The temples in Rome were not, as in Greece and Egypt, the structures
on which the architect lavished all the resources of his art and his
science. They were, in a general way, copies of Greek originals, and did
not equal the models after which they were fashioned, nor greatly honor
the metropolis of the world. Few remains of them exist. The Church of
Santa Maria Ezizica was once a heathen temple, and after some necessary
changes, used for Christian worship. This was tetrastyle, with half
columns around it, and of the kind called by Vitruvius pseudo-peripteral.
A few fragmentary remains of other temples are found in Rome, but there
are much finer specimens in some of the provinces. The best is the Maison
Carrée at Nêmes. This was probably erected during the reign of Hadrian.
There is a portico in front, while the sides and rear have columns
attached. The details of the capitals and entablature are almost pure
Greek.
At Baalbec, the ancient Heliopolis in Syria, not far from Damascus,
are the ruins of another magnificent, provincial Roman temple. It was
built in the time of the Antonines, and must have been of very extensive
dimensions. At the western end of an immense court, on an artificial
elevation, stand the remains of what is called the Great Temple. This
was 290 feet long by 160 feet wide, and had 54 columns supporting its
roof, only six of which now remain erect. Their height, including base
and capital, is 75 feet, and their diameter at the base 7 feet. They are
of the Corinthian order, and above them rises an elaborately moulded
entablature, 14 feet in height. The most striking feature of these
buildings is the colossal size of the stones used in their construction.
Among the most remarkable public buildings, whether in the mother city,
or in the provinces, were the Basilicas, or halls of justice, used also
as commercial exchanges. These were generally oblong, covered halls,
divided into three or five aisles by rows of columns. At one end was a
semi-circular recess, the floor of which was raised considerably above
the level of the rest of the floor, and here the presiding magistrate had
his seat.
Although the Romans were not particularly interested in dramatic
representations, they were passionately fond of shows and games of all
kinds. Hence they built many theatres and amphitheatres in all their
cities and large towns. The most stupendous fabric of the kind that was
ever erected was the Flavian amphitheater or Colosseum, whose ruins
attest its pristine magnificence.
“Arches on arches, as if it were that Rome, collecting the chief trophies
of her line, would build up all the triumphs in one dome.” It was oblong,
620 feet in length, and 513 feet wide. It was favorably situated between
the Esquiline and the Cœlian hills, and admirably planned for the
convenience of the vast audiences, estimated at from 50,000 to 80,000.
Recent excavations have revealed the communications that existed between
the arena and the dens, where the wild animals, slaves, and prisoners
were confined. The external façade is composed of four stories, separated
by entablatures that run completely round the building, without a break.
The three lower stories consist of a series of semi-circular arched
openings, eighty in number, separated by piers with attached columns in
front of them, the Doric order being used in the lowest story, the Ionic
in the second, and the Corinthian in the third.
From these meager facts the reader must imagine the magnificence and
grandeur of the Colosseum, or seek for fuller information in works of
ancient art. Nothing can give us a more impressive idea of the grandeur
and lavish display of Imperial Rome, than the remains of the huge Thermæ
or bathing establishments. These belong mostly to the Christian era.
Agrippa built the first, A. D. 10, and thence to 324 A. D., no less than
twelve of these vast establishments were erected by different emperors,
including Constantine, and bequeathed to the people. The baths of
Caracalla and Diocletian are the only ones that remain in any state of
preservation, and were probably the finest and most extensive of them all.
There is one ancient building in Rome more impressive than any other—not
only because of its better state of preservation, but because of the
dignity with which it was designed, the perfection of execution, and the
effectiveness of the mode in which the interior is lighted—the Pantheon.
It is the finest example of a domed hall that is left. It has the
circular form with a diameter of 145 feet, and a height to the top of the
dome of 147 feet. The magnificent dome is enriched with boldly recessed
panels, and these covered with bronze ornaments.
The domestic architecture of the Romans at an early day was rich, but few
traces of it remain. The buildings were of two kinds; the _insula_, or
block of buildings, containing a number of buildings, and the _domus_, or
detached mansion.
Their buildings, in the first centuries rude, came, in time, to have a
very decided architectural character. We gather from them that daring,
energy, readiness, structural skill, and a not too fastidious taste were
characteristics of Roman architects and their works.