Roman Engineering

Arch of Caracalla at Volubilis The marble Arch of Caracalla, right in the middle of Volubilis, was erected in 211 AD in honor of the Emperor Caracalla and his mother, Julia Domna. The arch is surmounted by a bronze chariot and with its Corinthian columns remains an impressive Roman monument.

The Arch of Constantine, 315 CE Situated next to the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine was erected in 315 AD to commemorate Emperor Constantine I’s victory over Emperor Maxentius. The battle marked the beginning of Constantine’s conversion to Christianity. According to chroniclers, Constantine had a vision that God promised victory if his army daubed the sign of the cross on their shields.

1st century Roman bridge in Vaison, France

Pons Aemilius (Ponto Rotto) bridge The Pons Aemilius (Italian: ), today called Ponte Rotto, is the oldest Roman stone bridge in Rome, Italy. Preceded by a wooden version, it was rebuilt in stone in the 2nd century BC. It once spanned the Tiber, connecting the Forum Boarium with Trastevere; a single arch in mid-river is all that remains today, lending the bridge its name Ponte rotto ("Broken bridge").

Les Ferreres Aqueduct, Tarragona Les Ferreres Aqueduct (also known as Pont del Diable meaning Devil’s Bridge) was built to take water from the Francoli water 15 kilometers (9 miles) south to the city of Tarragona. It probably dates from the time of Augustus, the first ruler of the Roman Empire. The aqueduct has a maximum height of 27 meter and a length of 249 meter. It was composed by 25 upper arches and 11 lower arches

Pont Du Gard, France 19 BC The Pont du Gard in France is a Roman aqueduct built in ca. 19 BC. The Romans constructed numerous aqueducts to supply water. The city of Rome itself was supplied by eleven aqueducts made of limestone that provided the city with over 1 million cubic metres of water each day, sufficient for 3.5 million people even in modern day times,[2] and with a combined length of 350 kilometres (220 mi).[3] Water inside the aqueducts depended entirely on gravity. The raised stone channels in which the water travelled were slightly slanted. The water was carried directly from mountain springs. After it had gone through the aqueduct, the water was collected in tanks and fed through pipes to fountains, toilets, etc.6 The main aqueducts in Ancient Rome were the Aqua Claudia and the Aqua Marcia.7 Most aqueducts were constructed below the surface with only small portions above ground supported by arches.[4] The longest Roman aqueduct, 178 kilometres (111 mi) in length, was traditionally assumed to be that which supplied the city of Carthage. The complex system built to supply Constantinople had its most distant supply drawn from over 120 km away along a sinuous route of more than 336 km.8 The Pont du Gard (literally bridge of the Gard ) is an aqueduct in the South of France constructed by the Roman Empire. It was originally part of a 50 km (31 miles) canal supplying fresh water to the Roman city of Nimes. The aqueduct was constructed entirely without the use of mortar. The aqueduct’s stones – some of which weigh up to 6 tons – were precisely cut to fit perfectly together eliminating the need for mortar. From the Middle Ages to the 18th century, the aqueduct was used as a conventional bridge to facilitate foot traffic across the river. The Pont du Gard (literally bridge of the Gard ) is an ancient aqueduct in the South of France constructed by the Roman Empire. It was originally part of a 50 km (31 miles) canal supplying fresh water to the Roman city of Nimes. The Roman aqueduct was constructed entirely without the use of mortar. The aqueduct’s stones – some of which weigh up to 6 tons – were precisely cut to fit perfectly together eliminating the need for mortar. From the Middle Ages to the 18th century, the ancient aqueduct was used as a conventional bridge to facilitate foot traffic across the river. Today, the Pont du Gard is one of France’s top five tourist attractions, with 1.4 million visitors reported in 2001.

The Valens Aqueduct, Constantinople The Valens Aqueduct was completed in the year 368 AD during the reign of Roman Emperor Valens, whose name it bears. It was merely one of the terminal points of a system of ancient aqueducts and canals of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey). The water system eventually reached over 250 kilometers (155 miles) in total length, the longest such system of Antiquity. The Valens Aqueduct was restored by several Ottoman Sultans and was still the major water-providing system of medieval Constantinople. The surviving section is 921 meters (3021 feet) long, about 50 meters less than the original length. The Atatürk boulevard passes under its arches.

Aqueduct of Segovia, Spain flickr/Alaskan Dude Probably built around 50 AD, the Aqueduct of Segovia is one of the best- preserved monuments left by the Romans in Spain. The ancient aqueduct carries water 16 km (10 miles) from the Frío River to Segovia and was built of some 24,000 massive granite blocks without the use of mortar. The aboveground portion is 728 meters (2,388 feet) long and consists of 165 arches more than 9 meters (30 feet) high. It is the foremost symbol of Segovia and still provided water to the city in the 20th century.

Roman Arena in Arles, France flickr/http2007 The Roman Arena is one of the most popular tourist attraction in the city of Arles in southern France. It was built around the 1st century BC and was capable of seating over 20,000 spectators on three tiers. From 1830 until the present day the arena has been used for hosting bullfights, which the Romans certainly would have approved as it is only slightly less brutal as the chariot races and bloody hand-to-hand battles they themselves enjoyed.

The Uthina Ampitheatre, Tunisia Uthina (or Oudna) was a Roman colony in Tunisia. It was on the main route to Carthage from the south and west of the country. The city appears to have fallen into ruin after the Arab conquest in the 7th century. Still being excavated, the ruins are little visited. The archaeological park includes a Roman amphitheater which could host about 16,000 visitors. The lower half of the amphitheater is dug into the hill while the arcs are above the ground. The seats are not original and were only reconstructed recently.

Leptis Magna, Libya flickr/Sebastià Giralt Located in modern-day Libya, Leptis Magna was founded by the Phoenicians in the 10th century BC and became part of the Roman empire after the defeat of Carthage in 146 BC. Under Roman rule the city prospered and became a major trading post. Leptis Magna was abandoned in 523 AD after it was sacked by a Berber tribe and quickly reclaimed by the desert. Having been covered in desert sand for centuries it contains one of the most spectacular and unspoiled Roman ruins in the Mediterranean. The Roman amphitheater of Leptis Magna dates from 56 AD and lies about a kilometer east of the city center. It was capable of seating 16,000 spectators. Unlike most Roman amphitheaters, it is built below the ground.

Amphitheater of El Djem, Tunisia The Roman amphitheater of El Djem in Tunisia is the third largest arena in the world, after Rome’s Colosseum and the ruined theater of Capua. El Djem was formerly the Roman town of Thysdrus, one of the most important towns in North Africa after Carthage. The amphitheater was built in the early 3rd century AD capable of seating 35,000 spectators. The structure remained in a good state until the 17th century when stones from the arena were used for building the nearby village of El Djem and transported to the Great Mosque in Kairouan. More recently and less destructive it was used for filming some of the scenes from the Oscar winning film Gladiator. It is now a popular tourist destination in Tunisia.

Roman arena at Arles Roman arena at Arles, inside view. Still in use today, it draws large crowds for bullfighting1 as well as plays and concerts in summer.

Roman theatre of Amman The Roman Theater of Amman was built during the reign of Marcus Aurelius in the 2nd century AD. It is cut into the hillside and oriented north to keep the sun off the spectators. The theater was built on three tiers: the rulers, sat closest to the action, the military had the middle section, and the general public sat on the highest section. Although far from the stage, even there the actors could be clearly heard, owing to the steepness of the theater.

Pula Arena, Croatia The amphitheater in Pula is the sixth largest surviving Roman arena and one of the best preserved ancient monuments in Croatia. The Pula Arena was built around the 1st century AD and could seat over 26,000 spectators. In the 15th century many stones were taken from the amphitheater to build houses and other structures around Pula, but fortunately this practice was stopped before the whole structure was destroyed. Today it is used to host a variety of festivals and performances during the summer months.

The Colosseum, 80 CE

The Colosseum is the largest and most famous monument in the Roman world. The construction of the amphitheater was started by emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty in 72 AD and was finished by his son Titus in 80 AD. During the Colosseum’s opening ceremonies, spectacles were held for 100 days in which 5,000 of animals and 2,000 gladiators were killed. The Colosseum was capable of holding some 50,000 spectators who could enter the building through no less than 80 entrances.

The Pantheon The original Pantheon was built in 27 to 25 B.C. during the third consulship of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, but was destroyed by fire in 80 A.D. Date stamps on the bricks indicate that the current building dates from about 125, and was built during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. Although the building was totally reconstructed, an inscription that was on the original Pantheon was added to the facade of the new Pantheon. The inscription reads M·AGRIPPA·L·F·COS·TERTIUM·FECIT, "Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time, built this". The building was later repaired by Septimius Severus and Caracalla. In 609 the Byzantine emperor Phocas gave the building to Pope Boniface IV, who re-consecrated it as a Christian church, the "Santa Maria ad Martyres" or the "Church of Mary and all the Martyr Saints". A title that it retains to this day. One of the best preserved Roman buildings, The Pantheon was built in 126 AD as a temple for all the Roman gods. The temple has served as a Roman Catholic Church since the 7th century. The Pantheon consists of a large circular portico with three ranks of huge granite Corinthian columns. The portico opens into a rotunda which is topped with a concrete dome with a central opening: the oculus. Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon’s dome is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world.

Roman roads

Lyons, France

Hadrian’s Wall, 128 CE Hadrian’s Wall was built by the Romans to protect their colony Britannia from the tribes in Scotland. It stretches for 117 kilometers (73 miles) across the north of England from the Irish Sea to the North Sea. Construction started in 122 AD following a visit by Roman Emperor Hadrian, and was largely completed within six years. The wall was garrisoned by around 9,000 soldiers, including infantry and cavalry. Today only stretches of this famous wall are still visible.

Baths of Caracella

Sewers of Rome

A street in Pompeii

Model of a Roman crane Cranes were used for construction work and possibly to load and unload ships at their ports, although for the latter use there is according to the “present state of knowledge” still no evidence.5 Most cranes were capable of lifting about 6-7 tons of cargo, and according to a relief shown on Trajan's column were worked by treadwheel.

An early codex A codex (Latin caudex for "trunk of a tree" or block of wood, book; plural codices) is a book in the format used for modern books, with multiple quires or gatherings (sheets of paper or vellum in multiples of two which are folded and stitched through) typically bound together and given a cover. Developed by the Romans from wooden writing tablets, its gradual replacement of the scroll, the dominant form of book in the ancient world, has been termed the most important advance in the history of the book prior to the invention of printing.1 The spread of the codex is often associated with the rise of Christianity, which adopted the format for the Bible early on.2 First described by the 1st-century AD Roman poet Martial, who praised its convenient use, the codex achieved numerical parity with the scroll around AD 300, and had completely replaced it throughout the now Christianised Greco-Roman world by the 6th century.3