Public Buildings in Ancient Greece

Public Buildings in Ancient Rome

• Stoa: Long colonnaded structure connecting public monuments and providing shelter.
• Prytaneion: Senate house for the chief dignitaries of the city.
• Agora (Town Square): Open-air meeting place for business transactions and marketplace activities.
• Bouleuterion: Covered meeting place for democratically elected councils.
• Assembly Halls: Venues for general citizen assemblies.
• Odeon: Theater used primarily for musical performances and competitions.
• Stadium/Stadion: Foot racecourse that also hosted athletic performances.
• Hippodrome: Similar to a stadium, designed for horse racing and events.
• Palaestra: Wrestling court typically accompanying gyms and exercise areas.
• Gymnasium: Facility for physical exercises, featuring courts, bathing tanks, and dressing rooms, as well as areas for spectators and discussion.
• Ephebium: Club within gymnasiums for lectures and training, exemplifying early communal learning spaces.
• Palaestra and Gymnasium served as prototypes for later Roman "Thermae" (bathhouses).

Historical Architectural Development

• Etruscan Period: Noted for the invention of the true arch and rich mineral resources.
• Roman Architecture (20th–4th Century AD): Centers on significant figures like Romulus and Remus, emphasizing Rome’s strategic Mediterranean location.

Influences on Roman Architecture

• Climatic:
  • Northern Italy: Temperate weather
  • Central Italy: Sunny climate
  • Southern Italy: Near-tropical conditions
• Religious Influences: Strong veneration of emperors over traditional deities.
• Social and Political Influences: Notable emperors like Nero, Vespasian, Trojan, Hadrian, Septimus Severus, Caracalla, and Diocletian engaged actively in architecture, adopting Greek columnar and trabeated styles.

Architectural Characteristics

• Roman architecture is characterized by:
  • Vastness and magnificence
  • Ostentation and ornateness
  • Multi-story complexes
  • Functional and practical design with economic material use

Advances in Vault Architecture

• Barrel Vault: Circular or wagon-headed vault supported by two parallel walls.
• Groin Vault: Formed by the intersection of two semicircular vaults.
• Hemispherical Dome: Employed over circular structures, showcasing Roman ingenuity.
• Types of masonry techniques used include Opus Testaceum, Opus Mixtum, Opus Quadratum, Opus Incertum, and Opus Reticulartum.

Column Capitals

• Composite Capital: A blend of Doric and Ionic styles.

Architectural Examples

• Forum: An open space serving as a market and meeting place, exemplified by the Forum Romanum.
  • Roman Forum: Center of ancient Rome, active since around 500 BC, serving various civic functions.

Thermae (Public Baths)

• Components of Thermae:
  • Tepidarium: Warm bath area.
  • Calidarium: Hot bath room with heated water.
  • Frigidarium: Cooling room for post-bathing.
  • Sudarium: Dry sweating room.
  • Apodyteria: Dressing room area.
  • Palaestra: Space for physical exercise.
  • Unctuaria: Location for applying oils and perfumes.
  • Spaeresterium: Games area within the baths.