ROMAN MAP

THERMAE

• Most Roman cities had at least one Thermae, which were centers of public
bathing and socialization.
• Baths were extremely important for Romans.
• They stayed there for several hours and went daily. Wealthier Romans were
accompanied by one or more slaves.
• Roman bath-houses were also provided for private villas, town houses and
forts; these were also called thermae.
• They were supplied with water from an adjacent river or stream, or more
normally, by an aqueduct.
 THERMAE OF CARACALLA , ROME

•Square in plan measuring 350m each way, and built on a platform 6m high.
•Main building block 115m wide and 228m long.
•Entrance was on north – east side.
•Main feature was the huge central hall.
•It was 24m wide and 56m long covered with hemispherical concrete vault.
, 33m high.
•Masonry piers fronted with granite column 12m high and 16m in diameter.
•One side was frigidarium containing un-heated swimming bath 56 x22 m , and open to sky.
•On other side was tepidarium or warm room with hemispherical dome and water in this room was heated by wall
flues.
•One end of the building was large open space which was used as stadium, for foot racing.
•Thermae accomodated about 16000 bathers at a time.
•There were janitors to guard the doors, staff attendants, anointers, nail cutters, barbers, and innumerable slaves to
make bathing a luxurious relaxation.
 AMPHITHEATRE
• Amphitheaters (literally, double theaters) were
elliptical in plan with a central arena, where
gladiatorial and animal combats took place, and a
surrounding seating area built on the pattern of
Roman theaters.
• The earliest known amphitheater (75 BC) is at
Pompeii, and the grandest, Rome's Colosseum (AD
70-80), held approximately 50,000 spectators,
roughly the capacity of today's large sports stadiums.
 Colosseum, Rome

•The Colosseum in Rome (70-82) is best known for its multilevel system of vaults made of
concrete.
•It is called the Colosseum for a colossal statue of Nero that once stood nearby, but its real
name is the Flavian Amphitheater.
•It was used for staged battles between lions and Christians, among other spectacles, and is
one of the most famous pieces of architecture in the world.
 AQUEDUCT
• the aqueducts that brought water to the
towns from mountain sources (Pont du Gard,
late 1st century BC or early 1st century ad,
near Nimes).
 Pont du gard , France

•The Roman aqueduct at Pont du Gard near Nimes, France, was built between the late 1st
century BC and the early 1st century AD.
•The Romans built extensive systems of aqueducts to carry water to their residential areas
from distant sources.
 ROADS
APPIAN WAY

•An expanding network of roads helped to link Rome's distant

territories.
• One of the most important paved military roads was the Appian
Way, commissioned by the Roman official Appius Claudius Caecus.
•It became the major route from Rome to Greece.
 CIRCUSES
•Derived from the hippo – drome of the Greeks.
•Used for horse and chariot racing.
 Circus maximus, Rome

• measures 610m long and 198m wide and accomodated about 2,50,000
spectators.
• At one end of the arena 12 careers or stalls for the horses and chariots were
provided.
• In the event of chariot racing they used to race 12 times round the stadium a
distance of 14 km.
 Triumphal arches
• These were the monumental arches built for emperors and generals to
commemorate the victorious events.
 Arch of Titus, Rome
• Constructed to commemorate the seize of Jerusalem in the Jewish
war.
• Measures 13.4m long , 4.7m wide, 14.6m high with a single arch
opening 5.4m wide.
 SEWERS

• Romans also paid attention to keep the capital clean by

providing sewer lines to drain out the sewage water etc.
• Great sewer of Rome is 5m wide and 10m high.
• It used to be visible where it emptied into the Tiber river.