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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.