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Roman and Byzantine Architecture

Cities of the Roman Empire

Miletus ca. 500 BCE Damascus ca. 64 BCE Augusta Raurica ca. 44 BCE Rome ca. 753 BCE
First example of the Hippodamus Grid First came under western influence by Alexander The oldest known Roman colony on the Rhine, The origin of Rome has mythological and topographic ex-
system after the city was destroyed by the the Great ca. 330 BCE. In 64 BCE Roman founded by Lucius Munatius Plancus in the area of planations. The city grew surrounded by seven hills, ruled
Persians. Residential zones are divided into General Pompey took control of the western part a local Gallic tribe. The city underwent most of its by seven Etruscan Kings. Mythology states the brothers
island lots called Insulae, and surround the of Syria, including Damascus, and incorporated development in 15 BCE under Emperor Augustus. Romulus and Remus founded the city on top of Palantine
principle public and policital space, notably the city into the League of Ten cities, called the Hill. At its height the city had a population of one million,
the agora and temple. Decapolis. The Decapolis was a collection of where the typical insulae consisted of ten storey high
the most prominent cities in the middle east, low-cost housing. The city remained the capital of the
and indicates the importance Damascus had as a Roman Empire until Emperor Constantine I, who moved it
centre of the Graeco-Roman culture. to Constantinople. The inhabitants of which continued to
The urban plan shows the first use of the call themselves Roman until Ottoman rule.
Decumanus (the major vertical street) and the
Cardo (major horizontal) in the region.

0 300m 0 300m 0 300m

Priene ca. 334 BCE Beirut ca. 64 BCE Ephesus ca. 88 BCE
First city to apply the Hippodamus Known as Berytus to the Romans, The city was originally famed for its Temple of
system to a hilly topography. The and also came under Roman rule in 64 Artemis, who had her chief shrine there, the Library 0 300m
streets were stepped where neces- BCE. The city quickly became embel- of Celsus, and its theatre, which was capable of
sary instead of breaking the grid and lished by the dynasty of Herod the holding 25,000 spectators. The city was rebuilt
following the contours. Great with large public buildings being under Emperor Constantine I.
erected as an indication of its status.
Berytus was widely known for its
school of law, which produced two of
Rome’s most famous jurists, Papinian
and Ulpian.

Pantheon Trajan Forum Colesseum Bath of Diocletian


0 300m 0 300m
0 300m
ca. 312 BCE - 106 CE

responsible for many


conquering Eastern
Alexander the Great

Theatre and gymna-

Temple of Jupiter at
Temple of Jupiter at

lodorus of Damas-
Beirut come under
Pompey’s takeover

Umayyad Mosque
Commissioned by
Petra Rock Tombs
from 3rd Century

Flourishes under

sium, Damascus

Begun ca. 10 CE

ca. 706 - 715 CE


Architect Apol-
Damascus and

Foundation of

ca. 98 - 117 CE
Antioch, Syria

Julius Caesar

public works
ca. 340 BCE

under Trajan
Roman rule
ca. 64 BCE

ca. 64 BCE

ca. 47 BCE

ca. 43 BCE

ca. 88 BCE

Bouleuterion Theatre, Ephesus


Damascus
Pergamon
Temple of Poseidon at Isthamia

ca. 14 CE
Ephesus

Foundation of Constantinople
Baalbek
of Syria
Empire

Herod

use of concrete is common

Examples in the Forum of Augustus, Rome

cus

SS. Sergius and Bacchus


Emperor Augustus rules,
Foundation of Augusta

Bath of Caracella, Rome


by Romulus and Remus

Forum of Trajan, Rome

Church of the Prophets

ca. the 7th Century CE


Temple of Athena Nike

Middle East
Foundation of Rome

Founded ca. 500 BCE

Founded ca. 334 BCE

The Imperial Forums

St. Hripsime Church


ca. 48 BCE - 112 CE

Bath of Diocletion

St. Maria Maggiore


ca. 447 - 432 BCE

Basilica St. Peter


begun ca. 24 BCE

ca. 525 - 530 CE


ca. 298 - 306 CE

ca. 532 - 537 CE


ca. 147 - 151 CE

ca. 212 - 216 CE


ca. 118 - 134 CE
31 BCE - 14 CE

Haggia Sophia
ca. 72 - 80 CE

Hadrians Villa
ca. 600 BCE
ca. 753 BCE

ca. 425 BCE

Colosseum
ca. 44 BCE

ca. 324 CE

ca. 330 CE

ca. 465 CE
ca. 432 CE
ca. 125 CE
ca. 105 CE
Parthenon

Pantheon
Miletus

Raurica
Priene

Major Roman and Byzantine


Architecture

715 CE
Christ
753 BCE

DRAFT
78 ETH Studio Basel
©
ROMAN REPUBLIC 509 -27 BCE ROMAN EMPIRE 27 BCE - 393 CE BYZANTINE EMPIRE 330 -1453 CE
ROMAN AND BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE Tom Dowdall 79
Roman and Byzantine Architecture
Architecture Typologies and Elements
BUILDING TYPOLOGIES SYSTEMS DETAILS

Temple Structural Innovation Classical Orders


Pantheon Rome The use of concrete allowed the
Roman builders to develop the
ca. 125 CE Arch, the Vault and Dome.

They achieved this with the use


of complex formwork, and cof-
0 10m
fered domes to reduce weight Formwork for a vault Coffered Dome
Tuscan Doric Ionic Corinthian Composite

Theatre
Bouleuterion Ephesus

147-151 CE
The Arch The Groin Vault The Dome
0 10m -made of Voussoirs, - An intersecting
wedged-shaped stones Barrel vault

Wall articulation Ionic Order notation


With the onset of the
arch as a more efficient
Ampitheatre structural concept to the
Sima
post-and-beam, the Ro-
man builders continued Cornice
Colosseum Rome
to articulate the wall com- Dentils
72 - 80 CE bining the arch with the
orders of the columns
Architrave
0 30m

Voluted capital
Baths
Baths of Diocletion Column shaft

Rome
Torus with horizontal flutes
298-306 CE
0 50m Plinth
Arch of Nero Rome Colosseum Rome
55 CE 72 - 80 CE
Eastern Influences Byzantine variations of the Composite Capital
Forum to Roman Architec-
ture
Basilica
Stylistic variations to Ro-
Market man architecture began
to appear in the Eastern
Trajan Forum Rome
cities of the Empire, as
105 CE
an appropriation to the
culture and climate of the
Architect: Hippodamus
region.
of Damscus Standard entablature Entablature pierced by
The most prominent of
these is the Syrian arch a central arch, known SS. Sergius and Bacchus St. Vitale
0 30m
as the Syrian Arch

The great covered


colonnaded axes where
Church an idea of
local eastern inspiration,
St Peters combining prestige
Rome with the practical

DRAFT
purpose of protecting
333CE shoppers and vendors Basilica Eufrasiana Salonica
from the sun
80 ETH Studio Basel
© 0 30m
ROMAN AND BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE_Tom Dowdall 81

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