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Goh Kee Woon
0303315
Architecture Culture and History1
(ARC 1313)
Architecture Culture andHistory 1 Portfolio
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ROMAN ERA- COLOSSEUM
(Wild beast acts in the Colosseum)
The roman period reigned from 300 B.C. - A.D. 476. It can be divided into 3
periods: ancient Rome, republic Rome and the Roman Empire. Rome was originally
a small village which later grew into a city. The early settlers were Latin. The citizens
overthrew the kings and ruled the city with consuls. Eventually, the city grew and
conquered most of Italy. Generally, Romans are Greek-Influenced (e.g. worshipping
Greek deities). The way how Romans lived also depended on their ranks. Nobles
lead a well-off life while the poor end up as slaves. The typical Roman family is also
patriarchal. Ritualized violence which is Etruscan- influenced plays a major part in
Roman entertainment.
Roman architecture is a combination of Greek and Etruscan elements.
During this era, arches and domeswere developed and beams were supported by
columns. Moreover, stones, developed concreteand marble were among the basic
materials used. Romans also contributed to Tuscan and Composite orders. TheTuscan order is a simplified version of the Greek Doric order while the Composite
order has both the Ionic scrolls and the Corinthians foliage designs. Roman
architecture focused on function and practicality. Some significant structures include
the aqueduct, colosseum and the pantheon.
The amphitheatrum Flavian, today knows as the colosseum is the largest
amphitheatre in the Roman world with a capacity of over 50,000 spectators. During
the middle and late republican Rome, the typical amphitheatre was wooden,
temporary and oblong. Emperor Vespasian began building the colosseum inA.D. 72.
It was completed by his son; Titus in A.D. 80.The colosseum was unique as it was
located at the central of downtown Rome. Amphitheatres before were mostly built at
the edge of town. Location wise, the earth of the site could withstand a deal of weight
and had been equipped with a drainage system. Vespasian may also be influenced
by Augustuss wish of building an amphitheatre in the middle of the city. After Neros
death, the moral of Roman citizens were low, and thus in gaining back their support,
Vespasian built an arena for entertainment. The colosseum mainly serves as an
arena for gladiatorial combat, wild beast shows, executions and naumachiae. It also
represents bread and circuses, which means the basics of life and mass
entertainment of the Romans.
About 10,000 prisoners from the Jewish war and numerous skilled craftsmen
were involved in the construction of the colosseum. The seats and stairs were built
off-site. Furthermore, they were built to the same size and could be interchangeable.
The colosseum was built with travertine, tuff, cement, tiles, bricks and marbles. The
elliptical building has a lengthwise axis of 188m and a transverse axis of 156m. Two-
thirds of the encircling structure is made of travertine. Its 4 storey faade is
decorated with Greek statues. It uses five orders: Doric, Tuscan, Ionic, Corinthian
and Composite. Main entrances are located on the axes while archways at the
ground floor also lead up to the auditorium. The auditorium comprises of five circles,
which were allocated to distinct groups of the roman population (e.g.: knights, priests
et cetera). A basement is located below the arena which holds the games
equipment.
To conclude, the colosseum represents the grandeur of Rome. Among
Roman spectator buildings, it is the only thing that is truly Roman. It tells the story ofhow mass entertainment played a major part in Rome back then and also depicts
architectural advancements such as the use of arches as support. The colosseum is
an architectural marvel that shows how the Romans absorbed other cultures and
moulded it to their own.
(510 words)
References:
Ada, G. (2000). Ancient Rome: Art, Architecture and History: The Colosseum. Milan,
ITA: Getty Publications.
Brigitte, H.B., & Jrgen, S. (2000). Art & Architecture, Rome and the Vatican City:
The Colosseum. Cologne, DE: Knemann Verlagsgesellschaft.
Building the Colosseum. (2008). Retrieved September 20, from the roman
colosseum website: http://www.roman-colosseum.info/colosseum/building-
the-colosseum.htm
Francis, D.K.C., Mark, M.J., & Vikramaditya, P. (2007). A Global History of
Architecture: Colosseum. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Henri, S. (2002). The Roman Empire: From the Etruscans to the Decline of the
Roman Empire. Cologne, DE: Taschen.
Hintzen-Bohlen, B. (2001). The Colosseum. In Art & Architecture: Rome
(pp. 98-105). Bonner Strasse: Cambridge publishing management.
Welch, K.,E. (2007). The Roman Amphitheatre: From its Origins to the
colosseum. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
PROJECT 1(A)
In this project, Ive learned more about the Colosseum as in its historyand the architecture elements in the Colosseum like the kinds of columns
used every levels of the Colosseum. Besides, I understood that the
position of men and women by looking at the seats that is divided
according to the identity of people.
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Project 1(C)Project 1(C) requires us to build models on the building we
chose which is the Colosseum. While adding the details onto
the model, I understood more and more about Colosseums
structure and some tiny details that we dont usually notice
when were looking at it.