columns simply as ------------------------------.

№4. A) Match the words in column A and column B.

A B

1) Stylistic a) decoration

2) Sculptural b) traditions

3) Architectural c) civilization

4) Building d) form

5) Common e) unity

6) Earlier f) beauty.