The apogee of the development of the ancient world was the Roman Empire, which flourished in the first centuries of "our era". The invasion of the barbarians put an end to the civilization of the ancient Romans, which had lost the ability to adequately respond to external challenges and was mired in internal strife. And along with the barbarians came destruction, which suffered many of the finest examples of Roman architecture. But, nevertheless, by chance, some of them, albeit partially, have survived to this day, giving everyone the opportunity to learn about the features of the Roman architectural tradition.
The Romans borrowed many aspects of culture from the Greeks, modifying them in their own, more practical way. That is why the architectural ensemble in a large Roman city was a mixture of the Greek agora and traditional forms of folk housing. The picture was complemented by majestic religious and public buildings - forums, baths, temples, amphitheaters. The triumphal arches were reminiscent of the moments of greatness and military success of the Roman legions. And in the suburbs there were luxurious villas with vineyards, olive groves, wheat fields and other farms, irrigated using complex engineering structures - aqueducts. Bridges over rivers and magnificent roads connecting the entire empire together are also among the achievements of the ancient Roman builders.
Aqueduct Pont du Gard
Examining a residential building in more detail, you can see that it is based on the idea of a closed axial composition. Traditionally, the house was built on a long section, fenced off from the street by walls without windows. In front of the house there is an atrium, which is an enclosed space, a patio with passages to the living and utility rooms. In the center of the atrium there was a pool, an impluvium, above which there was an open space for illumination and drainage of storm water. One of the rooms that get used to the atrium is the tablinum, usually the office of the head of the house, where all business meetings also took place. Behind the tablinum, there was usually a place where intimate life was concentrated - an inner garden, a peristyle.
This type of house is known as atrium-peristyle.
Trajan's Forum, general view, reconstruction
The Roman forums, which initially served as markets, and later assumed ceremonial, solemn, cult other functions, were built on the same principle, except on a different scale. The development of the composition takes place along the axis inward, consistently revealing the main spaces.
The squares were predominantly rectangular; their composition was dominated by a temple, towering over other structures. The temples were also rectangular with attached porticoes - a similar design is traditional for Rome and dates back to the Etruscan-Archaic period. The deep-axial structure can be traced here, and the entrance was distinguished with the help of a rich portico, which was inherent in the features of the Corinthian, composite or Ionic order, although the latter was rarely used in Roman architecture and was characteristic of the architecture of Ancient Greece.
The most complex and majestic forum is considered to be the forms of the Emperor Trajan, erected under the direction of the architect Apollodorus of Damascus in the period from 112 to 117 AD. NS. Its scale and decoration are unparalleled. The main motif of the ensemble is marble colonnades and porticoes of various, sometimes very large dimensions, the largest of which is Trajan's memorial column, located between two symmetrical library buildings in the middle of a small inner square. Its height is 38 meters, and the marble trunk is covered with a spiral bas-relief with more than 2,500 figures - all this was intended to perpetuate Trajan's military successes.
Modern view of Trajan's uniform
The Arc de Triomphe, a very popular type of memorial in Rome, was usually erected on a main road or in conjunction with a forum. Excellent examples are the Arch of Titus (1st century) and the Arch of Constantine (6th century). The latter amazes with both its scale - 25 meters wide and 21 meters high, and its decor.
Arched and vaulted forms were also widely used in the construction of bridges and aqueducts. The latter were the basis of the city's aqueduct, and the Romans, as you know, were great lovers of baths. Stone and hydraulic fluid were used in their construction. Thus, the Garda aquedut bridge has a length of 275 meters and a height of 49 meters. The largest arch had a span of 24 meters. A grandiose building for its time. Simplicity of forms, harmony of relationships, clarity of tectonics, expressive texture and striking scales - the structural elements of the composition, in their totality, gave rise to an amazing monumental and refined beauty. It is worth noting that it is precisely the arched-vaulted concrete structures that underlie the most grandiose public buildings of imperial Rome.
Arch of Constantine in Rome
The Romans, although they were more down-to-earth than the Greeks, also knew how and loved to have a rest culturally. Unless, of course, the bloody spectacles of murder are considered cultural. But, the bottom line is that both bloody and more peaceful performances took place in amphitheatres, which were improved versions of similar structures in the architectural tradition of Ancient Greece. If among the Greeks, the natural relief of the area, for example, the slopes of the mountains, was arranged for spectator seats, then the Romans began to erect substructures that supported the spectator seats.
The most famous and grandiose Roman theater is undoubtedly the Colosseum, built in the 1st century AD. The architects of that time worked hard to build this whopper to glory. The dimensions of this elliptical structure are 156 by 188 meters along the axes and almost 50 meters in height. The capacity is 50 thousand people. The structural basis of the structure is 80 radially directed walls and pillars carrying ceiling vaults. In addition, there are transverse and circular passages, distribution galleries, a system of stairs connecting the interior rooms with exits located along the entire perimeter. The outer walls were made of two layers - concrete and travertine. It is worth noting that concrete is a Roman invention. Marble and knock were used for the cladding.
Reconstruction by Bruno Brizzi. Rome, Flavian Amphitheater (Colosseum)
The use of the "frame" structure was functionally expedient, since it naturally illuminated the interior galleries, walkways and stairs, and also significantly reduced the cost of materials.
In the Colosseum, the use of awnings was recorded for the first time - the walls of the fourth tier retained brackets that served as supports for the rods, to which a huge silk awning was attached with the help of ropes, which saved the local public from the hot sun.
Modern view of the Colosseum
Roman palaces were no less majestic, especially the imperial palace complex on the Palatine, where not only ceremonial and ceremonial premises were located, but also living quarters. The main advantage of the palace is the throne room, a truly huge "room"! The main floor is a cylindrical vault with a span of almost 30 meters and a height of 44 meters.
The already mentioned casually Roman baths or baths are the property of the Roman architectural and cultural tradition in general. They were complex complexes with numerous rooms and courtyards, which were intended both for performing water procedures and for other types of activities that involved relaxation and entertainment: sports, communication, games, reading, etc. The entrance to the baths was available to everyone. , and since there were enough of them, the dimensions of the halls located along the main axis (the axial composition was used here as well) were impressive. The main rooms were still rooms for ablutions, divided by temperature: cold (frigidarium), warm (tepidarium) and high (caldarium). Premises of the latter type usually had a pool in the center filled with hot water. The premises were heated - warm air was supplied through special ducts laid in the walls and floors.
Baths of Caracalla
In total, 11 large public and up to 800 small private baths were erected in Rome. The most famous are the Baths of Caracalla, built in the period from 206 to 216. The main building of the thermal baths occupied an area of 216 by 120 meters, and together with the adjacent gardens, playgrounds and recreation areas - 363 by 535 meters. The construction of such structures became possible thanks to the vast experience in the creation of concrete vaults and domes, accumulated by that time. It was the development of domed structures in the baths that influenced the emergence of a rotunda-type composition, where the domed form became dominant.
One of the most prominent examples of a rotunda temple is the Pantheon in Rome, which was completed around 125 AD. The diameter of the dome of the Pantheon is approximately 43 meters. The large-span domed space of the temple was literally unsurpassed until the last century! Roman architects managed to achieve high structural reliability and ensure a rational distribution of loads. They skillfully used various building materials, using tuff, travestin, various types of lightweight concrete aggregate - pumice and brick crushed stone.
Dome of the Pantheon in Rome
An important place in the construction was occupied by covered halls - basilicas, which served for various kinds of meetings and sessions of the tribunal. These are rectangular buildings elongated in plan, separated inside by rows of supports into elongated spaces - naves. The middle nave was made wider and higher than the side ones, it was illuminated through the openings in the upper part of the walls. After the adoption of Christianity by the Roman Empire in the 6th century, new types of religious buildings - basilica churches - began to develop on the basis of the basilica.
The Christian basilica was especially widespread in the religious construction of the Western Middle Ages.
The Roman architectural tradition, being the successor of the Greek, Egyptian and more ancient schools of architecture, became, in turn, a source of inspiration for many architects of the future, and its traditional elements can be seen in such styles as Empire, Classicism and others.
The Roman state goes through a difficult path of development. It first conquered Italy (V-III centuries BC), then Carthage (II century BC) and, finally, Greece (II century BC).
The architecture of Ancient Rome changed markedly throughout the existence of this mighty state.
Many features formed the basis of Roman art. The predecessors of the Romans were the Etruscans. In the middle of the first millennium, they already had their own culture. Etruscan temples are similar to the Greek peripteres, but the front facade is more emphasized in them: in front of the entrance there is a platform with columns, and a multi-stage staircase leads to it. When erecting gates, the Etruscans often use a semicircular arch, which the Greeks almost did not know. Their houses had a room in the center with an open square hole in the roof in the middle and walls black with soot. Apparently there was a hearth. This gave reason to call this room an atrium (from the word "ater" - "black").
Atrium - a room with a hole in the roof
In culture, the official state trend of a Hellenized society and folk tastes dating back to the Italic past collide.
In general, the Roman state is isolated, opposed to a private person. It was famous for its management system and law.
The army was the backbone of world power. The supreme power was concentrated in the hands of the generals, who had little regard for the national and national interests, and the cities were built on the model of camps.
According to the views of Vitruvius (the treatise was written in 27-25 BC), architecture falls into two categories: construction and proportions (the ratios of individual parts of the building serve as its basis). And the aesthetic principle is only in the order, the columns attached to the structures.
In the era of Augustus (30 BC - 14 AD), such architectural monuments as the "square house" in Nimes (South France) or the Temple of Fortune Virilis, belonging to the type of pseudo-peripter, were built. The pseudo-peripter is similar to the peripter, but the cella is pushed back a little. The temple is placed on a high podium; a wide staircase leads to its entrance (this determines the similarity of the pseudo-peripter with Etruscan temples). Only in the Roman temple are the classical forms of the order more strictly observed: fluted columns, Ionian capitals, entablature.
Maison Carré "Square House" in Nimes (France). 1st century BC NS.
Temple of Fortune Virilis. 1st century BC NS.
Types of dwellings of wealthy townspeople
The uniqueness of Roman architecture resonated even more strongly in a new type of dwelling in the spirit of eclecticism: the Italian atrium and the Hellenistic peristyle. The richest Pompeian buildings, such as the houses of Panza, Faun, Loreus Tiburtin, Vettiev, belong to this type. The peristyle served more as a decoration for a rich estate than as a place for the diverse life of its inhabitants, as it was in the houses of Greece.
In contrast to the Greek dwelling, all the premises were lined up in a strict order on the sides of its main axis.
Atrium
Peristyle of the house of the Vettii, view from the side of the large triclinium.
Portico and garden in the house of Lorey Tiburtin
House of the Faun (Villa of Publius Sulla). Present time
House of the Faun (Villa of Publius Sulla). It was like this before
Villa of Publius Sulla (House of the Faun). Inner garden with peristyle and Ionic order
The Pompeian villas are enchanting with the high perfection of the applied arts. But a lot of vanity and tasteless luxury slips there: painting the walls with copies of the famous Greek paintings of the 4th century, imitating Egyptian flat decorations, or, conversely, creating a deceptive impression of windows.
The era of Augustus is characterized by stylization and eclecticism. Among the best monuments of this time is the Altar of Peace at the Forum. The difference between the relief is immediately striking: the figures are placed in several plans, which makes them picturesque, but between the figures one does not feel space, air, light environment, as in Hellenistic reliefs.
The Altar of Peace, built in honor of the Goddess of Peace. Indoor museum.
Relief of one of the walls of the altar
The classical current under Augustus was the main one, but not the only one. In the II century. BC. supporters of the Old Testament antiquity opposed the imitation of the Greeks.
Engineering structures. Aqueducts
Among the Roman monuments, there is a large section devoted to engineering structures. Thus, many elements of the improvement of cities appeared: the paved Appian Way, the aqueduct, the aqueduct.
The Garde Bridge at Nimes Pont du Gard
Pompeii. Italy
Rome
Lead plumbing
Forum
Art becomes, in the hands of sovereigns, a means of strengthening its authority. Hence the spectacular nature of the architectural structures, the large scale of construction, the addiction to enormous dimensions. In Roman architecture, there was more shameless demagoguery than genuine humanism and a sense of beauty.
The most magnificent type of building was the forum. Every emperor strove to immortalize himself with such a structure.
The forum of Emperor Trajan reaches almost the size of the Athenian acropolis. But in their design, the acropolis and the forum are profoundly different. The prim order, the addiction to strict symmetry, are expressed on a huge scale.
Forum of Emperor Trajan. Italy
The Roman builders operated not with volumes, like the builders of the Athenian acropolis, but with open interiors, within which small volumes stood out (columns and temples). This increased role of the interior characterizes the Roman forum as a stage of great historical significance in the development of world architecture.
Forum, in the center - the columns of the Temple of Saturn, behind them the triumphal arch of Septimius Severus
The photo on the left shows the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine, the largest building ever built on the forum in 312.
The Temple of Peace, also known as Forum of Vespasian (Latin: Forum Vespasiani), was built in Rome in 71 AD. NS.
Tabularia building (State Archives) at the Forum, 78 BC NS. - the earliest surviving structure, in which the system of the Roman architecture of the cell was applied, which combined two opposite design principles - a girder and a vaulted structure.
Urban planning
Roman cities like Ostia in Italy or Timgrad (in Africa), in the strict correctness of their plan, resemble military camps. Straight streets are lined with rows of columns that accompany any movement in the city. The streets end with huge triumphal arches. Living in such a city meant always feeling like a soldier, being in a state of mobilization.
Timgrad is an ancient Roman city in North Africa, located on the territory of modern Algeria. A.D. 100 NS.
Triumphal arches
Triumphal arches were a new type of Roman architecture. One of the best is the Arch of Titus. The arches were erected in order to serve as a memory of victories among generations. In the construction of this arch, there are two types of order: one implied - on which rests a semicircular arch, separated from it by a cornice; another order, marked by mighty semi-columns, is placed on a high podium and gives the whole architecture the character of pompous solemnity. Both orders penetrate each other; the cornice of the first one merges with the cornice of the niches. For the first time in the history of architecture, a building is formed from the relationship of two systems.
The Romans' addiction to the impression of heaviness and strength is reflected in the arch of Titus in the huge entablature and attic. The harsh shadows of the cornice add tension and strength to the architectural forms.
Amphitheaters
Amphitheaters served as an arena for entertaining and spectacular performances for the crowded crowd: gladiator performances, fist competitions. Unlike the Greek theaters, they did not provide high artistic impressions. For example, the Colosseum building, which had 80 exits, and this allowed spectators to quickly fill the rows and just as quickly get out. Inside, the Colosseum makes an irresistible impression with its clarity and simplicity of forms. From the outside, it was decorated with statues. The entire Colosseum expressed restraint, at the same time with impressiveness. For this, its three open tiers are crowned with a fourth, more massive one, dissected only by flat pilasters.
Colosseum (Flavian amphitheater) today. Year of construction -80 n. NS.
The original appearance of the Colosseum
Colosseum inside
In the construction of the Pantheon, all the centuries-old experience of Roman construction was used: its double walls with rubble mass inside, unloading arches, a dome with a diameter and height of 42 m. Such a huge artistically designed space was not previously known by architecture. The special strength of the Pantheon lies in the simplicity and integrity of its architectural compositions. It does not have a complex gradation of scales, an increase in features, which give increased expressiveness.
Thermes
The needs of urban life were created in the middle of the 1st century. AD a new type of buildings - thermae. These buildings responded to a variety of needs, from body culture to mental nourishment and solitary contemplation. Outside, the baths had an unremarkable appearance. The main thing in them is. With a large variety of plan forms, the builders subordinated them to symmetry. The walls were clad in marble - red, pink, purple or pale green.
Ruins of the baths of the emperor Caracalla (Antonin baths). III century (212-217 years)
The history of ancient art ends with Roman art.
The Romans appreciated those forms of art and science that had direct practical knowledge. The leading arts of Rome were architecture and engineering. The architecture was dominated by civil buildings prevailed over cult. If the Greeks had the main building Temple then the Romans created many new types of architecture that emphasized the power of the Roman Empire.
The main building materials in Rome were stone and brick... A durable and waterproof building material has been created - concrete.
The main structural elements of the Romans were: arch, vault and dome, which made it possible to cover spaces without internal supports.
The pinnacle of the construction activity of the Romans is impeccable engineering structures: roads and bridges (viaducts), water pipes and aquiducts.
The rationalism of the Romans was reflected in urban planning. The most widespread type of development was the city - camp. It had a rectangular shape with two main mutually perpendicular streets - cardo (north - south) and decumanus (east - west). At the intersection of these streets there was a forum - the administrative center of the city, where public buildings were located:
Temple, for example, the temple of Vesta and the Pantheon - "the temple of all gods"
basilica(court, archive of the city), for example, the Basilica of Constantine.
terms(a complex that includes a library, lecture and gymnasiums, a games room, cold, warm and hot baths). For example, the baths of Diocletian and Caracalla, which accommodated 3 thousand people and occupied 11 hectares.
theatre based on Greek. It was built on retaining structures and had several floors. For example, the theater in Pompeii.
odeon- a small theater for musical and poetry performances.
amphitheater- for gladiator fights. It was oval in shape, and on the facade there were tiers of arcades, decorated with an order. For example, the Colosseum.
Circus- for equestrian competitions, had an elongated horseshoe shape. For example, the Circus Maximus in Rome.
The glory and power of the great empire remind us triumphal arches and columns... The most famous are arch of august in Rome and arch of Constantine, Troyan's column.
Burial architecture was dominated by mausoleums and tombs(for the nobility), sarcophagi and columbaria(for the middle strata of the population).
Residential buildings of the Romans were divided into town houses and rural dwellings (villas). for example, the urban type of dwelling includes Patrician domus... It had a closed rectangular building with a courtyard in the center. For the poor population of the city (plebeians) were built insulas- multi-storey urban residential buildings. For the nobility - palaces.
To the rural type - country villa (villa rustica) with a manor house, utility yard, garden, park, thermal baths, fountain and swimming pool.
2. Ancient Greek theater. Its design. Performance and actors.
Ancient Greek theater, was considered " school for adults", a school of citizenship, courage, wisdom and played a huge role in the life of a Greek. The theater takes its origin from religious holidays in honor of the god of spring, sun and fertile land, the patron saint of winemaking - Dionysus.
Twice a year (in the fall, after the harvest, and in the spring, when the earth blossomed and the barrels of young wine were opened), the ancient Greeks arranged in honor of the god of winemaking " passion of Dionysus"- festivities, in the fall - Rural Dionysia, in the spring - Great, or Urban, Dionysia... The holiday lasted 5 days - on the first there were processions and sacrifices, and during the other four days performances were shown.
Organized a theatrical performance archon - city official... He appointed from wealthy citizens horega -patron of the arts who paid for the production of the plays.
Even in the days of Rural Dionysios, farmers wore goatskins and masks, imitated satyrs. They sang in honor of Dionysus hymn songs of praise- praises- and portrayed some kind of feat. This group of singers was called - in chorus... In the first performances, only the choir sang, later choir leader- luminary- and the actor portraying the god Dionysus began to conduct a conversation with the chorus and with each other - dialogue.
So from the choral songs of Dionysus' goat-footed companions, the main genres of Greek theatrical art arose:
tragedy- talked about gods and heroes from myths, raised eternal problems: about honor and valor.
comedy- the characters here were ordinary people, their flaws and vices were ridiculed.
"satyr drama"("tragedy that jokes"). Here, tragic heroes were portrayed comically, and the choir was dressed in satyrs who represented half-humans - half-beasts.
The theater consisted of three main parts:
Theatron- a place for spectators, on the side of a hill and accommodated thousands of people.
Orchestra- this is a round platform where actors and a choir performed.
Skene- a small building where the actors changed their clothes. It was located at the edge of the orchestra opposite the spectators' seats. ... Initially, the performance consisted of songs and dances performed by a choir. Later, actors appeared who conducted a dialogue with the leader of the choir. Only men participated in the performances in ancient Greece. To better see what was happening on the stage, the actors played on - caturnas - special shoes with thick soles that raise the actor's height. and in masculine and feminine masks, which were larger than the hero's face and had large, expressive features. The masks had a large mouth in the form of a horn, which amplified the voice of the actor. The masks depicted the state of the hero: joy, grief, pain, fear, cruelty, etc. A wig with a fluffy hair was worn over the mask. Actors performed in costumes: happy characters - in bright costumes, and tragic ones - in dark ones.
Worldwide fame was brought to the Greek theater Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes.
Aeschylus- he is considered the "father of tragedy", introduced a second actor and turned his attention from the chorus to the dialogue of the actors.
Sophocles - introduces a third actor and reduced the size of the choir part.
Euripides- the third master of Greek tragedy. brought tragedy closer to life, showing his heroes as they are.
Aristophanes- "the father of comedy", who ridiculed the ugly aspects of people's lives, raised questions about war and peace, about unhappy politicians, about inequality, etc.
The architecture of Ancient Rome is a logical continuation of the architecture of the Ancient Greeks. The first large buildings in Rome were made in the Etruscan style, therefore Roman architecture from the very beginning adopted the most important form of Etruscan architecture - a circular arch, that is, a semicircular stone covering, thrown from one abutment to another, and folded so that the adjoining sides its individual stones are located in the direction of the radii of the circle, are held by their mutual expansion and transfer the total pressure to one and the other abutment.
The use of this architectural form gave the Romans the opportunity to give a great variety of their structures, erect huge buildings, impart large size and spaciousness to the interior and boldly build floor above floor.
Columns were no longer suitable to support heavy arches, vaults and domes, the Romans replaced them with massive walls and pilasters, and the column received a decorative meaning. Although sometimes, as for example in the porticoes, leading to the building continues to be used in the same way as in Greece.
As for the style of the columns, the Romans did not invent anything of their own in this respect: they took ready-made Greek styles and only modified them to their liking. Thus, four orders were formed: 1) Roman-Doric, 2) Roman-Ionic, 3) Roman-Corinthian and 4) composite.
In addition, the Romans came up with an even more magnificent style, combining the details of the Corinthian and Ionic capitals in the capitals of its columns, namely, placing the second over the acanthus leaves of the first horizontally lying volute. Thus, a style appeared, which was given the name "Roman" or "composite".
During the period lasting from the middle of the II century. before the fall of republican rule (that is, until 31 BC), marked by the appearance in Rome of the first marble temples. The temples began to look more like the Greek ones, although they constantly retained some differences from them. The Roman temple of this and subsequent eras usually consisted of one cella of an oblong, quadrangular shape, standing on a high foundation, and to which a staircase led only from one, short, front side.
Along with similar shrines of the Greek type, the Romans erected, in honor of some deities, round temples, constituting their own invention, introducing into them, however, many Greek elements.
Roman forum The most brilliant period in the history of Roman architecture begins with the seizure of sovereignty over the republic by Augustus and continues until the death of Emperor Hadrian, that is, until 138 AD. (, Mausoleum of Augustus, K)
Under Domitian, Rome was adorned with a triumphal gate that perpetuated the memory of Titus's victories over the Jews and his destruction of Jerusalem - a structure that is curious especially because in it we see for the first time a completely defined, characteristic type of Roman triumphal arches, which were built earlier, but not with with such proportionality of parts and with less decoration, and also because the half-columns that adorn this gate represent the first known example of composite-style capitals.
Fragment of the Arch of Titus In the last period of the history of Roman architecture (from 138 to 300), each emperor tries to leave behind a memory of some significant structure. Antoninus the Pious builds the temple of Antoninus and Faustina in Rome; Marcus Aurelius - a column of his name, modeled on Trayanova; Septimius Sever is a heavy, burdened with architectural and sculptural decorations, a triumphal gate in imitation of the Arch of Titus, as well as a small, but harmonious in proportions and nobly beautiful in detail, the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli. Caracalla endows Rome with unusually large and luxurious public baths, Aurelian with a colossal temple of the Sun. Under Diocletian, baths were built, even more spacious and magnificent than the baths of Caracalla, but which, in terms of design and location, were only a piece of them.
Based on materials
September 29, 2018
Rome is one of the oldest cities in the world and for many centuries it was the largest center of social and political life. Religion occupied a special place in the life of the ancient Romans. The first temples dedicated to pagan Gods began to be erected back in the royal period, around the 6th century BC. These most ancient temples of Rome have survived to this day - their ruins can still be seen in Rome today. Let's get to know them.
The ruins of the ancient temple of Vesta, dedicated to the Roman goddess of the family hearth, are located in the oldest part of the Eternal City, at the Roman Forum. Presumably the temple appeared in the 6th-5th centuries BC. The round structure was surrounded on the outside by a colonnade. In the temple, the Sacred Fire was constantly burning, which was supported by the priestesses of the goddess Vesta - the Vestals, and inside there was a cache that kept sacred relics.
Contemporaries can see only three fifteen-meter columns, an altar, as well as the Yuturna spring, the water of which was considered healing.
One of the most ancient religious buildings of Ancient Rome, which was fortunate enough to survive to this day, is the Temple of Saturn. Its ruins can be seen at the Roman Forum. Saturn is the God of earth and fertility, in ancient times he was especially revered by the Romans, temples were erected for him and new cities were named after him. According to legend, in ancient times, Italy was called the Saturnian land.
The Temple of Saturn was erected at the foot of the Capitoline Hill in the second half of the 5th century BC. Throughout its history, the structure burned more than once during fires, but it was restored. Today, only a few columns of the portico and part of the foundation have survived. On the frieze you can see the inscription in Latin:
SENATUS POPULUSQUE ROMANUS INCENDIO CONSUMPTUM RESTITUIT
Which in translation sounds like: “ The Senate and the people of Rome, destroyed by fire, rebuilt».
In the republican period, the treasury was located under the temple, where not only the Roman treasury was kept, but also important state documents.
The Temple of Portuna is one of the few ancient buildings that has survived to this day. In ancient Roman mythology, Portun was considered the god of doors, keys and cattle, the guard of entrances and exits. The temple is located in the Bull Forum. In republican times, there was a small port and market, which was a lively trade in livestock.
The first temple of Portuna appeared in the 3rd century BC, but the structure that can be seen today dates back to the 1st century BC. Only a part of the foundation, found during excavations, has survived from the previous structure.
The temple is the oldest surviving marble structure in Rome. It was built around 120 BC. at the Forum of the Bulls, near the Temple of Portuna. Dedicated to the hero of ancient Greek mythology, the deified Hercules, whose cult spread through the Greek colonists in Italy.
The legendary ancient Roman commander and statesman Gaius Julius Caesar was the second in history, after the founder of Rome Romulus, a deified Roman. Just two years after Caesar's brutal assassination, starting in 42 BC. the construction of a temple in his honor began. Unfortunately, only a small part of it has survived to this day, but the ruins that can be seen today in its place give a good idea of how impressive in size this building was more than two millennia ago.
Three tall columns and part of the podium are all that have survived from the temple of Venus the Ancestor at Caesar's forum. It was built back in 46 BC. at the direction of the great Julius Caesar in gratitude to Venus, fertility, beauty and love, for help in the victory over Pompey. The cult of Venus was of particular importance in the life of the ancient Romans, who considered her their patroness.
The surviving ruins of the temple are located in the Imperial Forums, or Fori imperiali, in the center of the Forum of Augustus, commissioned by the first Roman emperor in the 2nd year of our era. It was a majestic structure, richly decorated with white marble, sculptures of kings and great Roman generals, sacred statues of gods and mythological characters.
In 79 AD, a temple was erected at the Roman forum in honor of the two deified Flavian emperors - Vespasian and his son Titus. Only a few columns remain of the majestic temple, as well as some bas-reliefs that are currently kept in museums.
The Pantheon, the temple of all the gods, is located in the Piazza Rotunda, or Piazza della Rotonda, in the historic center of Rome. This structure was built by order of the Emperor Hadrian in 126 AD. NS. To this day, it remains a functioning temple. The Pantheon is a unique example of ancient Roman architecture, its design features testify to great achievements in the field of ancient engineering.
Many prominent personalities of the past are buried in the Pantheon, including the Italian kings Umberto I and Vittorio Emmanuele II, Queen Margaret of Savoy, as well as famous painters and architects of the Renaissance Rafael Santi, Baldassare Peruzzi, and others.
According to historians, the most magnificent religious building of ancient Rome was the temple, erected in honor of the goddesses Venus and Roma, the patrons of the Eternal City. It was consecrated in 135 AD. e., during the reign of Hadrian. The emperor himself was the architect of this monumental structure.
The ruins that can be seen today near the Colosseum give an idea of the size of the ancient structure. The pedestal on which the temple was erected is 145 meters long and 100 meters wide.
Modern Rome is not just a city with a long, centuries-old history, it is a real open-air museum, whose exhibits surprisingly find a place among modern buildings. One such example is the Temple of Hadrian, located in Piazza di Pietra. Part of the ancient Roman structure was built into a 17th century building designed by Carlo Fontana.
The temple to the glory of the deified emperor Hadrian was erected by his adopted son and successor Antoninus Pius in 141-145 AD.
The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina is one of the few well-preserved pre-Christian churches in the Forum. By decree of the Emperor Antoninus Pius, who was inherently a deeply religious person, a temple was erected at the Roman Forum in about the middle of the 2nd century in honor of his late wife Faustina. When the emperor died, an eagle was released into the sky at a farewell ceremony, which symbolized the deification of Antoninus. On the frieze of the portico you can see the Latin inscription:
DIVO ANTONINO ET DIVAE FAUSTINAE EX S (enatus) C (onsulto)
which, translated from Latin, sounds like: “ Divine Antonine and divine Faustina by decision of the Senate».
One of the largest structures located in the Roman Forum is the Basilica dedicated to the emperors Maxentius and Constantine. The height of the vaults of the basilica, built in 312, was 39 meters, and the area of just one nave exceeded four thousand square meters.
The oldest temples in Rome that have survived to this day
