Saturday, January 30, 2016

Ancient Rome

The Romans were also master architects and one of their specialties were arches, more specifically triumphal arches. Triumphal arches are basically arches that commemorate important things that happened. For example, if a Roman general won a battle somewhere he could go to the government, explain his victory and then the senate would decide whether or not he'd get an arch.  Most arches or any building paid for by the government would have the letters SPQR on it. SPQR stands for Senates Populusque Romanus meaning 'by right of the senate and the people of Rome.' 
One of the greater known arches is the Arch of Titus. This arch honors the victory over Jerusalem in 70AD when the Roman military destroyed the temple of Harrod. On it, it shows Titus on the back of an eagle symbolizing him becoming a god as well as the spoils of Jerusalem.




Arch of Titus

Spoils of Jerusalem
Titus on Back of Eagle
Another accomplishment of the Romans was the Pantheon which means temple to all gods. On the front it says 'Cos Terbium Fecit' which is translated to, 'Marcus Agrippa, Son of Lucius, in his their consulate, made it.' However, Marcus Agrippa didn't not make the Pantheon, it was actually made by Augustus who gave the credit to Marcus Agrippa in an act of false modesty The interior is made up of three sections the columns, the bands, and the dome. None of these line up making it seem like the interior is spinning. The floor is bowed to get rid of the water that comes in from the oculus. 

                                               

                                      
                                           

                                     


                                    

                                    

Extra Credit
Video close up of the Arch of Titus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSimlZI6I3I
More information on the Arch of Titus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiKg2rnKx7k

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