Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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.
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.
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
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
ca. 14 CE
Ephesus
Foundation of Constantinople
Baalbek
of Syria
Empire
Herod
cus
Middle East
Foundation of Rome
Bath of Diocletion
Haggia Sophia
ca. 72 - 80 CE
Hadrians Villa
ca. 600 BCE
ca. 753 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
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
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
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
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